---
schema_version: "1"
id: 7f27c72f2a4c912671020104429080ac7666d79b0cab5f3a0857edf9de799e0e
title: iOS Authentication Overview
collection: developer
version: current
locale: en-us
portal_url: https://docs.salesforce.com/developer/current/en-us/genai/agentforce-mobile-sdk/references/ios/authentication-overview-ios.md
canonical_url: https://developer.salesforce.com/docs/ai/agentforce-mobile-sdk/references/agentforce-mobile-sdk/authentication-overview-ios.html
source_site: developer.salesforce.com
content_type: documentation
content_hash: 37c9cd22995260098c926771cc92a6555526f6ae386eae2a07946de0df994549
products:
  - Agentforce Mobile SDK
  - Agentforce and Einstein Generative AI
---
# iOS Authentication Overview

The Agentforce iOS SDK provides a comprehensive authentication system that handles secure credential management, session persistence, and user authentication for conversational AI interactions. The system is designed to integrate seamlessly with Salesforce's authentication infrastructure while providing flexibility for custom authentication implementations.

## Authentication Architecture

The authentication system is built around the `AgentforceClient` which serves as the primary entry point for all SDK functionality, including authentication management.

### Core Components

- **[AgentforceClient](https://developer.salesforce.com/docs/ai/agentforce-mobile-sdk/references/agentforce-mobile-sdk/agentforce-client-ios.md)** - Primary authentication coordinator and SDK entry point

## Authentication Flow

The authentication system follows a secure, multi-step process:

### 1. Initial Authentication

- User credentials are validated against Salesforce org
- Authentication tokens are obtained and securely stored
- Session state is established and maintained

### 2. Session Management

- Automatic token refresh before expiration
- Secure session persistence across app launches
- Session validation and renewal as needed

### 3. Credential Security

- Encrypted storage of authentication tokens
- Secure transmission of credentials
- Automatic cleanup on logout or session timeout

## Integration Patterns

### Basic Authentication Setup

Configure the AgentforceClient with your credential provider to establish authenticated sessions.

### Custom Authentication Implementation

Implement custom authentication providers that integrate with your existing authentication infrastructure.

## Security Features

- **Token Encryption**: All authentication tokens are encrypted at rest
- **Secure Transmission**: HTTPS-only communication with Salesforce services
- **Session Timeout**: Automatic session expiration and cleanup
- **Credential Validation**: Continuous validation of authentication state

## Authentication States

The system manages several authentication states:

- **Authenticated**: User is successfully authenticated and session is active
- **Token Refresh**: Automatic token renewal in progress
- **Unauthenticated**: User needs to re-authenticate
- **Session Expired**: Session has expired and requires re-authentication

## Error Handling

The authentication system provides comprehensive error handling for common scenarios:

- **Invalid Credentials**: Clear error messages for authentication failures
- **Network Issues**: Graceful handling of connectivity problems
- **Token Expiration**: Automatic refresh attempts with fallback to re-authentication
- **Session Conflicts**: Resolution of concurrent session issues

## Next Steps

- **Configuration**: See [iOS Configuration Overview](https://developer.salesforce.com/docs/ai/agentforce-mobile-sdk/references/agentforce-mobile-sdk/configuration-overview-ios.md) for authentication setup
- **UI Components**: See [iOS UI Components](https://developer.salesforce.com/docs/ai/agentforce-mobile-sdk/references/agentforce-mobile-sdk/ui-components-ios.md) for authenticated component integration
- **Integration**: See [iOS Development](https://developer.salesforce.com/docs/ai/agentforce-mobile-sdk/references/agentforce-mobile-sdk/development-ios.md) for architecture patterns