Delve into the world of built-in app and system services available to developers. Discuss leveraging these services to enhance your app's functionality and user experience.

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EKReminder semantics: startDateComponents vs dueDateComponents vs alarms
Hi everyone, I'm building a task management app that layers on top of EventKit/Reminders. I'm also moderating /r/AppleReminders. I see a confusion around the semantics of dates on both the developer side and on the user side. I'm trying to map the standard productivity mental model to the EKReminder implementation and hitting some walls. In productivity contexts, a task tends to have three distinct dates: Start Date: When the task becomes actionable — Don’t alert the user before this date. Notification: When the device should buzz/ping the user — Meaning that they can get started on the task. Due Date: Hard deadline — If the system works well, tasks are meant to rarely be past-deadline; productivity systems are about meeting deadlines rather than about missing them. The EventKit Reality Here is what I’m seeing in practice, and I’m hoping someone can correct me if I’m wrong: Field Description In Practice (Reminders App) startDateComponents Docs say "start date of the task" Seemingly unused? I can set it via API, but the Reminders app UI ignores it. It doesn't seem to trigger visibility in "Today" or Smart Lists. dueDateComponents Docs say "date by which reminder should be completed" Conflated. Acts as the "Date" you see in the list. It functions as the Start Date (shows in Today), Due Date (turns red tomorrow), AND Notification time (unless early alerts are set). alarms Inherited from EKCalendarItem seems to be used for the actual notifications, including "Early Reminders," but tightly coupled to the due date in the UI. My Questions: Is startDateComponents effectively a dead field? Is there any native behavior (Smart List filtering, sorting, visibility) that respects this field, or is it purely for metadata storage for third-party apps? Smart List Logic: I was hoping to create a Smart List that shows "Actionable" items (i.e., Start Date <= Today). However, the Smart List filters only offer a generic "Date" field, which maps to dueDateComponents. Has anyone successfully filtered by startDateComponents in a native Smart List? Conflation: Is there any "blessed" way to set a Due Date that is distinct from the Notification time without fighting the system? (e.g. Due Friday, but remind me Wednesday). Any insight into the intended semantics here would be huge. I'm trying to avoid fighting the framework, but the "One Date to Rule Them All" approach in the Reminders app is making it tricky to support separate Start/Due dates. Thanks!
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App Clip invocation fails with "ASDErrorDomain error 507" via Smart App Banner especially on iOS 26 devices.
Hello, We are encountering an issue where invoking our App Clip via a Safari Smart App Banner fails on certain devices, particularly those running iOS 26. When a user taps "Open" on the Smart App Banner, the App Clip card attempts to load but ultimately fails with ASDErrorDomain Error 507. The error occurs consistently on specific devices, while other devices function correctly. In some instances, the App Clip card metadata/UI appears momentarily (flashes on the screen) before the error message is displayed and the process terminates. Has anyone else experienced this specific ASDErrorDomain error? We have already submitted a report via Feedback Assistant, but any insights or workarounds from the community would be appreciated. Thanks!
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How does ageGates actually affect the returned age range?
I’m trying to fully understand the purpose of the ageGates parameter in the AgeRangeService.requestAgeRange API. The official documentation includes the following statement: “The system may return geo-specific age ranges that override your provided age gates based on the person’s location and applicable regulations. When geo-specific ranges are required, the returned age range reflects regulatory requirements rather than the bounds of your age gates.” Based on this, it seems that even if my app provides specific age thresholds through the ageGates parameter, the system may override those boundaries depending on regional laws or regulations, and return a completely different lowerBound / upperBound than what my age gates would suggest. My current understanding is: ageGates indicates the thresholds my app uses to define its internal feature tiers, but the actual age range returned by the OS is determined by legal or regional requirements (e.g., COPPA, GDPR-K, AADC, SB2420), meaning the returned age range may not align with the age ranges implied by my ageGates values. I’d like to confirm whether this interpretation is correct. Additionally, if different regions may produce different lowerBound / upperBound values due to regulatory requirements, then it seems that: developers shouldn’t rely on fixed age buckets, and instead must implement feature gating logic dynamically based on whatever age range the OS returns. So my questions are: Is my understanding correct that ageGates is simply a hint that describes my app’s tier thresholds, and the OS may override those boundaries to comply with local regulations? If lowerBound / upperBound can vary across regions, what is the recommended way for developers to design their feature-gating logic? Should we avoid hardcoded age buckets and instead build flexible logic that adapts to whatever range the OS returns? I’d appreciate clarification so I can design our age-based policies appropriately and in a regulation-compliant way.
