General: Forums subtopic: App & System Services > Core OS Forums tags: Files and Storage, Foundation, FSKit, File Provider, Finder Sync, Disk Arbitration, APFS Foundation > Files and Data Persistence documentation Low-level file system APIs are documented in UNIX manual pages File System Programming Guide archived documentation About Apple File System documentation Apple File System Guide archived documentation File system changes introduced in iOS 17 forums post On File System Permissions forums post Extended Attributes and Zip Archives forums post Unpacking Apple Archives forums post Creating new file systems: FSKit framework documentation Building a passthrough file system sample code File Provider framework documentation Finder Sync framework documentation App Extension Programming Guide > App Extension Types > Finder Sync archived documentation Managing storage: Disk Arbitration framework documentation Disk Arbitration Programming Guide archived documentation Mass Storage Device Driver Programming Guide archived documentation Device File Access Guide for Storage Devices archived documentation BlockStorageDeviceDriverKit framework documentation Volume format references: Apple File System Reference TN1150 HFS Plus Volume Format Share and Enjoy — Quinn “The Eskimo!” @ Developer Technical Support @ Apple let myEmail = "eskimo" + "1" + "@" + "apple.com"

I am developing an iOS/iPadOS application and have encountered some behavior regarding Files App and security-scoped bookmarks that I would like to clarify. Additionally, I would like to report some behavior which might include a potential issue. Question1: Accessing deleted files via bookmark (Specification clarification) Our app saves file URLs as bookmarks, which file that user has selected on Files App or app-created so to open a file which user has modified previously in the next launch. When a user deletes a file in Files App (moves a file to Recently Deleted), the app can still resolve the bookmark and access the file for read/write operations. Is this behavior intended? In other words, is it correct that a bookmark can access a file that has been deleted in Files App but not permanently removed? Question2: Overwriting a file in Recently Deleted (Potential bug) We noticed that overwriting a file in Recently Deleted behaves differently depending on the method used. Current implementation 1.Create a temporary file in the same directory 2.Write content to the temporary file 3.Delete the original file ([NSFileManager removeItemAtURL:error:]) 4.Move the temporary file to the original file path ([NSFileManager moveItemAtURL:toURL:error:]) Result: The file disappears from Files App Recently Deleted. In contrast, using [NSFileManager replaceItemAtURL:withItemAtURL:] keeps the file visible in Recently Deleted. Is this difference designed behavior? If not, this may be a bug. Question3: Detecting files in Recently Deleted We want to detect whether a file resides in Recently Deleted, but we cannot find a reliable and officially supported method. Recently Deleted files appear under .Trash, but using the path alone is not a reliable method. We have tried the following APIs without success: [NSURL getResourceValue:forKey:NSURLIsHiddenKey error:] [NSURL checkResourceIsReachableAndReturnError:] [NSFileManager fileExistsAtPath:] [NSFileManager isReadableFileAtPath:] [NSFileManager getRelationship:ofDirectory:NSTrashDirectory inDomain:NSUserDomainMask toItemAtURL:error:] We could not obtain the Recently Deleted folder URL using standard APIs. [NSFileManager URLsForDirectory:NSTrashDirectory inDomains:NSUserDomainMask] [NSFileManager URLForDirectory:NSTrashDirectory inDomain:NSUserDomainMask appropriateForURL:url create:error:] Could you advise a safe and supported way to detect Recently Deleted files properly by the app?

