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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How do I launch the Outlook Mail app from my development app?
I want to start the mail application from the development application, but the mail application made by Apple starts. It doesn't work even if I change the default email application to Outlook. When you delete the Apple Mail app, Outlook starts. I want to automatically attach the generated pdf file to the email, but that doesn't work either. Please tell me how to code.
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0
107
Sep ’25
FamilyControls on Mac Catalyst — can’t authorize due to sandbox; does this make ManagedSettings/DeviceActivity unusable?
Hi DTS / Apple engineers, We’re attempting to extending our screen time app target to Mac Catalyst. On iOS, FamilyControls works as expected (AuthorizationCenter + FamilyActivityPicker, then ManagedSettings shields + DeviceActivity monitoring/reporting). On Mac Catalyst: The project builds with FamilyControls/DeviceActivity/ManagedSettings capabilities enabled. But attempting to request FamilyControls authorization (or present FamilyActivityPicker) fails at runtime. We see errors similar to: Failed to get service proxy: The connection to service named com.apple.FamilyControlsAgent was invalidated: failed at lookup with error 159 - Sandbox restriction. And our app stays authorizationStatus == .notDetermined, with the request failing. We saw an Apple engineer suggestion to “disable App Sandbox”, but Mac Catalyst apps appear to always be sandboxed, so we can’t disable it. Questions: Is FamilyControls authorization supported on Mac Catalyst today? If so, what entitlement/capability is required specifically for Catalyst/macOS? If FamilyControls auth cannot succeed on Catalyst, does that mean ManagedSettings shields and DeviceActivity monitoring/reporting are effectively unusable on Catalyst (since they depend on that authorization)? Is there an Apple‑recommended approach for a Catalyst “portal” app that mirrors an iOS child device’s restrictions, or is local enforcement on Catalyst intentionally unsupported? Any guidance (and any official docs that clarify current platform support) would be hugely appreciated.
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0
131
Feb ’26
FamilyActivityPicker: manage own device AND children device
Hello, I am unable to figure out how I tell the FamilyActivityPicker whether it should show apps installed on my personal device (to be used with AuthorizationCenter.shared.requestAuthorization(for: .individual)) or apps installed on my child’s device (authenticated their phone via AuthorizationCenter.shared.requestAuthorization(for: .child)). Is there any parameter or SwiftUI modifier I need to apply? Otherwise, how does the user or the app know which token belongs to them and which token belongs to their child’s device? Radar: FB17020977 Thanks a lot for your help!
0
0
128
Mar ’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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50
Jan ’26
Live Caller ID Lookup: does iOS call /queries even when the number is in Contacts?
Hi! We’ve had Live Caller ID Lookup in production for a while. We’re seeing backend RPS on our /queries endpoint much higher than our expected incoming call volume. While testing with Console.app during an incoming call, it looks like iOS may still hit our service even when the caller number is already in the user’s Contacts - but I’m not 100% sure from logs alone. Can you confirm: Does iOS invoke Live Caller ID Lookup (i.e. call /queries) for every incoming call, including calls from saved Contacts? If yes, is this simply expected framework behavior? Thanks!
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0
84
2w
SensorKit - didFetchResult never get called.
We tried to fetch the recorded PPG data using SensorKit with the following code, however the didFetchResult callback method is never called. let ppgReader = SRSensorReader(sensor: .photoplethysmogram) let request = SRFetchRequest() let nowDate = Date() let toDate = nowDate.addingTimeInterval(-25 * 60 * 60) let fromDate = toDate.addingTimeInterval(-24 * 60 * 60) request.from = SRAbsoluteTime.fromCFAbsoluteTime(_cf: fromDate.timeIntervalSinceReferenceDate) request.to = SRAbsoluteTime.fromCFAbsoluteTime(_cf: toDate.timeIntervalSinceReferenceDate) ppgReader.delegate = self; ppgReader.fetch(request) The delegate called the didComplete successfully: func sensorReader(_ reader: SRSensorReader, didCompleteFetch fetchRequest: SRFetchRequest) But never called the didFetchResult func sensorReader(_ reader: SRSensorReader, fetching fetchRequest: SRFetchRequest, didFetchResult result: SRFetchResult<AnyObject>) -> Bool Any ideas why ? (I am wearing the watch for couple days and ensure it has the data for the time period I am querying) One thing I notice is when Apple granted us the entitlement, it uses Uppercase for ECG and PPG, however the document use Lowercases in the plist https://developer.apple.com/documentation/sensorkit/srsensor/photoplethysmogram Dose it matter ?