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CallKit issue
In iOS 26.1, after my app answers a VoIP call on the lock screen, tapping the bottom-left "More" button doesn't bring up the app icon to jump to the app. The same scenario works normally on iOS 26. How can I resolve this issue?
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Test app consent revocation in sandboxing
I followed the method outlined in Apple's documentation to test "Revocation of Consent." Our server received the notification sent by Apple, but the parsed data only contains the following content (some data has been modified for privacy, but the fields remain unchanged): { "receiptType": "Sandbox", "bundleId": "com.xxx.xxxxx", "receiptCreationDate": 1764932591296, "requestDate": 1764932591296, "originalPurchaseDate": 1375340400000, "originalApplicationVersion": "1.0", "appTransactionId": "705020051250081000", "originalPlatform": "iOS" } How can we identify that "a parent/guardian has revoked authorization for a specific user"? We are unable to determine which minor user should be restricted from using certain features of our app. I hope to receive a prompt response from Apple's technical experts!
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How to identify which minor user's authorization has been revoked by the parent/guardian?
I followed the method outlined in Apple's documentation to test "Revocation of Consent." Our server received the notification sent by Apple, but the parsed data only contains the following content (some data has been modified for privacy, but the fields remain unchanged): { "receiptType": "Sandbox", "bundleId": "com.xxx.xxxxx", "receiptCreationDate": 1764932591296, "requestDate": 1764932591296, "originalPurchaseDate": 1375340400000, "originalApplicationVersion": "1.0", "appTransactionId": "705020051250081000", "originalPlatform": "iOS" } How can we identify that "a parent/guardian has revoked authorization for a specific user"? We are unable to determine which minor user should be restricted from using certain features of our app. I hope to receive a prompt response from Apple's technical experts! Thanks A Lot !
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Testing TelephonyMessagingKit Outside of The EU
Is it possible to develop for TelephonyMessagingKit on iOS 26 outside of the EU? If so, how is this accomplished? I have added the 'Default Carrier Messaging App' entitlement to my project, but I do not see an option to set my app as a default option in settings on my device. I am not located inside of the EU, but would like to test this functionality.
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iOS 26.2 RC DeviceActivityMonitor.eventDidReachThreshold regression?
Hi there, Starting with iOS 26.2 RC, all my DeviceActivityMonitor.eventDidReachThreshold get activated immediately as I pick up my iPhone for the first time, two nights in a row. Feedback: FB21267341 There's always a chance something odd is happening to my device in particular (although I can't recall making any changes here and the debug logs point to the issue), but just getting this out there ASAP in case others are seeing this (or haven't tried!), and it's critical as this is the RC. DeviceActivityMonitor.eventDidReachThreshold issues also mentioned here: https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/793747; but I believe they are different and were potentially fixed in iOS 26.1, but it points to this part of the technology having issues and maybe someone from Apple has been tweaking it.
