DevFlow.Agent crashes macOS apps on startup - missing NSBluetoothAlwaysUsageDescription

[jfversluis]

Description

The Microsoft.Maui.DevFlow.Agent package (v0.1.0-preview.7.26230.1) crashes macOS apps on startup with a TCC privacy violation because it uses CoreBluetooth (CBCentralManager) for BLE device discovery without requiring the host app to declare NSBluetoothAlwaysUsageDescription in its Info.plist.

Steps to Reproduce

1. Create a .NET MAUI macOS app (net10.0-macos)
2. Add Microsoft.Maui.DevFlow.Agent v0.1.0-preview.7.26230.1 (Debug only)
3. Build and run in Debug
4. App crashes immediately on startup

Crash Log

[com.apple.TCC:access] This app has crashed because it attempted to access privacy-sensitive data without a usage description. The app's Info.plist must contain an NSBluetoothAlwaysUsageDescription key with a string value explaining to the user how the app uses this data.

Root Cause

The DevFlow agent added CoreBluetooth-based device discovery in preview.7. Decompiling the assembly shows:

private CBCentralManager? _centralManager;
_centralManager = new CBCentralManager(_delegate, null);

The older preview.4 (v0.1.0-preview.4.26202.3) does NOT have this code and works fine without the Info.plist key.

Workaround

Add an Info.plist to the macOS project with:

<key>NSBluetoothAlwaysUsageDescription</key>
<string>Required for DevFlow device discovery.</string>

Suggested Fix

The DevFlow agent should either:

1. Weak-link CoreBluetooth and gate usage behind an availability/permission check so the app does not crash if the key is missing
2. Document the Info.plist requirement clearly
3. Or defer Bluetooth initialization until explicitly requested rather than at startup

/cc @aritchie

Environment

• .NET SDK: 10.0.102
• macOS workload: 26.2.10217
• Target: net10.0-macos
• Package: Microsoft.Maui.DevFlow.Agent 0.1.0-preview.7.26230.1

[aritchie]

The BLE monitor isn't supposed to start/inject itself unless being called. This probably effects iOS as well

[jfversluis]

@aritchie ha I see it made this report very specific. I was looking at moving Sherpa to the official packages: Redth/MAUI.Sherpa#165 and while testing locally it crashed and it figured out that it needed the Bluetooth entry.

When it starts now it will ask me for permission to use Bluetooth and if it is allowed to find devices on my network. I can imagine that doesn't make people very happy when that pops up.

[aritchie]

I'm cooking a fix. I'm not sure all of the processes you guys need for an update, so feel free to tell me in the PR. @Redth usually just fixes my junk

[aritchie]

@jfversluis I think we should revert BLE for now. I'll test more on my own branch to get all of the kinks worked out. Thoughts?

[jfversluis]

@aritchie reverted for now while you figure things out, thanks!