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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Can I hide the NFC App Clip card?
Dear Apple Engineers: My app utilizes the App Clip experience. I would like to prevent the App Clip card from appearing when the host app is running in the foreground. How can this be achieved? I have observed that Alipay (in China) does not display an App Clip card when the device is tapped against a tag while the app is in the foreground, which indicates that this behavior is possible. Thank you for your assistance.
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Jan ’26
Does Apple Screen Time API Allow Access to App Usage Data for Custom Rewards?
Hi everyone, I'm working on an app for parents and kids where parents can define screen time goals or restrict usage of certain app categories (like social media or games). If the kid follows those rules—for example, by using their device less or avoiding restricted categories—they would earn points or rewards in the app. I’ve been exploring if the Apple Screen Time API allows developers to access this kind of data (like total screen time, app usage by category, etc.) so that I can track the kid’s behavior and reward them accordingly. Is it possible to programmatically access this data and implement such a reward system within my app? If so, what’s the best way to get started or which APIs should I look into? Thanks in advance for your help!
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Apr ’25
AlarmKit - Snooze Alarm Rings Briefly Then Goes Silent When Set Time Matches
Issue Description: When the snooze alarm and a set alarm share the same time, the behavior differs between locked and unlocked screen states. The current issue occurs when the screen is unlocked and the device is on the home screen before the alarm goes off: Alarm A is set for 17:23, and the snooze button is tapped when it rings. Alarm B is set for 17:25. At 17:25, Alarm B first vibrates and then rings (no buttons are pressed at this time). A few seconds later, it vibrates a second time. After that, the alarm becomes silent. If dynamic/notification alarms are disabled, the next scheduled alarm rings normally.
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Jan ’26
FinanceKit: Apple Savings transactions missing source account information
When fetching Apple Savings transactions via FinanceKit, the data is missing key context about where the deposit originated from. Here’s an example transaction I retrieved: Transaction( id: 77371A0C-7122-42C7-BEBC-85BDF654AD2B, accountID: 68D9FE9D-6DA6-4A27-BB9D-19209CD29A56, transactionAmount: 1.46 USD, creditDebitIndicator: .credit, transactionDescription: "Deposit", originalTransactionDescription: "", merchantCategoryCode: nil, merchantName: nil, transactionType: .deposit, status: .booked, transactionDate: 2025-08-20 13:44:26 +0000, postedDate: 2025-08-20 13:44:26 +0000 ) As shown: transactionDescription is just "Deposit" merchantName is nil No indication of the source account In contrast, the Wallet app clearly shows context for Apple Savings account deposits, such as: "Apple Card" (daily cash) "Bank of America" (external transfer) "Interest Paid" (we do see "Interest" come through correctly) Without this metadata, third-party apps cannot replicate Wallet’s clarity about where a deposit came from. Every deposit simply appears as "Deposit", which is ambiguous. Request: Please expose additional metadata for Apple Savings account transactions, for example: sourceAccountName (e.g. “Apple Card” or “Bank of America”) transactionOriginType (cashback, external bank transfer, interest) institutionIdentifier or similar for external banks This would allow developers to show clear, Wallet-quality transaction details and avoid confusing users. Impact: The lack of source info makes Savings deposits nearly indistinguishable from one another, even though Wallet provides this context. For apps leveraging FinanceKit, this results in a poorer experience compared to Apple’s own Wallet. Thanks!
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Aug ’25
Apple Media Service T&C pop-up
I had published an App which App Clip is supported. I have receipt complaints from user where the user will keep showing the "Apple Media Services Terms and Conditions Have Changed" right after user click on the "Open" button in the App Clips. What I had tried: Let user switch the current logged in Apple Id region to one of our support region. Log out and log in with an Apple Id which had no issue.
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Jan ’26
App Clip not launching from shared link in Messages when URL is same as deep link
I’m configuring App Clip launch behavior and would appreciate some clarification. In my setup, the App Clip launch URL is the same as the deep link used to open the full app. Both are configured in the Apple App Site Association (AASA) file. Observed behavior: Scanning a QR code with this URL correctly launches the App Clip. Tapping the same URL when it’s shared (for example, via Messages) launches the full app via the deep link instead of the App Clip experience. I’m reviewing the documentation here: https://developer.apple.com/documentation/appclip/configuring-the-launch-experience-of-your-app-clip#Choose-App-Clip-experiences-you-want-to-support The table mentions that an App Clip can be invoked via “A shared link to an App Clip in the Messages app.” However, when I tap the shared link in Messages, the deep link experience is triggered instead of the App Clip. My questions are: Is this behavior expected when the App Clip URL and the app’s deep link URL are the same? Does launching an App Clip from a shared Messages link require a distinct URL or additional configuration beyond what’s in the AASA file? Are there specific constraints or priorities between universal links for the full app and App Clip invocation in this scenario? Any clarification or guidance would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
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Dec ’25
Testing iMessage extension from recipient POV
Hello, I am building an iMessage extension for my app and I am struggling to figure out how to test it. The extension allows users to send their friends an interactive widget and the recipient experience is very important to test. I tried to do it in the simulators, but simulators do not support iMessage. I have got a second iPhone and created a sandbox account, but I cannot install TestFlight with the sandbox account, as this feature is not supported. Reddit, Stackoverflow, ChatGPT and Apple Developer support also did not help. Can someone share their experience with testing recipient experience in the iMessage extension?