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Alarms set with AlarmKit on iOS 26.1 stop ringing after upgrading to iOS 26.2 beta 3 or later
We first discovered this issue in our own product, but we were able to reproduce it even when using Apple’s official demo: https://developer.apple.com/documentation/alarmkit/scheduling-an-alarm-with-alarmkit Reproduction Steps: Set an alarm on iOS 26.1 using AlarmKit. Upgrade the device to iOS 26.2 beta 3 or later. The alarm will no longer ring. Based on our testing, versions prior to 26.2 beta 2 do not exhibit this issue, so it appears that something introduced in beta 3 has caused the regression. The results are as follows: iOS 26.1 → iOS 26.2 beta 2 or earlier: Alarms ring normally iOS 26.1 / iOS 26.2 beta 2 → iOS 26.2 beta 3 / iOS 26.2 RC: Alarms fail to ring iOS 26.2 beta 3 → iOS 26.2 RC: Alarms ring normally This issue is critical. Users currently on iOS 26.1 may experience alarms failing to ring after updating their system, which can cause real-life disruptions (e.g., being late for work). We strongly recommend addressing this as soon as possible. Xcode Version: Version 26.1.1 (17B100) Feedback ID: FB21273655
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Screen Time can be bypassed by manually changing the date and time
My son uses an iPhone XS running iOS 18.7.2. He is able to bypass all Screen Time app limits by manually changing the date under Settings → General → Date & Time. When he sets the date/time forward or backward, the configured Screen Time restrictions no longer apply. Please make it possible on iOS 18.7.2 (and future versions) to prevent manual date and time changes when Screen Time is enabled, so that children cannot use this method to circumvent app limits.
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moving project to new account
Hello fellow developers...first time posting. I wrote a small app that I'm currently testing. However, I inadvertently built the Swift code using my "free" account and did not use my "paid" account. Aside from the restrictions of a free account, I want to migrate the project to the paid developer account. Is there an easy way to do this short of rebuilding from scratch??? Thanks in advance. s
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DeviceActivity Report Extension cannot pass App Store Connect validation without becoming un-installable on device
I'm running into a contradictory requirement involving the DeviceActivity Report extension (com.apple.deviceactivityui.report-extension) that makes it impossible to both: upload the app to App Store Connect, and install the app on a physical device. This creates a complete catch-22. 📌 Overview My extension: Path: Runner.app/PlugIns/LoADeviceActivityReport.appex Extension point: com.apple.deviceactivityui.report-extension Implementation (SwiftUI): import SwiftUI import DeviceActivity @main struct LoADeviceActivityReport: DeviceActivityReportExtension { var body: some DeviceActivityReportScene { // ... } } This is the standard SwiftUI @main DeviceActivityReportExtension template. 🟥 Side A — iOS runtime behavior (device installer) If I add either of these keys to the extension's Info.plist: NSExtensionPrincipalClass NSExtensionMainStoryboard then the app cannot be installed on a real iPhone/iPad. The device installer fails with: Error 3002 AppexBundleContainsClassOrStoryboard NSExtensionPrincipalClass and NSExtensionMainStoryboard are not allowed for extension point com.apple.deviceactivityui.report-extension. To make the app install and run, I must remove both keys completely. This leaves the extension Info.plist like: NSExtension NSExtensionPointIdentifier com.apple.deviceactivityui.report-extension With this, the app installs and runs correctly. 🟥 Side B — App Store Connect upload validator However, when I upload the IPA with the runtime-correct Info.plist, App Store Connect rejects it: State: STATE_ERROR.VALIDATION_ERROR (HTTP 409) Missing Info.plist values. No values for NSExtensionMainStoryboard or NSExtensionPrincipalClass found in extension Info.plist for Runner.app/PlugIns/LoADeviceActivityReport.appex. So ASC requires that at least one of those keys be present. 💥 The catch-22 If I add PrincipalClass / MainStoryboard: ✔ App Store Connect validation passes ❌ But the app can NOT be installed on any device (Error 3002) If I remove PrincipalClass / MainStoryboard: ✔ The app installs and runs correctly ❌ ASC rejects the upload with “Missing Info.plist values” There is currently NO Info.plist configuration that satisfies both: Runtime: "NSExtensionPrincipalClass and NSExtensionMainStoryboard are not allowed." App Store Connect: "You must include NSExtensionPrincipalClass or NSExtensionMainStoryboard." 📌 Expected behavior For SwiftUI @main DeviceActivityReportExtension, the documentation and examples suggest the correct configuration is: NSExtensionPointIdentifier com.apple.deviceactivityui.report-extension with no principal class or storyboard at all. If that is correct for runtime, ASC seems to need updated validation rules for this extension type. ❓My Questions What is the officially correct Info.plist configuration for a SwiftUI DeviceActivityReportExtension? Should principal class / storyboard not be required for this extension type? Is this a known issue with App Store Connect validation? Is there currently a workaround that allows: installation on device and successful App Store Connect upload, without violating runtime restrictions?
