[PPT] Error Creating the CFMessagePort Needed to Communicate With PPT: Why It Happens and How to Fix It

If you’re an iOS developer, you’ve probably seen this strange message pop up in your Xcode console:

[PPT] Error creating the CFMessagePort needed to communicate with PPT.

The first time you see it, it can be confusing. Maybe even a little scary. You might wonder if your app is broken or if you did something wrong.

Here’s the good news: In most cases, this error is harmless and you can safely ignore it.

But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t understand what’s happening. In this guide, I’ll explain exactly what this error means, why it shows up, when you should actually worry about it, and how to make it disappear from your console if it’s bothering you.

What Does This Error Actually Mean?

Let’s break down the message piece by piece.

CFMessagePort is a tool built into Apple’s operating systems. It allows different parts of a program (or different programs entirely) to talk to each other. Think of it like a phone line between two people. One side sends a message, and the other side receives it.

PPT stands for Performance Power Tools. This is an internal Apple system that monitors how your app performs. It tracks things like how fast your app launches, how much battery it uses, and other performance-related data.

So when you see this error, your system is saying: “I tried to create a communication channel to send performance data, but I couldn’t set it up.”

The error comes from UIKitCore, which is part of Apple’s own framework. This means the error is not caused by your code. It’s coming from deep inside Apple’s system.

Why Does This Error Appear?

This error shows up in several common situations:

1. Running apps in the iOS Simulator

The simulator doesn’t have all the same features as a real iPhone. Some internal Apple systems don’t work the same way in the simulator, and this can trigger the error.

2. Using MFMailComposeViewController

If your app lets users send emails using the built-in mail composer, you might see this error. The mail composer runs in a sandboxed environment with limited permissions, which can block the PPT communication channel.

3. Building iMessage extensions or sticker packs

Extensions run in an even more restricted environment than regular apps. This restriction can prevent PPT from setting up its communication port.

4. After updating Xcode

Many developers started seeing this error more frequently after updating to Xcode 16.2 and later versions. Apple changed something internally, and these messages now appear more often in the console.

5. Testing on physical devices

Sometimes the error shows up when building and running on a real iPhone instead of the simulator. This can happen due to permission differences between debug and release builds.

Should You Worry About This Error?

In most cases, no.

Here’s how to know if you can safely ignore it:

Your app still runs correctly
Users can complete all actions normally
No features are broken or missing
The error only appears in the Xcode console during development

If all of these are true, the error is just noise. It’s Apple’s internal systems complaining about something, but it doesn’t affect your app or your users.

However, there are some cases where the error might signal a real problem:

The mail composer won’t dismiss properly after sending or canceling an email
Touch events stop working in iMessage extensions
Your app crashes right after this error appears

If you experience any of these issues, the error might be connected to a deeper problem that needs fixing.

A developer sits at a wooden desk in a home office, debugging code on a large monitor using a dark theme editor, with an iPhone testing device and a cup of coffee nearby.

How to Fix Real Problems Connected to This Error

Problem: Mail Composer Won’t Dismiss

If you’re using MFMailComposeViewController and the mail window won’t close after the user taps Send or Cancel, check your delegate implementation.

Make sure you’ve set the delegate properly:

let mailComposer = MFMailComposeViewController()
mailComposer.mailComposeDelegate = self

And make sure your delegate method dismisses the controller:

func mailComposeController(_ controller: MFMailComposeViewController, 
                           didFinishWith result: MFMailComposeResult, 
                           error: Error?) {
    controller.dismiss(animated: true, completion: nil)
}

If you forget to dismiss the controller in this method, the mail window will stay on screen even though the error appeared.

Problem: Touch Events Not Working in iMessage Extensions

One developer found that this error appeared alongside broken touch events in an iMessage extension. The fix turned out to be simple: always call super in lifecycle methods.

override func viewDidAppear(_ animated: Bool) {
    super.viewDidAppear(animated)  // Don't forget this line!
    // Your code here
}

Forgetting to call super.viewDidAppear(animated) can break touch handling in extensions. The CFMessagePort error might appear at the same time, but the real fix is adding that missing super call.

Problem: Sticker Pack Shows Error

If you’re building a sticker pack and seeing this error, make sure you’ve filled in all required app icon sizes. Missing icons can cause unexpected issues during development, and some developers have found that adding all icons resolves the problem.

How to Hide This Error From Your Console

If the error doesn’t affect your app but it’s cluttering your console, here are ways to clean things up.

Method 1: Filter Your Console in Xcode 15 and Later

Xcode 15 introduced powerful filtering for the debug console. You can hide messages you don’t want to see.

Look at the bottom of your console window
Click in the filter bar
Type PPT and press Enter
Click on the filter tag that appears
Change “Contains” to “Does not contain”

Now any messages containing “PPT” will be hidden from view.