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149
Aug ’25
Drag and Drop multiple files to Finder in macOS SwiftUI Catalyst
I am trying to port my sandboxed macOS app completely over to iOS using a Catalyst target and SwiftUI. There appears to be an issue when trying to drag to the Finder in Catalyst (and in SwiftUI in General). For some reason, the Finder will not accept multiple file drops, only a single file. On my macOS (non-Catalyst AppKit target), I overcame this by dropping multiple files to a UTType of .folder, and the OS accepted the folder. This workaround is not available for iOS because .folder is a macOS-only option. I have a test app to illustrate the issue. Hopefully someone can help. Download Test App
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Dec ’25
[macos 15.2 (24C101)] Custom input method does not work as expected
Environment: macOS 15.2 (24C101) with Xcode 16.2 (16C5032a) Goal: I am trying to build a simple IMKInputController-based input method. Problem: My .app bundle registers successfully and I can select it as an input source. When selected, it blocks keyboard input, but my handle method does not seem to execute or produce output. I have placed NSLog statements in my controller's init and handle methods. Code for the controller: import InputMethodKit // The IMKTextInput protocol is provided by the framework. // We don't need to define our own bridging protocol for this test. public class HelloWorldController: IMKInputController { public override init!(server: IMKServer!, delegate: Any!, client inputClient: Any!) { super.init(server: server, delegate: delegate, client: inputClient) NSLog("HelloWorldIME: Controller has been initialized.") } public override func handle(_ event: NSEvent!, client sender: Any!) -> Bool { NSLog("HelloWorldIME: handle() method was called.") // ================== FINAL FIX APPLIED HERE ================== // 1. First, we ensure the client is a fundamental Objective-C object. guard let clientObject = sender as? NSObject else { NSLog("HelloWorldIME: Error - client object is not an NSObject.") return false } NSLog("HelloWorldIME: Successfully cast client to NSObject.") // 2. Now that we have an NSObject, we can safely check if it responds to the selector. let selector = #selector(IMKTextInput.insertText(_:replacementRange:)) if !clientObject.responds(to: selector) { NSLog("HelloWorldIME: Error - client object does not respond to the insertText selector.") return false } NSLog("HelloWorldIME: Client responds to insertText. Preparing to insert text.") // 3. Since we've confirmed it responds, we can now safely treat it as an IMKTextInput // and call the method. let client = clientObject as! IMKTextInput let stringToInsert = "A" let replacementRange = NSRange(location: NSNotFound, length: 0) client.insertText(stringToInsert, replacementRange: replacementRange) NSLog("HelloWorldIME: Called insertText with string '\(stringToInsert)'. Action complete.") // ======================================================== return true } }
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234
Jun ’25
ShieldConfiguration: Shield does not update when token is moved from one store to anohter (while in foreground)
Hello, I have noticed that the ShieldConfiguration is only requested when opening a target app, and never when the application token is moved to a different shield while the target app remains in foreground. This causes problems because many times the wrong ShieldConfiguration is displayed (recycled) instead of requesting a new ShieldConfiguration. This bug has been around since the introduction of the Screen Time API in 2020 and is has not been addressed. Bug reports: FB14237883 FB17902392 Please fix asap!! Not acceptable to have bugs not being addressed for more than 5 years. Most concerning: This is still reproducing on iOS 26 beta 7!! Thanks a lot for your help.