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Is testing of Age Range API available in xcode simulator?
From https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/803945?answerId=862153022#862153022, the testing of Age Range API was not available through xcode simulator back in Oct 2025. Is this available now? In particular: Is requestAgeRange testing available through simulator? Is requestAgeRange testing with sandbox account available through simulator? Is isEligibleForAgeFeatures available through simulator? Is isEligibleForAgeFeatures testing with sandbox account available through simulator? If the answer is "yes" to any of the above, which version of the xcode and ios version should I use? So far I didn't get any of the above working on the simulator, and I can't find any documentation on the answers above. Thank you!
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CallKit VoIP → App launch → Auto WebRTC/MobileRTC connection: Does Apple allow this flow?
Our app receives a CallKit VoIP call. When the user taps “Answer”, the app launches and automatically connects to a real-time audio session using WebRTC or MobileRTC. We would like to confirm whether the following flow (“CallKit Answer → app opens → automatic WebRTC or MobileRTC audio session connection”) complies with Apple’s VoIP Push / CallKit policy. In addition, our service also provides real-time video-class functionality using the Zoom Meeting SDK (MobileRTC). When an incoming CallKit VoIP call is answered, the app launches and the user is automatically taken to the Zoom-based video lesson flow: the app opens → the user is landed on the Zoom Meeting pre-meeting room → MobileRTC initializes immediately. In the pre-meeting room, audio and video streams can already be active and MobileRTC establishes a connection, but the actual meeting screen is not joined until the user explicitly taps “Join”. We would like to confirm whether this flow for video lessons (“CallKit Answer → app opens → pre-meeting room (audio/video active) → user taps ‘Join’ → enter actual meeting”) is also compliant with Apple’s VoIP Push and CallKit policy.
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Dec ’25
App Sandbox denies mach-register for Developer ID signed app but allows it for Apple Distribution signed app
I'm working on a multi-process macOS application (based on Chromium/Electron) that uses Mach ports for inter-process communication between the main app and its helper processes. Background I have an MAS build working successfully via TestFlight for internal testing. However, public TestFlight testing requires Apple review, and while waiting for that review, I wanted to provide a directly distributable build for external testers. I attempted to create a Developer ID signed build with App Sandbox enabled, expecting it to behave similarly to the MAS build. The Problem With App Sandbox enabled (com.apple.security.app-sandbox) and identical entitlements, I observe different behavior depending on the signing certificate: Apple Distribution certificate: App launches successfully, mach-register and mach-lookup work Developer ID certificate: App crashes at launch, mach-register is denied by sandbox The Console shows this sandbox violation for the Developer ID build: Sandbox: MyApp(13605) deny(1) mach-register XXXXXXXXXX.com.mycompany.myapp.MachPortRendezvousServer.13605 The crash occurs when the app calls bootstrap_check_in() to register a Mach service for child process communication. What I've tried Adding com.apple.security.temporary-exception.mach-register.global-name with wildcard pattern XXXXXXXXXX.com.mycompany.myapp.MachPortRendezvousServer.* to the main app's entitlements - this resolved the mach-register denial. However, helper processes then fail with mach-lookup denial. Adding com.apple.security.temporary-exception.mach-lookup.global-name with the same wildcard pattern to the main app's entitlements (for inheritance) does not work. Analysis of /System/Library/Sandbox/Profiles/application.sb I examined macOS's App Sandbox profile and found that mach-register.global-name supports wildcard patterns via select-mach-filter: (sandbox-array-entitlement "com.apple.security.temporary-exception.mach-register.global-name" (lambda (name) ... (let ((mach-filter (select-mach-filter name global-name-prefix