What is an NSxUsageDescription key?

It is a privacy usage-description string explaining why your app needs a protected resource such as the camera or location. iOS shows this text in the permission prompt, and App Review rejects builds that access the resource without the corresponding key set.

What is the difference between CFBundleShortVersionString and CFBundleVersion?

CFBundleShortVersionString is the public marketing version users see, like 2.1.0. CFBundleVersion is the build number, an internal counter that must increase with every upload to App Store Connect even if the marketing version stays the same.

Which keys are required for every app?

CFBundleIdentifier, CFBundleShortVersionString, CFBundleVersion and CFBundleExecutable are required, and most apps also set CFBundleDisplayName and UILaunchStoryboardName. Xcode populates several automatically from build settings.

What happens if I request a permission without its usage key?

The app crashes at runtime the moment it accesses the resource, because iOS deliberately terminates apps that touch protected data without a declared purpose string. Always pair an API like the camera with its NSCameraUsageDescription key.

Where do I edit Info.plist in modern Xcode?

Recent Xcode projects manage many keys under the target's Info tab and build settings rather than a standalone file, but you can still add custom and usage-description keys there. Expo and React Native projects often set them via app.json or config plugins.

What is the iOS Info.plist Keys Reference?

Searchable iOS Info.plist key reference covering bundle identity keys, UI configuration, and the permission usage-description (NSxUsageDescription) strings App Review requires before granting access to camera, location, photos and more. It runs free in your browser on Gera Tools, with nothing uploaded.

iOS Info.plist Keys Reference

Name: iOS Info.plist Keys Reference
Creator: Gera Tools
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

iOS Info.plist keys

Info.plist is the property list that describes an iOS app to the system: its bundle identity, version, UI configuration, and — critically — the privacy usage-description strings the system shows when requesting access to protected resources. Missing or vague usage strings cause runtime crashes and App Review rejections. This searchable reference covers the keys that matter most.

Why Info.plist matters beyond just configuration

Two categories of keys cause the most real-world problems:

Version keys (CFBundleShortVersionString and CFBundleVersion): these are separate concepts. The marketing version (2.1.0) can stay the same across multiple TestFlight uploads; the build number must increment every single time. Forgetting to bump the build number causes a silent upload failure in App Store Connect.

Privacy usage descriptions: every protected resource — camera, microphone, location, contacts, photos, health data, Bluetooth, tracking — requires its own NSxUsageDescription string in Info.plist. iOS reads this string at runtime and shows it in the system permission prompt before your code even runs. If the key is missing, the app crashes the instant it attempts to access that resource. App Review independently checks that usage strings are present, non-empty, and meaningful; submitting “This app uses the camera” for NSCameraUsageDescription when you actually scan medical documents is a common rejection reason.

How it works

Keys are entries in a plist, each with a type (String, Boolean, Array, Dict):

<key>CFBundleShortVersionString</key>
<string>2.1.0</string>
<key>CFBundleVersion</key>
<string>57</string>
<key>NSCameraUsageDescription</key>
<string>Scans receipts to attach to your warranty claim.</string>

Bundle keys establish identity and versioning; CFBundleVersion must increase every upload. Each NSxUsageDescription key pairs with a protected API — access the camera without NSCameraUsageDescription and iOS terminates the app on the spot.

Common permission keys and their required descriptions

Key	Protected resource	Required when
`NSCameraUsageDescription`	Camera	Capturing photos or video
`NSMicrophoneUsageDescription`	Microphone	Recording audio
`NSLocationWhenInUseUsageDescription`	Location (foreground)	Showing user location on a map
`NSLocationAlwaysAndWhenInUseUsageDescription`	Location (background)	Background tracking
`NSPhotoLibraryUsageDescription`	Photo library (read)	Picking images from Photos
`NSPhotoLibraryAddUsageDescription`	Photo library (save)	Saving images to Photos
`NSContactsUsageDescription`	Contacts	Reading address book
`NSBluetoothAlwaysUsageDescription`	Bluetooth	Connecting to BLE peripherals

Writing a usage string that passes review

Bad: "This app uses the camera." Good: "We use your camera to scan documents and attach them to your support ticket."

Apple wants the string to tell the user concretely what the app does with the data, not just that it accesses the resource. Generic or boilerplate strings are a reliable rejection trigger.

Tips and notes

Write specific usage strings — say what the data is used for, not just that it is accessed.
Bump CFBundleVersion on every App Store Connect upload, even for the same marketing release.
LSApplicationQueriesSchemes is needed before calling canOpenURL for third-party URL schemes.
In Expo and React Native, set Info.plist keys via app.json under ios.infoPlist or through config plugins rather than editing the generated file directly — the file is overwritten on each Prebuild.
In modern Xcode, many keys are managed under the target’s Info tab or in build settings; you still add custom and usage-description keys there directly.