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Aug ’25
A Summary of the WWDC25 Group Lab - watchOS (Part 1)
At WWDC25 we launched a new type of Lab event for the developer community - Group Labs. A Group Lab is a panel Q&A designed for a large audience of developers. Group Labs are a unique opportunity for the community to submit questions directly to a panel of Apple engineers and designers. Here are the highlights from the WWDC25 Group Lab for watchOS (part 1). 1. I'm really excited about the new design system on all platforms. Liquid Glass is super cool. What do developers need to keep in mind when building for watchOS 26? To adopt the new design system, start with updating your app for watchOS 10 – If you have done so, your app will be mostly ready for watchOS 26. For more information, see Design and build apps for WatchOS 10. You can then look into Liquid Glass specific APIs to fine tune your app. This topic is covered in Adopting Liquid Glass. If you have SwiftUI views using any custom style, make sure they are still legible and fit with the new design system. 2. Something that really stood out to me were updates to the Smart Stack, with the system prioritizing Widgets when they're most relevant. Tell me more about these new opportunities for apps. Workout apps that record workouts using HealthKit may be automatically suggested on the watch face and appear in the Smart Stack without adding a widget. Relevant widgets are a great way to present information related to a date, location, point-of-interest type, sleep schedule, or fitness condition in the Smart Stack when it is relevant. Relevant widgets don't need to display a empty state view when they are not relevant. They are only shown in the Smart Stack when relevant. The watchOS 26 Design ToolKit in the Apple Design Resources includes a set of templates that you can use to layout your widgets. 3. Is the Wrist Flick gesture available to developers in the same way as Double Tap is? The system uses Wrist Flick to dismiss notifications and incoming calls, silence timers and alarms, or return to the watch face. There is no separate API for the Wrist Flick gesture. Apps that are using XCUIAutomation to make sure their user interface behaves as intended can use the XCUIDeviceHandGesture.flick to automate tests that verify that their app responds appropriately to the Wrist Flick gesture. For apps using automated testing, the XCUIDeviceHandGesture.doubleTap can be also be used to automate testing of the app with the Double Tap gesture. See XCUIDevice.perform(handGesture:) 4. Can HRV measurements be triggered on demand via API in watchOS? Guidelines or processes for enabling energy-intensive biometric sampling on development devices for IRB-approved research? You don’t have direct control on the sampling rate in watchOS. You can use HealthKit (HKQuantityTypeIdentifierHeartRateVariabilitySDNN, to be specific) to query the HRV data, once the system has sampled and persisted the data to HealthKit. If that doesn’t help, we suggest that you file a feedback report with your concrete use case for us to investigate. Specific to IRB-approved research using Apple Watch or its companion iPhone, you might want to look at this FAQ and SensorKit to see if they can be of any help. 5. What is the best advice for someone who is new to making a watchOS app that’s been on iOS and iPadOS? You can start with exploring the system experience features on watchOS, such as notifications, controls, and widgets, and getting familiar with the system spaces, like Smart Stack, watch face, and control center. Knowing the watchOS app design principles and practices is important as well. Design and build apps for WatchOS 10 is a great resource for this topic. SwiftUI is an amazing across-platform framework, and you will use it to create your watchOS app. If you're already using it, great! Keep in mind some watch-only constraints. Comparing to iPhone or iPad, Apple Watch has a limited battery and smaller screen size, which significantly impacts how people use your app and how your app works. 6. Was there any extension this year to the 7 day limit on querying Apple Health data on the watch? There is no change on the limit this year. You can get this official limit at runtime using earliestPermittedSampleDate. There are some exceptions, and so don't be surprised if you see some data types are retained longer. The companion iPhone holds the full set of the health data. If you need to access the health data that has been purged from the Apple Watch, consider doing it with your iOS app, and then passing the result to your watchOS app.
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Jul ’25
Clarification Needed: histogrammedTimeToFirstDraw vs histogrammedOptimizedTimeToFirstDraw in MetricKit
Hi Apple Developer Community, I'm implementing MetricKit launch performance tracking in our iOS app and need clarification on two properties: histogrammedTimeToFirstDraw histogrammedOptimizedTimeToFirstDraw The Documentation Problem: The official MetricKit documentation provides minimal explanation of these properties beyond their names. Based on naming conventions, I initially assumed: histogrammedTimeToFirstDraw = cold launches histogrammedOptimizedTimeToFirstDraw = warm/optimized launches Based on our measurements: The “optimized” metric appears only in a small fraction of launches The "optimized" metric is actually slower The naming suggests the opposite behavior Questions: What specific launch conditions does each metric measure? Why would "optimized" launches be slower and less frequent? Is histogrammedOptimizedTimeToFirstDraw related to iOS app pre-warming or prediction features? If these metrics don’t correspond to cold vs. warm launch times, is there an alternative way to measure them accurately? Any clarification from Apple or insights from developers who've tracked these metrics would be greatly appreciated.
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Jan ’26
Testing Live Caller ID Lookup Feature before App Store Release
Hi, We are working to integrate the Live Caller ID Lookup feature into our app. After submitting the request form via the link: https://developer.apple.com/contact/request/live-caller-id-lookup/, we received this reply from Apple: Apple’s OHTTP relay has been configured to talk to your OHTTP gateway. Now Live Caller ID Lookup should work for your application extension when distributed through App Store. However, before officially releasing our app on the App Store, we’d like to make sure the Live Caller ID Lookup feature is working as expected. To test this, we uploaded the app to TestFlight, and it successfully passed App Review. However, the test failed — we observed that the system tries to fetch the config from http://www.example.com/config instead of our actual configuration URL. Questions: Is this expected behavior when using TestFlight? Does the Live Caller ID Lookup feature only become active after full public release on the App Store? Is there any recommended way to test this feature before public release? Thank you!
