Field Notice: FN - 70555 - Legacy VoIP Mode and iOS 13 Apple Push Notification Service Changes That Affect Cisco Jabber, Cisco Webex Teams, Cisco Unified Communications Manager and IM & Presence Service, and Cisco Expressway - Software Upgrade Recommended

Notice

THIS FIELD NOTICE IS PROVIDED ON AN "AS IS" BASIS AND DOES NOT IMPLY ANY KIND OF GUARANTEE OR WARRANTY, INCLUDING THE WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY. YOUR USE OF THE INFORMATION ON THE FIELD NOTICE OR MATERIALS LINKED FROM THE FIELD NOTICE IS AT YOUR OWN RISK. CISCO RESERVES THE RIGHT TO CHANGE OR UPDATE THIS FIELD NOTICE AT ANY TIME.

Revision History

Revision	Publish Date	Comments
1.0	07-May-20	Initial Release
1.1	08-May-20	Updated the Products Affected Section
2.0	02-Sep-20	Updated the Workaround/Solution and Additional Information Sections
3.0	25-Sep-20	Updated the Workaround/Solution and Additional Information Sections
4.0	03-Mar-21	Updated the Additional Information Section

Products Affected

Affected OS Type	Affected Software Product	Affected Release	Affected Release Number	Comments
NON-IOS	Jabber Software	11.9	11.9(0), 11.9(1), 11.9(2), 11.9(3)	Jabber for iPhone Jabber for iPad
NON-IOS	Jabber Software	12.0	12.0(0), 12.0(1)	Jabber for iPhone Jabber for iPad
NON-IOS	Jabber Software	12.1	12.1(0), 12.1(1), 12.1(2)	Jabber for iPhone Jabber for iPad
NON-IOS	Jabber Software	12.5	12.5(0), 12.5(1)	Jabber for iPhone Jabber for iPad
NON-IOS	Jabber Software	12.6	12.6(0), 12.6(1), 12.6(2)	Jabber for iPhone Jabber for iPad
NON-IOS	Jabber Software	12.7	12.7(0), 12.7(1), 12.7(2)	Jabber for iPhone Jabber for iPad
NON-IOS	Jabber Software	12.8	12.8(0), 12.8(1)	Jabber for iPhone Jabber for iPad
NON-IOS	Unified Communications Manager / Cisco Unity Connection Updates	UCM v10	10.0(1)SU1, 10.0(1)SU2, 10.5(1), 10.5(1)SU1, 10.5(1)SU1a, 10.5(2), 10.5(2)SU1, 10.5(2)SU2, 10.5(2)SU2a, 10.5(2)SU3, 10.5(2)SU3a, 10.5(2)SU4, 10.5(2)SU4a, 10.5(2)SU5, 10.5(2)SU6, 10.5(2)SU6a, 10.5(2)SU7, 10.5(2)SU8, 10.5(2)SU9
NON-IOS	Unified Communications Manager / Cisco Unity Connection Updates	UCM v11	11.0(1), 11.0(1a), 11.0(1a)SU1, 11.0(1a)SU2, 11.0(1a)SU3, 11.0(1a)SU3a, 11.0(1a)SU4
NON-IOS	Unified Communications Manager / Cisco Unity Connection Updates	UCM	11.5(1), 11.5(1)SU1, 11.5(1)SU2, 11.5(1)SU3, 11.5(1)SU3a, 11.5(1)SU3b, 11.5(1)SU4, 11.5(1)SU5, 11.5(1)SU6, 11.5(1)SU7, 11.5(2), 12.0(1), 12.0(2), 12.5(1)
NON-IOS	Unified Communications Manager Updates	UCM	12.0(1)SU1, 12.0(1)SU2, 12.0(1)SU3, 12.5(1), 12.5(1)SU1, 12.5(1)SU2
NON-IOS	Unified Presence Server (CUP) Updates	10.0	10.0(1), 10.0(1)SU1, 10.0(1)SU2
NON-IOS	Unified Presence Server (CUP) Updates	10.5(1)	10.5(1), 10.5(1)SU1, 10.5(1)SU2, 10.5(1)SU3
NON-IOS	Unified Presence Server (CUP) Updates	10.5(2)	10.5(2), 10.5(2)SU1, 10.5(2)SU2, 10.5(2)SU2a, 10.5(2)SU3, 10.5(2)SU4, 10.5(2)SU4a, 10.5(2a), 10.5(2b)
NON-IOS	Unified Presence Server (CUP) Updates	11.0(1)	11.0(1)
NON-IOS	Unified Presence Server (CUP) Updates	11.5(1)	11.5(1), 11.5(1)SU1, 11.5(1)SU2, 11.5(1)SU3, 11.5(1)SU3a, 11.5(1)SU4, 11.5(1)SU5, 11.5(1)SU5a, 11.5(1)SU6, 11.5(1)SU7
NON-IOS	Unified Presence Server (CUP) Updates	12.5(1)	12.5(1), 12.5(1)SU1, 12.5(1)SU2
NON-IOS	TelePresence Software	X8	X8.1, X8.1.1, X8.1.2, X8.10.0, X8.10.1, X8.10.2, X8.10.3, X8.10.4, X8.11.0, X8.11.1, X8.11.2, X8.11.3, X8.11.4, X8.2, X8.2.1, X8.2.2, X8.5, X8.5.1, X8.5.2, X8.5.3, X8.6, X8.6.1, X8.7, X8.7.1, X8.7.2, X8.7.3, X8.8, X8.8.1, X8.8.2, X8.8.3, X8.9, X8.9.1, X8.9.2
NON-IOS	TelePresence Software	X12	X12.5.0, X12.5.1, X12.5.2, X12.5.3, X12.5.4, X12.5.5, X12.5.6, X12.5.7, X12.5.8

