iOS App Store Deployment Issue with Qt 6.8: FFmpeg-Dependent Apps Rejected

I’m experiencing a critical deployment issue when attempting to submit an iOS app built with Qt 6.8 using the default FFmpeg backend in Qt Multimedia. When I try to upload the app to App Store Connect, I receive an “Invalid Swift Support - The Swift Support Folder is missing” error, which appears to be linked to the FFmpeg dynamic libraries included in the Frameworks folder.

This error can be circumvented by manually deleting the Frameworks folder, but doing so makes the app non-functional, as it relies on FFmpeg for multimedia features. Without an effective workaround, this issue essentially prevents deployment to the App Store, impacting anyone using Qt Multimedia with FFmpeg on iOS.

Steps to Reproduce:

1. Build an iOS app with Qt 6.8 using the FFmpeg backend in Qt Multimedia.
2. Bundle the FFmpeg dynamic libraries using qt_add_ios_ffmpeg_libraries.
3. Upload the app package to App Store Connect.
4. Observe the “Invalid Swift Support - The Swift Support Folder is missing” error.

Expected Result:

The app should upload to App Store Connect without errors, allowing FFmpeg-dependent Qt Multimedia apps to be deployed to the App Store seamlessly.

Actual Result:

The upload is rejected with an “Invalid Swift Support - The Swift Support Folder is missing” error. Removing the Frameworks folder resolves the upload issue but renders the app non-functional.

Considered workaround approaches:

• Manually deleting the Frameworks folder: results in app functionality loss.
• Building a custom version of Qt Multimedia without the FFmpeg backend: feasible but undesirable due to added maintenance overhead.

This issue significantly hinders iOS app deployment for developers using Qt Multimedia with FFmpeg. As Qt officially supports iOS, one would assume compatibility with App Store guidelines, making this limitation a substantial blocker for iOS developers.

I’ve reviewed the planned iOS-related fixes for 6.8.1 (see QTBUG-130488, but none seem to address this particular issue.