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Oct ’25
Calling AgeRangeService.shared.isEligibleForAgeFeatures always returns false
When calling the verification interface for "whether the user belongs to a restricted region", the return value is always false; even if the Apple account is registered as an account belonging to a restricted region and the account is set to supervised mode, the interface return result remains unchanged, and it is impossible to verify a true result. The code for calling the interface is as follows: @available(iOS 26.2, *) @objc public func eligibleForAgeFeatures() async -> Bool { var isEligible = false do { isEligible = try await AgeRangeService.shared.isEligibleForAgeFeatures } catch { isEligible = false } return isEligible }
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How to get a phone into a state where it's possible to test text filtering?
I'm currently finding it impossible to get a text filtering extension to be invoked when there's an incoming text message. There isn't a problem with the app/extension because this is the same app and code that is already developed, tested, and unchanged since I last observed it working. I know if there's any history of the incoming number being "known" then the extension won't get invoked, and I used to find this no hindrance to testing previously provided that: the incoming number isn't in contacts there's no outgoing messages to that number there's no outgoing phone calls to the number. This always used to work in the past, but not anymore. However, I've ensured the incoming text's number isn't in contacts, in fact I've deleted all the contacts. I've deleted the entire phone history, incoming and outgoing, and I've also searched in messages and made sure there's no interactions with that number. There's logging in the extension so I can see its being invoked when turned on from the settings app, but its not getting invoked when there's a message. The one difference between now and when I used to have no problem with this - the phone now has iOS 18.5 on it. Its as if in iOS 18.5 there ever was any past association with a text number, its not impossible to remove that association. Has there been some known change in 18.5 that would affect this call filtering behavior and not being able to rid of the incoming message caller as being "known" to the phone? Update I completely reset the phone and then I was able to see the the message filter extension being invoked. That's not an ideal situation though. What else needs to be done beyond what I mentioned above in order to get a phone to forget about a message's number and thus get an message filtering extension to be invoked when there's a message from that number?
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Jul ’25
Why is my Family Controls API requests taking weeks?
Hi everyone, I’m honestly trying to understand what’s going on with the Family Controls API review process. I submitted my entitlement request on March 5, and as of today (March 19), there has been zero response. I also opened a support ticket on March 16, and that hasn’t received any response either. What’s confusing is that updates to another app on the same developer account were approved within days — so clearly the account is in good standing and active. At this point, it feels like there’s no visibility into what’s happening: Is the request under review? Is it waiting for additional information? Or is it just sitting in a queue indefinitely? I understand that Family Controls is a sensitive API, but a two-week silence with no status or communication makes it very difficult to plan or ship features. For those who’ve gone through this: How long did your approval actually take? Did you receive any communication during the process? Is there any reliable way to get visibility or speed this up? Right now, this is blocking a feature we’ve invested significant time building, and the lack of feedback is the most frustrating part. This is really giving me pain. Would really appreciate any insights.
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1w
Screen Time differences between DeviceActivityMonitor and times shown in DeviceActivityReport
I am still struggling to nail down the screen time between monitoring and showing it in a DeviceActivityReport. It's always off by a couple of percentage points, which results in a difference of a couple of minutes between the time shown for my total screen time in DeviceActivityReport and DeviceActivityMonitor with a threshold set for all apps/websites/categories. In the report, I am looping through all segment (there is only 1 segement using .daily segment interval for a given day) then loop through all categories and all apps within each category and sum up all totalActivityDuration for each app. Based on avaiable documentation, that should corrolate to DeviceActivityMonitor threshold but it doesn't. Are there any differences in how these 2 places count screen time? Are there any apps/core ios services which are excluded from DeviceActivityMonitor. Would appreciate any help at all, I'm losing my mind here. My current suspicion is that Apple Developer documentation is counted twice. i.e. this website https://developer.apple.com/documentation/deviceactivity/deviceactivitymonitor shows up in usage as an App with bundleId of apple.developer.wwdc-release and time spent there is counted twice, against this bundleId AND Safari. I don't know why it's not counted as a webdomain.
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244
Sep ’25
Alarmkit and Hardware button action.
Hi Im creating an app with Alarmkit, the idea is to have the hardware buttons react like they do in Alarmclock with a snooze or if the buttons can just mute without intent. right now, hardware button end and dismisses the Alarm. its instinct to click that button. apple needs to update or do something.
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Determining the number of missed calls.
In iOS 18, when a contact with multiple phone numbers called, the system clearly indicated which specific number was used—often by highlighting it in red for missed calls or tagging it as 'recent.' However, in iOS 26, this distinction is missing, and there is no way to determine which of the contact's numbers the call originated from.
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Feb ’26
Can I hide the NFC App Clip card?