You can also right-click on the error message directly and select “Hide Similar” to quickly filter out messages like it.

Method 2: Disable OS Activity Logging

You can tell Xcode to stop showing these system messages entirely by adding an environment variable.

Click on your project in Xcode
Go to Product → Scheme → Edit Scheme
Select Run on the left side
Click the Arguments tab
Under Environment Variables, click the + button
Add a new variable:
- Name: OS_ACTIVITY_MODE
- Value: disable

A photograph of a Mac screen displaying the Xcode Edit Scheme window, specifically the Arguments tab under the Run configuration, showing environment variables set for debugging.

This will suppress many system-level log messages, including the CFMessagePort error.

Warning: This also hides other potentially useful system messages. Use this method only if console noise is really bothering you and you understand you might miss other important logs.

Method 3: Use the Debugger Output Filter

At the bottom left of the debug console, there’s a dropdown menu. By default, it shows “All Output.” You can change this to “Debugger Output” to see only messages from your breakpoints and debugger commands.

This won’t remove the error, but it will hide all the system noise and show only what you explicitly logged or requested.

Understanding the Background

For those who want to understand what’s happening at a lower level, here’s more context.

CFMessagePort is part of Core Foundation, Apple’s low-level C framework. It provides a way to send data between processes using something called Mach ports. Mach ports are communication channels built into the macOS and iOS kernels.

When your app runs, Apple’s internal performance monitoring systems try to set up communication channels to collect data about your app. In sandboxed environments (like the simulator, extensions, or apps in development), these systems don’t always have permission to create these ports.

The error you see is the system saying: “I tried to create a port for performance monitoring, but the sandbox blocked me.”

Since iOS 8, Apple has tightened sandbox restrictions significantly. CFMessagePort can only create ports with names that match your app group identifier. If the name doesn’t match, or if the sandbox doesn’t allow it, the port creation fails.

The PPT (Performance Power Tools) system is trying to use CFMessagePort, but it’s getting blocked by sandbox rules during development. This is normal behavior, not a bug in your code.

When to Report This as a Bug

If this error is causing real problems in your app (not just appearing in the console, but actually breaking functionality) you might want to file a report with Apple.

Use Feedback Assistant to submit a bug report. Include:

Your Xcode version
Your macOS version
The iOS version you’re testing on
Whether you’re using the simulator or a real device
Exact steps to reproduce the problem
What functionality is broken

Apple’s engineering team monitors these reports. If enough developers report the same issue, they’ll prioritize a fix.

Quick Summary

Here’s what you need to remember:

Situation	What to Do
Error appears but app works fine	Ignore it safely
Error appears with broken mail composer	Check your delegate and dismiss code
Error appears with broken touch events in extensions	Make sure you call super in lifecycle methods
Error clutters your console	Use Xcode filters or OS_ACTIVITY_MODE
Error causes crashes or broken features	File a bug report with Apple

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this error caused by my code?

No. This error comes from UIKitCore, which is Apple’s internal framework. Your code doesn’t create this error. It’s the system trying to set up internal performance monitoring and failing due to sandbox restrictions.

Will this error affect my users?

No. This error only appears in the Xcode console during development. Your users will never see it, and in almost all cases, it doesn’t affect how your app works.

Does this error mean my app won’t pass App Store review?

No. Console errors during development don’t affect App Store review. Apple reviewers look at your app’s functionality, not debug console messages. As long as your app works correctly, you’re fine.

Why did this error start appearing after I updated Xcode?

Apple made changes to their internal logging and performance monitoring systems. Newer versions of Xcode and iOS show more internal system messages. The underlying behavior didn’t change. Apple just made these messages more visible.

Can I fix this error permanently?

Since the error comes from Apple’s internal systems, you can’t truly “fix” it. You can only hide it from your console or wait for Apple to update their frameworks. The good news is that it’s harmless in most cases.

Does this error appear in production apps?

The error might technically occur in production, but users can’t see the console. There’s no visible impact on your released app.

What does PPT stand for?

PPT stands for Performance Power Tools. It’s Apple’s internal system for monitoring app performance, launch times, and power usage.

Should I change my code because of this error?

Only if the error accompanies actual broken functionality like a mail composer that won’t dismiss or touch events that stop working. Otherwise, your code is fine.

Final Thoughts

Seeing errors in your console is never fun. But not every error means something is wrong with your work.

The “Error creating the CFMessagePort needed to communicate with PPT” message is one of those errors that looks scary but usually means nothing. It’s Apple’s internal systems talking to themselves and occasionally running into sandbox walls.

Focus on building great apps. If everything works correctly when you test your features, this error is just background noise. Filter it out, ignore it, and move on to what matters: making something awesome for your users.

If you found this guide helpful, bookmark it for the next time this error pops up. And remember, you’re not alone. Thousands of iOS developers see this exact same message every single day.