Issue with VPN Access to ArcGIS Enterprise in Field Maps (iOS)

[BeckerGIS]

Hey guys,

we are experiencing an issue with accessing ArcGIS Enterprise through the ArcGIS Field Maps app on iOS devices when using a VPN. Our organization utilizes a per-app VPN setup managed by Ivanti Mobile Iron and App@Work. The VPN tunnel is configured to allow traffic only for specific apps, such as Field Maps.

While the ArcGIS QuickCapture app works as expected (it directly opens the ArcGIS Enterprise login window within the app), the behavior in Field Maps is different. When attempting to log in to our ArcGIS Enterprise portal, Field Maps recognizes the server URL, but instead of opening the login window within the app, a new in-app web view is launched. This web view shows an error message stating: "Safari cannot open the page because the server cannot be found."

This issue occurs even if the Safari app is uninstalled from the device, so the web view seems to be a component of the Field Maps app itself. My assumption is that the Field Maps app might be using a different DNS resolver or network process for this in-app web view, which might bypass the VPN tunnel. This behavior prevents successful authentication since the traffic is not routed through the VPN.

Our IT department has not been able to resolve this issue. Could this behavior be related to how Field Maps handles network requests or DNS resolution in its embedded web views? If so, is there a way to ensure all traffic (including in-app web views) is routed through the VPN?

I would greatly appreciate any insights or suggestions for resolving this issue. Thank you!

Best Regards

Daniel

[BeckerGIS · Accepted solution]

Hello everyone,

after facing challenges with authentication in ArcGIS Field Maps using a per-app VPN setup, we’ve successfully resolved the issue! Thanks to Esri Support for pointing us in the right direction! The Esri Support team referred us to the following documentation, which contains the critical guidance for this scenario: Deploy your map—ArcGIS Field Maps | Documentation  Specifically, the gray box under the "Per-app virtual private network" section highlights the importance of using useInAppAuth for per-app VPN configurations. This small change in the configuration resolved the issue for us, and now Field Maps works seamlessly with our per-app VPN setup. 

I hope this helps someone else facing the same issue.

Best regards

Daniel