Dear Apple Engineers: My app utilizes the App Clip experience. I would like to prevent the App Clip card from appearing when the host app is running in the foreground. How can this be achieved? I have observed that Alipay (in China) does not display an App Clip card when the device is tapped against a tag while the app is in the foreground, which indicates that this behavior is possible. Thank you for your assistance.
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77
Activity
Jan ’26
Does Apple Screen Time API Allow Access to App Usage Data for Custom Rewards?
Hi everyone, I'm working on an app for parents and kids where parents can define screen time goals or restrict usage of certain app categories (like social media or games). If the kid follows those rules—for example, by using their device less or avoiding restricted categories—they would earn points or rewards in the app. I’ve been exploring if the Apple Screen Time API allows developers to access this kind of data (like total screen time, app usage by category, etc.) so that I can track the kid’s behavior and reward them accordingly. Is it possible to programmatically access this data and implement such a reward system within my app? If so, what’s the best way to get started or which APIs should I look into? Thanks in advance for your help!
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96
Activity
Apr ’25
AlarmKit - Snooze Alarm Rings Briefly Then Goes Silent When Set Time Matches
Issue Description: When the snooze alarm and a set alarm share the same time, the behavior differs between locked and unlocked screen states. The current issue occurs when the screen is unlocked and the device is on the home screen before the alarm goes off: Alarm A is set for 17:23, and the snooze button is tapped when it rings. Alarm B is set for 17:25. At 17:25, Alarm B first vibrates and then rings (no buttons are pressed at this time). A few seconds later, it vibrates a second time. After that, the alarm becomes silent. If dynamic/notification alarms are disabled, the next scheduled alarm rings normally.
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52
Activity
Jan ’26
FinanceKit: Apple Savings transactions missing source account information
When fetching Apple Savings transactions via FinanceKit, the data is missing key context about where the deposit originated from. Here’s an example transaction I retrieved: Transaction( id: 77371A0C-7122-42C7-BEBC-85BDF654AD2B, accountID: 68D9FE9D-6DA6-4A27-BB9D-19209CD29A56, transactionAmount: 1.46 USD, creditDebitIndicator: .credit, transactionDescription: "Deposit", originalTransactionDescription: "", merchantCategoryCode: nil, merchantName: nil, transactionType: .deposit, status: .booked, transactionDate: 2025-08-20 13:44:26 +0000, postedDate: 2025-08-20 13:44:26 +0000 ) As shown: transactionDescription is just "Deposit" merchantName is nil No indication of the source account In contrast, the Wallet app clearly shows context for Apple Savings account deposits, such as: "Apple Card" (daily cash) "Bank of America" (external transfer) "Interest Paid" (we do see "Interest" come through correctly) Without this metadata, third-party apps cannot replicate Wallet’s clarity about where a deposit came from. Every deposit simply appears as "Deposit", which is ambiguous. Request: Please expose additional metadata for Apple Savings account transactions, for example: sourceAccountName (e.g. “Apple Card” or “Bank of America”) transactionOriginType (cashback, external bank transfer, interest) institutionIdentifier or similar for external banks This would allow developers to show clear, Wallet-quality transaction details and avoid confusing users. Impact: The lack of source info makes Savings deposits nearly indistinguishable from one another, even though Wallet provides this context. For apps leveraging FinanceKit, this results in a poorer experience compared to Apple’s own Wallet. Thanks!
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111
Activity
Aug ’25
Apple Media Service T&C pop-up
I had published an App which App Clip is supported. I have receipt complaints from user where the user will keep showing the "Apple Media Services Terms and Conditions Have Changed" right after user click on the "Open" button in the App Clips. What I had tried: Let user switch the current logged in Apple Id region to one of our support region. Log out and log in with an Apple Id which had no issue.
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0
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1
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98
Activity
Jan ’26
App Clip not launching from shared link in Messages when URL is same as deep link
I’m configuring App Clip launch behavior and would appreciate some clarification. In my setup, the App Clip launch URL is the same as the deep link used to open the full app. Both are configured in the Apple App Site Association (AASA) file. Observed behavior: Scanning a QR code with this URL correctly launches the App Clip. Tapping the same URL when it’s shared (for example, via Messages) launches the full app via the deep link instead of the App Clip experience. I’m reviewing the documentation here: https://developer.apple.com/documentation/appclip/configuring-the-launch-experience-of-your-app-clip#Choose-App-Clip-experiences-you-want-to-support The table mentions that an App Clip can be invoked via “A shared link to an App Clip in the Messages app.” However, when I tap the shared link in Messages, the deep link experience is triggered instead of the App Clip. My questions are: Is this behavior expected when the App Clip URL and the app’s deep link URL are the same? Does launching an App Clip from a shared Messages link require a distinct URL or additional configuration beyond what’s in the AASA file? Are there specific constraints or priorities between universal links for the full app and App Clip invocation in this scenario? Any clarification or guidance would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
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105
Activity
Dec ’25
Testing iMessage extension from recipient POV
Hello, I am building an iMessage extension for my app and I am struggling to figure out how to test it. The extension allows users to send their friends an interactive widget and the recipient experience is very important to test. I tried to do it in the simulators, but simulators do not support iMessage. I have got a second iPhone and created a sandbox account, but I cannot install TestFlight with the sandbox account, as this feature is not supported. Reddit, Stackoverflow, ChatGPT and Apple Developer support also did not help. Can someone share their experience with testing recipient experience in the iMessage extension?
