Local Network prompt

On macOS 15 and later, builds 91 and earlier could show this system prompt:

Allow “App Auto-Patch” to find devices on local networks?

App Auto-Patch does not look for other devices on the network. There is no Bonjour browse and no scan of the local subnet.

What caused it

When a patch started from the app finished and a Slack or Teams webhook was configured, the app’s background service put the Mac’s name on the webhook card. It read that name with ProcessInfo.hostName, which looks up the Mac’s own network addresses. macOS counts that lookup as local-network access, so it showed the prompt for App Auto-Patch.

Macs with no webhook URL configured did not see the prompt. Background passes run by the root helper did not cause it either, because macOS does not apply Local Network privacy to processes running as root.

Build 92 reads the Computer Name with scutil instead, which does not use the network. Webhook cards now show the Computer Name from System Settings → General → About.

DNS lookups do not cause the prompt, even when the DNS server is on the local network. Neither does a proxy on the local network. See Apple’s TN3179: Understanding local network privacy.

What to tell users

Don’t Allow is safe. Update checks, downloads, and webhook posts still work.

The app’s Info.plist still has a localized explanation for the dialog, in case macOS asks again:

App Auto-Patch connects to update servers and webhook services on the internet. It does not look for other devices on your network.

An app appears under System Settings → Privacy & Security → Local Network only after macOS has recorded an attempt. A Mac that answered the prompt on an earlier build keeps that entry. On macOS 27.2 and later, select it and click the remove (−) button to clear it.

What admins cannot do

There is no configuration profile that pre-approves Local Network access. A privacy (PPPC) payload cannot grant it, and there is no sample profile for this prompt.