SPM: MixpanelSessionReplay hard-linked on Mac Catalyst causing dyld crash (ITMS-90863)

[gsharm]

Hi Mixpanel Support,

We're experiencing an issue with MixpanelSessionReplay when running our iOS app on Mac (Mac Catalyst / "Designed for iPad" mode). The framework works perfectly on iOS/iPadOS
but fails to load on Mac, causing a dyld crash.

We've already:

• Set the framework to "Optional/Weak" linking in Xcode
• Added conditional compilation guards (#if !targetEnvironment(macCatalyst)) in our code
• Received App Store Connect warning ITMS-90863 about macOS incompatibility

The framework appears to be hard-linked despite the weak linking setting, likely due to how SPM handles dependencies.

How can we properly exclude MixpanelSessionReplay from Mac Catalyst builds while maintaining it for iOS/iPadOS?

Error details below:

warning: (arm64) /Users/developer/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData/MyApp-[hash]/Build/Products/Debug-iphoneos/.XCInstall/MyApp.app/Wrapper/MyApp.app/MyApp empty dSYM file
detected, dSYM was created with an executable with no debug info.

dyld[28720]: Library not loaded: @rpath/MixpanelSessionReplay.framework/MixpanelSessionReplay
Referenced from: /private/var/folders/[temp]/d/Wrapper/MyApp.app/MyApp.debug.dylib
Reason: tried: '/Users/developer/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData/MyApp-[hash]/Build/Products/Debug-iphoneos/MixpanelSessionReplay.framework/MixpanelSessionReplay' (code
signature in not valid for use in process: Trying to load an unsigned library),
'/Users/developer/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData/MyApp-[hash]/Build/Products/Debug-iphoneos/PackageFrameworks/MixpanelSessionReplay.framework/MixpanelSessionReplay'
(no such file),
'/System/iOSSupport/usr/lib/swift/MixpanelSessionReplay.framework/MixpanelSessionReplay' (no such file, not in dyld cache)
[additional search paths omitted]

Context:

• iOS app with MixpanelSessionReplay added via Swift Package Manager
• Framework is set to "Optional/Weak" linking in Build Phases
• Building for iOS (Debug-iphoneos) and running on Mac
• Framework link shows: settings = {ATTRIBUTES = (Weak, ); };

Thanks for your help!

[ketanmixpanel]

Hi @gsharm ,thanks for reporting this issue! We're looking into it and will update you as soon as we have more information.

[ketanmixpanel]

@gsharm MixpanelSessionReplay SDK currently doesn't support Mac Catalyst and uses iOS-specific APIs. Below is the workaround that we would like to suggest. Please let us know if you have any questions.

Workaround: Using Separate Targets

Create two targets to handle iOS and Mac Catalyst builds separately:

Setup

1. Duplicate your existing target (right-click target → Duplicate)
2. Configure each target:

Target 1 (iOS) - Existing Target

• Supported Destinations: iPhone + iPad
• Frameworks: Keep MixpanelSessionReplay in "Frameworks, Libraries, and Embedded Content"

Target 2 (Mac) - Duplicated Target

• Supported Destinations: iPad + Mac
  • Note: Mac Catalyst requires iPad support since it runs iPad apps on Mac
• Frameworks: Remove MixpanelSessionReplay SDK from "Frameworks, Libraries, and Embedded Content"

Code Changes

Both targets share the same source code. Wrap all MixpanelSessionReplay SDK usage with conditional compilation:

#if !targetEnvironment(macCatalyst)
import MixpanelSessionReplay

// Initialize session replay
MPSessionReplay.initialize(token: "YOUR_TOKEN", distinctId: "USER_ID") { result in
    // Handle result
}
#else
// Session Replay not available on Mac Catalyst
print("ℹ️ Session Replay unavailable on Mac Catalyst")
#endif

Result

Target 1 builds will include Session Replay functionality for iOS and iPad devices, while Target 2 builds will run on Mac Catalyst without Session Replay (the conditional compilation ensures graceful degradation).

Why This Happens

The .xcframework only contains iOS and iOS Simulator binaries. Mac Catalyst attempts to load these incompatible binaries, resulting in the dyld crash.

Future Support

We currently have no plans to add Mac Catalyst support for MixpanelSessionReplay SDK. The framework is designed specifically for iOS and iPadOS devices.