Defect Information

Defect ID	Headline
CSCvs32647	F12470 - iOS13 callkit changes for Apple PNS

Problem Description

In iOS 13, Apple has made updates to the way applications in background mode are notified of incoming calls and messages in order to preserve battery life. This change will impact users of Cisco Jabber and Webex Teams. To make sure that your system supports the Apple Push Notification service (APNs), you must upgrade your system to a supported release by the prescribed dates and enable APNs.

Background

How APNs Works

While Cisco Jabber iOS clients operate in foreground mode, Jabber maintains a persistent connection to Cisco Unified Communications Manager (Unified CM). However, when the Jabber client moves into background mode (this occurs after an interval where Jabber is not interacted with directly), iOS terminates Jabber which prevents Unified CM from contacting Jabber directly. This helps preserve battery life on Apple devices.

The APNs provides an alternative channel to clients that are in background mode. When Unified CM receives an incoming call for a client that is in background mode, Unified CM contacts the cloud-based APNs, which maintains a connection to the iOS device. The APNs sends a push notification to the device on which Jabber is installed. Upon receiving the push notification, Jabber reenters foreground mode, reconnects to Unified CM, and receives the incoming call.

These sections describe updates to the APNs and how Cisco products will be affected.

1. Legacy VoIP Mode Is No Longer Supported for Cisco Jabber After 2020-08-01

Jabber on iOS will no longer be able to leverage legacy VoIP sockets and APIs to receive calls and messages from Unified CM and Cisco Unified Communications Manager IM and Presence Service.

The deprecation of the legacy VoIP sockets impacts Jabber functionality going forward. If your organization uses Cisco Jabber registered to Unified CM for calling and IM and Presence Service for messaging, Jabber will be unable to receive calls or messages while running in background mode until APNs is enabled.

2. iOS 13 SDK Changes for APNs for Jabber and Webex Teams After 2021-04-01

With iOS 13, Apple has changed the way that push notifications are delivered to VoIP applications. This impacts the way that Webex Teams and Jabber receive calls and the way that Jabber receives messages.

Apple now requires that all VoIP push notifications invoke CallKit immediately. If a VoIP push notification is not reported to CallKit within a designated period, iOS terminates the application. If the Jabber or Webex Team client application fails to invoke CallKit repeatedly, then Apple will stop delivering push notifications to the application.

Jabber and Webex Teams on iOS 13 will invoke CallKit when a VoIP notification is received. CallKit displays caller ID as “Unknown Caller”. When the client reregisters and receives the SIP INVITE, CallKit replaces “Unknown caller” with the actual caller ID. The time it takes to reflect the actual caller ID depends on the quality of the connection between the client and Unified CM.

With the iOS 13 SDK, Apple also requires that non-VoIP push notifications, such as messages, cannot use the VoIP channel for delivery. Messages must be delivered through the messaging channel. If non-VoIP services continue to use VoIP channels for push notifications, but fail to report notifications to CallKit, then iOS will terminate the application. If an application does not invoke CallKit repeatedly, then Apple stops delivering push notifications to the application altogether.

Problem Symptom

1. Legacy VoIP Mode Is No Longer Supported for Cisco Jabber After 2020-08-01

The Cisco Jabber iOS client application will be unable to receive calls or messages while running in background mode until APNs is enabled.