There will be a cloud download icon on the folder, and when I click download, I will go to download the file below. Then this icon will disappear, but when I move a dataless file into the folder, the cloud download icon will appear again. I understand if there is any way to determine whether the folder has downloaded properties

I have an iOS and macOS app that includes a file provider extension. on macOS is is perfect no issues anywhere. on iOS it works for small datasets or if I do read only operations. as soon as I try to do anything with larger files I quickly hit the 20MB limit. I have solved file transfers by using chunking but when it comes to listing a folder with a couple thousand files it instantly crashes the FPE with an OOM error. works ok up to 100 files but anything beyond that crashes. I know enumerate items supports batches however the initial load form say a webdav server that has no concept of pagination will always fail to load in pieces no matter what I do. This likely explains why WebDAV was never implemented on iOS. in any case can you possibly consider upgrading the memory limit for FPE's or provide some mechanism to call our full iOS app for more processing power in the background to handle requests on demand? I do not understand where 20MB is a reasonable number. even 100MB seems more reasonable with everything have much more memory these days this seems incredibly limiting. even an option to request increased memory with a capability would be fine but that only works for the app itself not the FPE target. please advise if there is anything that can be done.

I am adding NSFileProviderPartialContentFetching support to an existing NSFileProviderReplicatedExtension. My backend has a high "Time To First Byte" latency (approx. 3 seconds) but reasonable throughput once the connection is established. I am observing a critical behavior difference between Partial Content Fetching and standard Materialization that causes sequential reads (e.g., dd, Finder copies, Adobe apps) to fail with timeouts. The Scenario: I have a 2.8 GB file. I attempt to read it sequentially using dd. **Baseline (Working): Partial Fetching Disabled ** I do not conform to NSFileProviderPartialContentFetching. The system triggers fetchContents(for:version:request:completionHandler:). My extension takes 3 seconds to connect, then streams the entire 2.8 GB file. Result: Success. The OS waits patiently for the entire download (minutes) without timing out, then dd reads the file instantly from the local disk. **The Issue: Partial Fetching Enabled ** I add conformance to NSFileProviderPartialContentFetching. The system requests small, aligned chunks (e.g., 16KB or 128KB). My extension fetches the requested range. This takes ~3 seconds due to network latency. The first few chunks succeed, but shortly after, the operation fails with Operation timed out. It appears the VFS kernel watchdog treats these repeated 3-second delays during read() syscalls as a stalled drive and kills the operation. **My Questions: ** Is there a documented timeout limit for fetchPartialContents completion handlers? It seems strictly enforced (similar to a local disk I/O timeout) compared to the lenient timeout for full materialization. Is NSFileProviderPartialContentFetching inherently unsuitable for high-latency backends (e.g., cold storage, slow handshakes), or is there a mechanism to signal "progress" to the kernel to reset the I/O watchdog during a slow partial fetch? Does the system treat partial fetching as "Online/Direct I/O" (blocking the user application) whereas full fetch is treated as "Offline/Syncing" (pausing the application), explaining the difference in tolerance? Any insights into the VFS lifecycle differences between these two modes would be appreciated.

I face this issue only on macOS 26 and only on the Intel architecture. I'm unable to download files from a file provider's folder when I make them read-only. STEPS TO REPRODUCE Download the sample from https://developer.apple.com/documentation/fileprovider/synchronizing-files-using-file-provider-extensions?language=objc Follow the steps on the page to configure the project. Build the project. Run it. Add a domain. Open the domain's folder in the Finder. Move a file to the domain's folder. Right-click on the file in the domain's folder and select "Remove Download". Close the Finder's window with the domain's folder and kill all the "Provider" processes to get rid of running instances of the extension. Change Item's capabilities in Item.swift to make the items read-only: var result: NSFileProviderItemCapabilities = [ .allowsContentEnumerating, .allowsReading ] Rebuild the project and run it. Open the domain's folder and try to drag and drop the file from the extension's folder to, let's say, the Desktop folder. EXPECTED RESULT The file is copied ACTUAL RESULT A dialog pops up with text "The file “filename” cannot be downloaded. Do you want to skip it?" Stop/Skip

We're updating a FileProvider-based app which was written for Big Sur to recent macOS. The system requires that the extension be manually enabled by the user in System Preferences -- either under Extensions > Added Extensions, Privacy & Security > Extensions > Added Extensions, or in newer versions General > Login Items & Extensions. Is there a programmatic (preferably Swift) or installer-based way to enable this checkbox-- or at least to detect if it has been enabled for a particular app, and if not bring up the appropriate pane of Preferences? (For which I'd need a complete OS-version-specific list of which pane to bring up.) (I can detect whether our particular NSFileProviderDomain has its userEnabled flag set after it's defined during the mounting process, but I'd rather be able to detect / set it during initial setup.)

