Privacy & Security / Local Network.

I have been dealing with this issue since 18.2 all the way to 26.1, since February of this year, from three different iPhones, and have repeatedly asked Apple Support to help, and they just send me to write a whole report to Apple Security Research as if I’m a bug hunter. It’s a horrible glitch or bug because of the security concern; even if it’s not malicious, it’s highly suspicious.

I’ve done a factory reset and even the firmware reset at the Apple Store. But yeah, basically if I allow an app local network access, it’s supposed to enumerate the number of apps that have access, and then when I click on local network, it’s supposed to specify which of those apps have access and I can toggle the access on or off (i.e., for the Bluetooth it’s the same, so you can see it says 1, and I have the ability to see which 1 of those apps have access and are able to toggle on and off).

When I perform a Safety Check emergency reset to remove access to all apps, ironically it now gives 28 apps access, and it does NOT enumerate them nor give you the option to toggle on and off. The temporary fix I found is to just perform a network reset and it goes to zero, but there’s no way to validate what those hidden apps that have access are, and they reappear with access every time I perform the Safety Check emergency reset, so the network settings reset is not a thorough fix.

That you have no apps shown in that list is odd. Tried a forced restart?

iPadOS 26 Settings has been less than entirely robust, in my testing. But it’s not not showing that list.

Try deleting one or two of the apps that have requested access to your local network. Then, restart your iPhone. Reinstall, and agree to allow the app to access your local network. Then go back to Settings, and see if the app is visible, and if it has possibly triggered the other 48 apps to also be visible.

It sounds like a bug. I have checked in the same menu on iOS 26.0.1. It says I have 6 apps that are allowed to access my local network, and when I open, it also shows 6 apps.

According to Apple:

“In iOS 14 or later … any app that wants to interact with devices on your network must ask for permission the first time that it tries to browse your local network. … At any time, you can allow or revoke an app’s access to the local network: In Settings → Privacy & Security → Local Network you’ll see a list of every app that requested access.” 

Mine also shows the correct number, 3, with three active and one inactive.

49 is massive number of apps to be allowed to search for devices on your network.

Apps like Word, however, which search for my printers are not shown. It doesn't seem to be a thoroughly reliable list.

The glitch may be because the menu has to distinguish between which apps are active and which are not. You would expect that if it says 3, you would only see 3 apps, but now you see 4 in the menu. At the same time, it also makes perfect sense. Maybe it will be fixed next week.

In you don't know how to use it or how use them, just disable all and keep clean your Mac

Same here. iOS 26 an an iPhone 14 Pro. Says 2 apps and shows 2 apps.

Mine says 0 then when I open it up it has one. Sounds like a bug.