2. iOS 13 SDK Changes for APNs for Jabber and Webex Teams After 2021-04-01

The symptoms are:

• Cisco clients, Cisco Jabber, or Webex Teams which run on iOS 13 will get a voice call notification that will show the CallKit with caller id as “Unknown Caller”.
• The Cisco client might be terminated and Apple will stop delivery of voice and messaging push notifications.

Workaround/Solution

Cisco has developed a solution that meets Apple push notification requirements. Cisco strongly recommends that you upgrade your Unified Communications infrastructure to a supported release prior to the prescribed dates and enable APNs.

See Table 1 for the recommended infrastructure migration schedule to ease the transition to the APNs updates.

Note: APNs is supported with Unified CM Versions 11.5 and 12.5. The upgrade recommendations differ depending on whether you plan to run Version 11.5 or 12.5. 

Table 1. Recommended APNs Migration Schedule

If You Run This Version…	By 2020-08-01, Do This…	By 2021-04-01, Do This…
Cisco Unified Communications Manager and IM & Presence Service
11.5(1)SU8 or later	Enable APNs.	If you want 11.5, no action is required. If you want 12.5, upgrade to 12.5(1)SU3 or later.
11.5(1)SU4 - SU7	Enable APNs.	If you want 11.5, upgrade to 11.5(1)SU8 or later. If you want 12.5, upgrade to 12.5(1)SU3 or later.
11.5(1)SU3 or earlier	If you want 11.5, upgrade to 11.5(1)SU7 (minimum) or 11.5(1)SU8 (recommended) and then enable APNs. If you want 12.5, upgrade to 12.5(1)SU2 or later and then enable APNs.	If you want 11.5, upgrade to 11.5(1)SU8 or later. If you want 12.5, upgrade to 12.5(1)SU3 or later.
Cisco Expressway Note: Expressway upgrades are mandatory ONLY if the deployment includes the IM & Presence Service. Before you upgrade to Expressway X12.6 or later, make sure that all IM & Presence clusters are upgraded to 11.5 SU8 or 12.5 SU3.
X8.10.1 or later	No action is required.	Upgrade to Expressway X12.6.2 or later.
X8.10 or earlier	With Unified CM 11.5, upgrade to Expressway X8.10.1 or later. With Unified CM 12.5, upgrade to Expressway X12.5 or later (X12.6.2 is recommended).	Upgrade to Expressway X12.6.2 or later.
Cisco Jabber
11.9	With Unified CM 11.5, upgrade to Jabber 12.8 or later recommended (but not mandatory). With Unified CM 12.5, upgrade to Jabber 12.8 or later.	Upgrade to Jabber 12.9 or later.
11.8 or earlier	Upgrade to Jabber 12.8 or later.	Upgrade to Jabber 12.9 or later.
Cisco Webex Clients
Webex Teams	No action is required.	Upgrade to the latest version of the Webex Teams application.

 

Note: See Table 2 in the Additional Information section for the release timelines.

For information on how to upgrade Unified CM, see Upgrade and Migration Guide for Cisco Unified Communications Manager and the IM and Presence Service, Release 12.5(1).

For information on how to enable and configure APNs, see Push Notifications Deployment for Cisco Jabber on iPhone and iPad with Cisco Unified Communications Manager.

Additional Information

Table 2. Release Timelines for APNs iOS 13 Supported Versions

Unified Communications Application	Recommended Version	Release Date
Unified CM and IM & Presence Service	11.5(1)SU8 or later 12.5(1)SU3 or later	2020-05-31 2020-07-31
Cisco Expressway *	X12.6.2	2020-08-17
Cisco Jabber	12.9	2020-06-25
Cisco Webex Teams Cisco Webex Calling Application	Not Applicable	2020-07-31

* The Cisco Expressway upgrade is required ONLY if the deployment includes the IM & Presence Service. Before you upgrade to Expressway X12.6 or later, make sure that all IM & Presence clusters are upgraded to 11.5 SU8 or 12.5 SU3.

Note:  Please contact fn70555-info@cisco.com or Cisco TAC if you have not performed the recommended upgrades by 2021-04-01 and will be impacted by this change.

For More Information

If you require further assistance, or if you have any further questions regarding this field notice, please contact the Cisco Systems Technical Assistance Center (TAC) by one of the following methods:

• Open a service request on Cisco.com
• By email or telephone

Receive Email Notification For New Field Notices

My Notifications—Set up a profile to receive email updates about reliability, safety, network security, and end-of-sale issues for the Cisco products you specify.