File Provider Extension Testing Mode -2014 Error Issue I'm developing a macOS File Provider Extension and encountering a -2014 (Extension not registered) error when using Testing Mode only. Environment macOS: 13.0+ Xcode: Latest version Developer Account: Paid Developer Account Extension Type: NSFileProviderReplicatedExtension Current Status App ID Configuration App ID: kr.it.flux.FluxDrive2.FileProvider Capabilities: ✅ com.apple.developer.fileprovider.testing-mode (enabled) ❌ General com.apple.developer.fileprovider (not visible) Extension Configuration NSExtensionPointIdentifier: com.apple.fileprovider NSExtensionPrincipalClass: FluxDrive2FileProvider.FileProviderExtension Code Signing: Valid (Team Identifier verified) Info.plist: Valid Error Message Error Domain=NSFileProviderErrorDomain Code=-2014 The operation couldn't be completed. (NSFileProviderErrorDomain error -2014.) Underlying error: Error Domain=NSFileProviderErrorDomain Code=-2001 Extension cannot be used Attempted Solutions ✅ Verified and corrected Extension Info.plist ✅ Verified Extension code signing ✅ Added App Group (group.kr.it.flux.FluxDrive2) ✅ Clean Build and rebuild ✅ Verified installation in /Applications ❌ Attempted to enable Extension in System Settings (Testing Mode doesn't appear) Observations Extension is not actually loaded (FileProviderExtension.init() is never called) NSFileProviderManager.add(domain) immediately returns -2014 error Extension file is built correctly and included in the app bundle Questions Shouldn't Testing Mode allow testing of File Provider Extension? Why is the -2014 error occurring? The general com.apple.developer.fileprovider capability is not visible in Developer Portal. How can I enable it? Is it normal for Extension not to be registered in the system when using Testing Mode, or are additional settings required? Is the general File Provider capability mandatory for App Store submission? Additional Information Extension code correctly implements NSFileProviderReplicatedExtension protocol All required methods (item, enumerator, fetchContents, etc.) are implemented Network permission (com.apple.security.network.client) is configured Any help would be greatly appreciated!