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149
Activity
Aug ’25
The frequency of uwb background ranging
Is there a way to increase the frequency of UWB background ranging?
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0
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104
Activity
Apr ’25
Drag and Drop multiple files to Finder in macOS SwiftUI Catalyst
I am trying to port my sandboxed macOS app completely over to iOS using a Catalyst target and SwiftUI. There appears to be an issue when trying to drag to the Finder in Catalyst (and in SwiftUI in General). For some reason, the Finder will not accept multiple file drops, only a single file. On my macOS (non-Catalyst AppKit target), I overcame this by dropping multiple files to a UTType of .folder, and the OS accepted the folder. This workaround is not available for iOS because .folder is a macOS-only option. I have a test app to illustrate the issue. Hopefully someone can help. Download Test App
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97
Activity
Dec ’25
[macos 15.2 (24C101)] Custom input method does not work as expected
Environment: macOS 15.2 (24C101) with Xcode 16.2 (16C5032a) Goal: I am trying to build a simple IMKInputController-based input method. Problem: My .app bundle registers successfully and I can select it as an input source. When selected, it blocks keyboard input, but my handle method does not seem to execute or produce output. I have placed NSLog statements in my controller's init and handle methods. Code for the controller: import InputMethodKit // The IMKTextInput protocol is provided by the framework. // We don't need to define our own bridging protocol for this test. public class HelloWorldController: IMKInputController { public override init!(server: IMKServer!, delegate: Any!, client inputClient: Any!) { super.init(server: server, delegate: delegate, client: inputClient) NSLog("HelloWorldIME: Controller has been initialized.") } public override func handle(_ event: NSEvent!, client sender: Any!) -> Bool { NSLog("HelloWorldIME: handle() method was called.") // ================== FINAL FIX APPLIED HERE ================== // 1. First, we ensure the client is a fundamental Objective-C object. guard let clientObject = sender as? NSObject else { NSLog("HelloWorldIME: Error - client object is not an NSObject.") return false } NSLog("HelloWorldIME: Successfully cast client to NSObject.") // 2. Now that we have an NSObject, we can safely check if it responds to the selector. let selector = #selector(IMKTextInput.insertText(_:replacementRange:)) if !clientObject.responds(to: selector) { NSLog("HelloWorldIME: Error - client object does not respond to the insertText selector.") return false } NSLog("HelloWorldIME: Client responds to insertText. Preparing to insert text.") // 3. Since we've confirmed it responds, we can now safely treat it as an IMKTextInput // and call the method. let client = clientObject as! IMKTextInput let stringToInsert = "A" let replacementRange = NSRange(location: NSNotFound, length: 0) client.insertText(stringToInsert, replacementRange: replacementRange) NSLog("HelloWorldIME: Called insertText with string '\(stringToInsert)'. Action complete.") // ======================================================== return true } }
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234
Activity
Jun ’25
ShieldConfiguration: Shield does not update when token is moved from one store to anohter (while in foreground)
Hello, I have noticed that the ShieldConfiguration is only requested when opening a target app, and never when the application token is moved to a different shield while the target app remains in foreground. This causes problems because many times the wrong ShieldConfiguration is displayed (recycled) instead of requesting a new ShieldConfiguration. This bug has been around since the introduction of the Screen Time API in 2020 and is has not been addressed. Bug reports: FB14237883 FB17902392 Please fix asap!! Not acceptable to have bugs not being addressed for more than 5 years. Most concerning: This is still reproducing on iOS 26 beta 7!! Thanks a lot for your help.
