native/apple: Feedback, IAD, adservices

[ignoramous]

Credit @hagezi https://t.me/rethinkdns/57224

Re: xp.apple.com, ref https://t.me/rethinkdns/57222 and https://gizmodo.com/apple-iphone-analytics-tracking-even-when-off-app-store-1849757558

[yokoffing]

Idk about the rest causing breakage, but xp breaks Apple Music and, apparently, software updates.

[hagezi]

@yokoffing
I did not have any problems with software updates. I tested it with the latest iOS, tvOS and macOS. No problems were encountered.

What does not work with Apple Music by blocking xp.apple.com? Do you have more details?

I have now tested the trial subscription of Apple Music. I can't see any restrictions, everything runs as expected with xp.apple.com blocked.

[yokoffing]

I did not have any problems with software updates. I tested it with the latest iOS, tvOS and macOS. No problems were encountered.

That's good to hear.

What does not work with Apple Music by blocking xp.apple.com? Do you have more details?

At one time, I was having playback errors with Apple music and attributed it to xp, based on my blocked DNS requests and others experiences. But you're right, playback is fine when using using this Apple Music embed. I'll occasionally run into issues using it with Firefox in private browsing windows, but it works in normal windows and in other browsers.

I'll leave xp blocked, then. Thank you for encouraging me to re-test it!

[yokoffing]

Based on https://t.me/rethinkdns/57224, these are the ones that are missing in NextDNS Native Tracking Protecting:

acfeedbackws.icloud.com
api-adservices.apple.com
ca.iadsdk.apple.com
cf.iadsdk.apple.com
feedbackws.icloud.com
iadsdk.apple.com
notes-analytics-events.apple.com
tr.iadsdk.apple.com
weather-analytics-events.apple.com
xp.apple.com

@hagezi, are these in your list(s)?

[hagezi]

@yokoffing
Yes, see: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/hagezi/dns-blocklists/main/wildcard/native.apple.txt

This list is used by RethinkDNS.

[yokoffing]

Yes

Thanks, @hagezi! Then it looks like NextDNS list is missing the following:

xp.apple.com
acfeedbackws.icloud.com
api-adservices.apple.com
ca.iadsdk.apple.com
cf.iadsdk.apple.com
feedbackws.fe.apple-dns.net
feedbackws.icloud.com
iadsdk.apple.com
notes-analytics-events.apple.com
notes-analytics-events.news.apple-dns.net
stocks-analytics-events.news.apple-dns.net
tr.iadsdk.apple.com
weather-analytics-events.apple.com
weather-analytics-events.news.apple-dns.net

[hagezi]

@yokoffing @ignoramous
I have found something that does not work by blocking xp.apple.com. 4 out of 4 Apple Watch in my household would not update. The behavior is as follows:
The Watch shows that an update is necessary, if you start it it hangs at "search for update". I waited 10 minutes before cancelling the process.
Unblocking xp.apple.com fixed the problem.
I have removed xp.apple.com from my blocklists.

[yokoffing]

I can't download 16.1.2 for my iPhone, either. I noticed that xp.apple.com was added to 1Hosts(Lite) and notracking very recently. It was not on there before.

We can confirm now that, yes, this request allows tracking but is also needed for updates. It's both/and, not either/or.

@badmojr @notracking

[ignoramous]

@hagezi and @yokoffing thanks. Removed xp from my submission here...

[notracking]

Fixed! (was listed on a adguard list)

[hagezi]

I can't download 16.1.2 for my iPhone, either. I noticed that xp.apple.com was added to 1Hosts(Lite) and notracking very recently. It was not on there before.

We can confirm now that, yes, this request allows tracking but is also needed for updates. It's both/and, not either/or.

@badmojr @notracking

Yes, I tested it, the iOS 16 version still worked with blocked xp.apple.com, the current iOS version can only be installed if you unblock the domain.

[romaincointepas]

The Native Tracking Protection feature should only block domains that do not break anything.

@ignoramous could you redo this PR in https://github.com/nextdns/native-tracking-domains? We are splitting up this monorepo and PR can't be transfered.