File Provider Extension Testing Mode -2014 Error Issue I'm developing a macOS File Provider Extension and encountering a -2014 (Extension not registered) error when using Testing Mode only. Environment macOS: 13.0+ Xcode: Latest version Developer Account: Paid Developer Account Extension Type: NSFileProviderReplicatedExtension Current Status App ID Configuration App ID: kr.it.flux.FluxDrive2.FileProvider Capabilities: ✅ com.apple.developer.fileprovider.testing-mode (enabled) ❌ General com.apple.developer.fileprovider (not visible) Extension Configuration NSExtensionPointIdentifier: com.apple.fileprovider NSExtensionPrincipalClass: FluxDrive2FileProvider.FileProviderExtension Code Signing: Valid (Team Identifier verified) Info.plist: Valid Error Message Error Domain=NSFileProviderErrorDomain Code=-2014 The operation couldn't be completed. (NSFileProviderErrorDomain error -2014.) Underlying error: Error Domain=NSFileProviderErrorDomain Code=-2001 Extension cannot be used Attempted Solutions ✅ Verified and corrected Extension Info.plist ✅ Verified Extension code signing ✅ Added App Group (group.kr.it.flux.FluxDrive2) ✅ Clean Build and rebuild ✅ Verified installation in /Applications ❌ Attempted to enable Extension in System Settings (Testing Mode doesn't appear) Observations Extension is not actually loaded (FileProviderExtension.init() is never called) NSFileProviderManager.add(domain) immediately returns -2014 error Extension file is built correctly and included in the app bundle Questions Shouldn't Testing Mode allow testing of File Provider Extension? Why is the -2014 error occurring? The general com.apple.developer.fileprovider capability is not visible in Developer Portal. How can I enable it? Is it normal for Extension not to be registered in the system when using Testing Mode, or are additional settings required? Is the general File Provider capability mandatory for App Store submission? Additional Information Extension code correctly implements NSFileProviderReplicatedExtension protocol All required methods (item, enumerator, fetchContents, etc.) are implemented Network permission (com.apple.security.network.client) is configured Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Hello Everyone, I'm trying to add badges to files in my File Provider Extension for macOS. I'm not trying to create my own Item decorations here, but use the default Icons provided by apple (such as com.apple.icon-decoration.badge.heart , com.apple.icon-decoration.badge.pinned). I've gone through the Sample code provided by Apple for Fruit Basket. I've tried to replicate the same thing in my Extension as well but It seems I'm unable to display Icons. I'm not even getting any Error when the Icons are not being displayed, So I've been stuck for a month on this. These are the Things that I've done below: Folder Structure : FileExplorer |- FileProviderApp | |- UI.swift | |- ContentView.swift |- Extension |- extension.swift |- item.swift |- enumerator.swift |- info.plist According to the instructions given in the Documentation for Decorations here : https://developer.apple.com/documentation/fileprovider/nsfileprovideritemdecorating. The implementation was done as follows: content inside info.plist of the File provider Extension <!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd"> <plist version="1.0"> <dict> <key>NSExtension</key> <dict> <key>NSExtensionFileProviderSupportsEnumeration</key> <true/> <key>NSExtensionPointIdentifier</key> <string>com.apple.fileprovider-nonui</string> <key>NSExtensionPrincipalClass</key> <string>$(PRODUCT_MODULE_NAME).FileProviderExtension</string> <key>NSFileProviderDecorations</key> <array> <dict> <key>BadgeImageType</key> <string>com.apple.icon-decoration.badge.heart</string> <key>Category</key> <string>Badge</string> <key>Identifier</key> <string>$(PRODUCT_BUNDLE_IDENTIFIER).heart</string> <key>Label</key> <string>Heart Item</string> </dict> </array> </dict> </dict> </plist> In my extension's NSFileProviderItem I've also Implemented the protocol NSFileProviderItemDecorating. and the decoration's method as static let decorationPrefix = Bundle.main.bundleIdentifier! static let heartDecoration = NSFileProviderItemDecorationIdentifier(rawValue: "\(decorationPrefix).heart") var decorations: [NSFileProviderItemDecorationIdentifier]? { var decos = [NSFileProviderItemDecorationIdentifier]() decos.append(Item.heartDecoration) return decos } I was expecting to see badges on the File items in Finder, but i got nothing. When I modified the FruitBasket Project to do the same i was able to see badges, but not when I try to implement it in my Extension. Was I missing a step or is the issue something else ?

Hi, I am developing a NSReplicatedFileProvider extension. Part of that I am also doing a Finder Sync Extension, but I am for whatever reason unable to enable the extension. What am I missing? it is signed properly, it has the right app group. Is there anything else I nede to enable for it? When I do this: pluginkit -m | grep -i XXXFinderSync I get com.clio.XXX-Desktop.XXXFinderSync(1.0) Not that - shows up as bullet point. The hyphen signifies it is disabled.

On the macOS platform, I am planning to use the combination of NSFileProviders Custom Action and userInfo to implement custom context menus. However, the NSExtensions FileProviders Action Activation Rule in info does not work as long as it is related to userInfo. Are there any restrictions on the use of this userInfo? keepDownloaded is bool value

Currently tested, if the file provider goes offline (referring to calling disconnect) and deletes a file, the system will automatically trigger the deleteItems event after reconnecting (note that only after calling reconnect again will the current deleteItems logic be reached). However, for offline deletion, I would like to pass it directly without operating on the cloud. Can mounting disks determine which operations were performed offline during reboot