global-name))) (allow mach-register mach-filter)))) But mach-lookup.global-name does not - it only accepts exact names: (sandbox-array-entitlement "com.apple.security.temporary-exception.mach-lookup.global-name" (lambda (name) (allow mach-lookup (global-name name)))) Since the Mach service name includes the PID (e.g., ...MachPortRendezvousServer.13605), it's impossible to specify exact names in entitlements. I also verified that com.apple.security.application-groups grants mach-register and mach-lookup only for service names prefixed with the group ID (e.g., group.com.mycompany.myapp.), which doesn't match the TEAMID.bundleid. prefix used by Chromium's MachPortRendezvousServer. My questions What mechanism allows Apple Distribution signed apps to use mach-register and mach-lookup for these service names without temporary exceptions? I don't see any certificate-based logic in application.sb. Is there a way to achieve the same behavior with Developer ID signing for testing purposes? Related threads https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/747005 https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/685601 https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/128714 (confirms temporary-exception can be used freely for Developer ID apps) Environment macOS 15.6 (Sequoia) Xcode 16.4 Both certificates from the same Apple Developer account
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Dec ’25
AppleTV returns to homescreen overnight
Hi We have an AppleTV app that is used to continuously display information (digital signage). One of our clients reports that their AppleTV returns to the homescreen by morning. While our recommendation is to setup Mobile Device Management to lock the AppleTV into running only our app, not every client will have the IT knowledge to set this up. So we're trying to figure out possible causes for the app getting closed. We've not received any crash reports, nor does the device give any indication the app crashed. The energy saving settings are set to run continuously without sleep. The client is reporting this happens every night, so it seems unlikely to be caused by tvOS updates. Are there other things I could rule out to find the cause of this issue? Any ideas are welcome, thanks!
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Dec ’25
Best practice for using a single EKEventStore instance across threads?
Hello, Regarding EKEventStore, the WWDC session mentions that “you should only have one of these for your application.” In my app, I need to use the instance on both the main thread and a background thread, and I would like to share a single instance across them. However, EKEventStore is a non-sendable type, so it cannot be shared across different isolation domains. I would like to know what the recommended best practice is for this situation. Also, do I need to protect the instance from data races by using a lock? Thank you.
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Dec ’25
Universal Link always shows “Open App A?” banner instead of redirecting automatically
We have a login flow where the user authenticates in Safari, and at the end of the process the authentication server redirects back to our app using a Universal Link. On most devices, the app opens automatically without any confirmation banner. However, on several iPads, Safari always shows the “Open App A?” banner after the redirect. The user must tap Open every time. Other devices running the same iOS version do not show this issue. Expected Flow (working devices): Start authentication Safari login Authentication server redirects using a Universal Link App A opens automatically Problematic Flow (several iPads): Start authentication Safari login Authentication server redirects using a Universal Link Safari shows “Open App A?” confirmation banner User must tap Open App A starts Questions: Is this a known issue in iOS? Or is this expected behavior under certain conditions (i.e., is there a specific Safari/iOS specification that causes this banner to appear)? Is there any way to prevent Safari from showing the “Open App A?” banner and allow automatic redirection? *This issue did not occur on iOS 16, but it started appearing after updating to iOS 17. Devices : iPad 9th Gen/iPad 10th Gen
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Nov ’25