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0
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2
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348
Activity
Aug ’25
A Summary of the WWDC25 Group Lab - watchOS (Part 1)
At WWDC25 we launched a new type of Lab event for the developer community - Group Labs. A Group Lab is a panel Q&A designed for a large audience of developers. Group Labs are a unique opportunity for the community to submit questions directly to a panel of Apple engineers and designers. Here are the highlights from the WWDC25 Group Lab for watchOS (part 1). 1. I'm really excited about the new design system on all platforms. Liquid Glass is super cool. What do developers need to keep in mind when building for watchOS 26? To adopt the new design system, start with updating your app for watchOS 10 – If you have done so, your app will be mostly ready for watchOS 26. For more information, see Design and build apps for WatchOS 10. You can then look into Liquid Glass specific APIs to fine tune your app. This topic is covered in Adopting Liquid Glass. If you have SwiftUI views using any custom style, make sure they are still legible and fit with the new design system. 2. Something that really stood out to me were updates to the Smart Stack, with the system prioritizing Widgets when they're most relevant. Tell me more about these new opportunities for apps. Workout apps that record workouts using HealthKit may be automatically suggested on the watch face and appear in the Smart Stack without adding a widget. Relevant widgets are a great way to present information related to a date, location, point-of-interest type, sleep schedule, or fitness condition in the Smart Stack when it is relevant. Relevant widgets don't need to display a empty state view when they are not relevant. They are only shown in the Smart Stack when relevant. The watchOS 26 Design ToolKit in the Apple Design Resources includes a set of templates that you can use to layout your widgets. 3. Is the Wrist Flick gesture available to developers in the same way as Double Tap is? The system uses Wrist Flick to dismiss notifications and incoming calls, silence timers and alarms, or return to the watch face. There is no separate API for the Wrist Flick gesture. Apps that are using XCUIAutomation to make sure their user interface behaves as intended can use the XCUIDeviceHandGesture.flick to automate tests that verify that their app responds appropriately to the Wrist Flick gesture. For apps using automated testing, the XCUIDeviceHandGesture.doubleTap can be also be used to automate testing of the app with the Double Tap gesture. See XCUIDevice.perform(handGesture:) 4. Can HRV measurements be triggered on demand via API in watchOS? Guidelines or processes for enabling energy-intensive biometric sampling on development devices for IRB-approved research? You don’t have direct control on the sampling rate in watchOS. You can use HealthKit (HKQuantityTypeIdentifierHeartRateVariabilitySDNN, to be specific) to query the HRV data, once the system has sampled and persisted the data to HealthKit. If that doesn’t help, we suggest that you file a feedback report with your concrete use case for us to investigate. Specific to IRB-approved research using Apple Watch or its companion iPhone, you might want to look at this FAQ and SensorKit to see if they can be of any help. 5. What is the best advice for someone who is new to making a watchOS app that’s been on iOS and iPadOS? You can start with exploring the system experience features on watchOS, such as notifications, controls, and widgets, and getting familiar with the system spaces, like Smart Stack, watch face, and control center. Knowing the watchOS app design principles and practices is important as well. Design and build apps for WatchOS 10 is a great resource for this topic. SwiftUI is an amazing across-platform framework, and you will use it to create your watchOS app. If you're already using it, great! Keep in mind some watch-only constraints. Comparing to iPhone or iPad, Apple Watch has a limited battery and smaller screen size, which significantly impacts how people use your app and how your app works. 6. Was there any extension this year to the 7 day limit on querying Apple Health data on the watch? There is no change on the limit this year. You can get this official limit at runtime using earliestPermittedSampleDate. There are some exceptions, and so don't be surprised if you see some data types are retained longer. The companion iPhone holds the full set of the health data. If you need to access the health data that has been purged from the Apple Watch, consider doing it with your iOS app, and then passing the result to your watchOS app.
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Activity
Jul ’25
Clarification Needed: histogrammedTimeToFirstDraw vs histogrammedOptimizedTimeToFirstDraw in MetricKit
Hi Apple Developer Community, I'm implementing MetricKit launch performance tracking in our iOS app and need clarification on two properties: histogrammedTimeToFirstDraw histogrammedOptimizedTimeToFirstDraw The Documentation Problem: The official MetricKit documentation provides minimal explanation of these properties beyond their names. Based on naming conventions, I initially assumed: histogrammedTimeToFirstDraw = cold launches histogrammedOptimizedTimeToFirstDraw = warm/optimized launches Based on our measurements: The “optimized” metric appears only in a small fraction of launches The "optimized" metric is actually slower The naming suggests the opposite behavior Questions: What specific launch conditions does each metric measure? Why would "optimized" launches be slower and less frequent? Is histogrammedOptimizedTimeToFirstDraw related to iOS app pre-warming or prediction features? If these metrics don’t correspond to cold vs. warm launch times, is there an alternative way to measure them accurately? Any clarification from Apple or insights from developers who've tracked these metrics would be greatly appreciated.
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227
Activity
Jan ’26
Testing Live Caller ID Lookup Feature before App Store Release
Hi, We are working to integrate the Live Caller ID Lookup feature into our app. After submitting the request form via the link: https://developer.apple.com/contact/request/live-caller-id-lookup/, we received this reply from Apple: Apple’s OHTTP relay has been configured to talk to your OHTTP gateway. Now Live Caller ID Lookup should work for your application extension when distributed through App Store. However, before officially releasing our app on the App Store, we’d like to make sure the Live Caller ID Lookup feature is working as expected. To test this, we uploaded the app to TestFlight, and it successfully passed App Review. However, the test failed — we observed that the system tries to fetch the config from http://www.example.com/config instead of our actual configuration URL. Questions: Is this expected behavior when using TestFlight? Does the Live Caller ID Lookup feature only become active after full public release on the App Store? Is there any recommended way to test this feature before public release? Thank you!