I am currently encountering a problem: during the process of uploading a large file, I have moved the file that was not successfully uploaded to the trash can. These two operations have been tested to be serial (triggering the 'create Item' callback first, followed by the 'modify Item' callback), which means that the file must be uploaded before it can be moved to the recycle bin (which can also result in the file being stored in the cloud recycle bin). I want to implement: directly interrupt this upload process and then do not complete the upload. How can I achieve this? Please help me. Thank you

I found that the enumerateItems function is only called when a directory is opened for the first time. If the same directory is opened in the future, enumerateItems will not be called again. Can you set or actively trigger the call to the enumerateItems function

I am trying to populate the Finder comment field from extendedAttributes with the code bellow but it doesn't work. Any idea why ? var extendedAttributes: [String : Data] { var attrs = [String: Data]() let comment = self.caption do { let xmlPlistData = try PropertyListSerialization.data(fromPropertyList: comment as Any, format: .xml, options: 0) attrs["com.apple.metadata:kMDItemFinderComment"] = xmlPlistData } catch { NSLog("Error during plist conversion: \(error)") } return attrs }

I'm working on a FileProvider which allows access to encrypted files in Dropbox; I can successfully read and present the decrypted files, so I know it's basically working. But I'm having problems getting FileProvider to re-enumerate a folder when its encryption status changes. When the FileProvider receives an update notification saying a folder is now encrypted, I use signalEnumerator to re-enumerate the folder: FileProviderExtension.manager?.signalEnumerator(for: existingItem.itemIdentifier, completionHandler: { (ourError : Error?) -> Void in       if let ourError = ourError {           log("notifyCallback: mount / unmount failed re-enumeration: \(ourError)")       } else {           log("notifyCallback: mount / unmount signalled re-enumeration; pending")       } }) The log reports that the re-enumeration is pending... but as far as I can tell, neither enumerateItems nor enumerateChanges is called on the folder's item unless a Finder window is actually open for that folder. This means that, when an app other than Finder tries to access the files through the filesystem, it doesn't see the updated set of filenames. (For further reference: I've added code to both enumerateItems and enumerateChanges, so that if the call has been triggered by a recent folder-encryption notification, it retrieves a complete set of items from the Dropbox folder. If a retrieved file has an encrypted filename, it reports it as a modified item and returns its filename in-clear; if the filename isn't encrypted, it doesn't return the item (for enumerateItems) or returns it as a deleted item (for enumerateChanges). This approach seems to work successfully for listing folders with a constant state; it's only if the user encrypts / decrypts a folder without currently having a Finder window open inside that folder that I'm not seeing a refresh.) Any advice on how I can force a re-enumeration without a Finder window currently being displayed?

I am developing a FileProvider extension which will be launched for one or more domains. In the case where I have two domains, say with displayNames "Foo" and "Bar", the finder will then show "MyExtension - Foo" and "MyExtension - Bar" respectively after registering them with addDomain. However, if I only have a single domain, let's say "Foo" – then I just see "MyExtension" rather than "MyExtension - Foo". Now ideally I'd like to be able to control the entire name, but barring that at least be able to show the displayName even with a single domain. How can I achieve that?

I'm trying to put a sub menu inside the context menu using the NSExtensionFileProviderActions in info.plist. Which should look like this image below I have been trying to use FPUIActionExtensionViewController for doing this task but I havent got any context menu like above. But still doing that does seem to complicate the task more. Is there a simpler way to do this task, like doing it within the info.plist so I dont have to complicate the task by creating a view controller. ?

I want to use FileProvder to implement the function of recovering from the recycle bin (the cloud recycle bin does not move, and after the local recycle bin is restored, the upload event is triggered again), but testing shows that the current recovery from the recycle bin is through the modifyItem event, and the CreateItem event is not triggered again to upload locally restored files Implement the deletion of undelivered files (dateless) without moving them to the recycle bin, which currently appears to be achieved by granting file. dash permission. But it is possible for the content of a file to be manually verified by the user. How can this be solved? How can we dynamically monitor whether a file is dataless Thank you for your reply. Could you please help answer my question