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207
Activity
Oct ’25
Calling AgeRangeService.shared.isEligibleForAgeFeatures always returns false
When calling the verification interface for "whether the user belongs to a restricted region", the return value is always false; even if the Apple account is registered as an account belonging to a restricted region and the account is set to supervised mode, the interface return result remains unchanged, and it is impossible to verify a true result. The code for calling the interface is as follows: @available(iOS 26.2, *) @objc public func eligibleForAgeFeatures() async -> Bool { var isEligible = false do { isEligible = try await AgeRangeService.shared.isEligibleForAgeFeatures } catch { isEligible = false } return isEligible }
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369
Activity
1w
How to get a phone into a state where it's possible to test text filtering?
I'm currently finding it impossible to get a text filtering extension to be invoked when there's an incoming text message. There isn't a problem with the app/extension because this is the same app and code that is already developed, tested, and unchanged since I last observed it working. I know if there's any history of the incoming number being "known" then the extension won't get invoked, and I used to find this no hindrance to testing previously provided that: the incoming number isn't in contacts there's no outgoing messages to that number there's no outgoing phone calls to the number. This always used to work in the past, but not anymore. However, I've ensured the incoming text's number isn't in contacts, in fact I've deleted all the contacts. I've deleted the entire phone history, incoming and outgoing, and I've also searched in messages and made sure there's no interactions with that number. There's logging in the extension so I can see its being invoked when turned on from the settings app, but its not getting invoked when there's a message. The one difference between now and when I used to have no problem with this - the phone now has iOS 18.5 on it. Its as if in iOS 18.5 there ever was any past association with a text number, its not impossible to remove that association. Has there been some known change in 18.5 that would affect this call filtering behavior and not being able to rid of the incoming message caller as being "known" to the phone? Update I completely reset the phone and then I was able to see the the message filter extension being invoked. That's not an ideal situation though. What else needs to be done beyond what I mentioned above in order to get a phone to forget about a message's number and thus get an message filtering extension to be invoked when there's a message from that number?
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Activity
Jul ’25
Why is my Family Controls API requests taking weeks?
Hi everyone, I’m honestly trying to understand what’s going on with the Family Controls API review process. I submitted my entitlement request on March 5, and as of today (March 19), there has been zero response. I also opened a support ticket on March 16, and that hasn’t received any response either. What’s confusing is that updates to another app on the same developer account were approved within days — so clearly the account is in good standing and active. At this point, it feels like there’s no visibility into what’s happening: Is the request under review? Is it waiting for additional information? Or is it just sitting in a queue indefinitely? I understand that Family Controls is a sensitive API, but a two-week silence with no status or communication makes it very difficult to plan or ship features. For those who’ve gone through this: How long did your approval actually take? Did you receive any communication during the process? Is there any reliable way to get visibility or speed this up? Right now, this is blocking a feature we’ve invested significant time building, and the lack of feedback is the most frustrating part. This is really giving me pain. Would really appreciate any insights.
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Activity
1w
Screen Time differences between DeviceActivityMonitor and times shown in DeviceActivityReport
I am still struggling to nail down the screen time between monitoring and showing it in a DeviceActivityReport. It's always off by a couple of percentage points, which results in a difference of a couple of minutes between the time shown for my total screen time in DeviceActivityReport and DeviceActivityMonitor with a threshold set for all apps/websites/categories. In the report, I am looping through all segment (there is only 1 segement using .daily segment interval for a given day) then loop through all categories and all apps within each category and sum up all totalActivityDuration for each app. Based on avaiable documentation, that should corrolate to DeviceActivityMonitor threshold but it doesn't. Are there any differences in how these 2 places count screen time? Are there any apps/core ios services which are excluded from DeviceActivityMonitor. Would appreciate any help at all, I'm losing my mind here. My current suspicion is that Apple Developer documentation is counted twice. i.e. this website https://developer.apple.com/documentation/deviceactivity/deviceactivitymonitor shows up in usage as an App with bundleId of apple.developer.wwdc-release and time spent there is counted twice, against this bundleId AND Safari. I don't know why it's not counted as a webdomain.
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Activity
Sep ’25
Alarmkit and Hardware button action.
Hi Im creating an app with Alarmkit, the idea is to have the hardware buttons react like they do in Alarmclock with a snooze or if the buttons can just mute without intent. right now, hardware button end and dismisses the Alarm. its instinct to click that button. apple needs to update or do something.
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3w
Determining the number of missed calls.
In iOS 18, when a contact with multiple phone numbers called, the system clearly indicated which specific number was used—often by highlighting it in red for missed calls or tagging it as 'recent.' However, in iOS 26, this distinction is missing, and there is no way to determine which of the contact's numbers the call originated from.
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Feb ’26