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161
Jan ’26
User-initiated sharing of Screen Time metrics (FamilyControls / DeviceActivity)
Hi, We’re building an iOS app that uses the Screen Time APIs (FamilyControls and DeviceActivity) to display a user’s own usage metrics inside the app. With the appropriate permissions granted, we are successfully reading and presenting metrics such as: Total screen time Device pickups These metrics are already visible to the user inside our app. We would now like to introduce a user-initiated “Share” feature. The idea is to: Render selected Screen Time metrics into a shareable image card generated locally on device. Present the standard iOS share sheet (UIActivityViewController). Allow the user to share that image to Messages, social apps, etc., if they choose. Important clarifications: This is fully user-initiated. The app does not automatically transmit Screen Time data. The metrics are already displayed in-app with user permission. The share asset would be generated locally. No background export or server-side posting would occur unless explicitly triggered by the user via the share sheet. We are seeking clarification on whether there are any policy or API restrictions around: Rendering Screen Time-derived metrics into a user-facing share card Allowing user-initiated export of those metrics via the standard iOS share flow Are there any additional privacy requirements, entitlement constraints, or App Review considerations we should be aware of when implementing this? Thanks in advance for any guidance.
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92
3w
Our customer's events on calendar are disappeared
Our app provides a calendar that integrates with the default calendar app. Specifically, we use iOS EventKit to perform CRUD operations on calendar data. Recently, we have received reports from users that all of their events have disappeared. However, after reviewing our implementation and logs, we have not been able to identify the cause. Some users have also reported that all data in their default calendar app has disappeared as well. Does anyone have any idea what might be causing this? To delete an event within our app, users must press the delete button and then confirm the deletion in a dialog. Additionally, it is not possible to delete more than two events at once. We've seen many people in the community discussing a bug where calendar events disappear after updating to iOS 18. If you have any information about when or why this happens, we'd appreciate it if you could share your insights.
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3
263
Jul ’25
Timer app which works in background mode
I am developing multi timer app which works in background mode. at first, I could go multi timer in background mode using background mode 'audio' which uses slient wav file. However, app has rejected background mode 'audio' should not use which not for audio app. I want to know how to develop timer app which works in background mode in ios platform. native ios timer that let us alarmed time. so I want develop that kind of app Sincerely,
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54
Aug ’25
[iOS 26] [PushToTalk] Not receiving microphone PCM sample when Transmission Starts from System UI.
Steps To reproduce: Login to application and App has joined the PTC channel. Push the application to background and Lock the device. From the System UI press the talk button which will start transmit. Audio Session has been activated and Audio unit has been initialised properly. On terminator side no media is being played out. Issue observed consistently on specific models which has configured audio codec with Stereo type. More details are added : FB20281626
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364
Oct ’25
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!
0
0
108
Aug ’25
old icon is displayed in some places after updating the app
I changed the AppIcon in Images.xcassets,and distribute a new version on appstore;The icon have changed on the desktop, but elsewhere, such as when switching between apps, the top left corner shows the old version of the icon.When I restart my phone,the top left corner show the new version of the icon;My phone is iPhone 13 Pro Max,iOS 18.4.1;Is there other ways to resolve the problem without restart the phone?
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63
Dec ’25
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.
0
0
242
Sep ’25
How do I launch the Outlook Mail app from my development app?
I want to start the mail application from the development application, but the mail application made by Apple starts. It doesn't work even if I change the default email application to Outlook. When you delete the Apple Mail app, Outlook starts. I want to automatically attach the generated pdf file to the email, but that doesn't work either. Please tell me how to code.
Replies
0
Boosts
0
Views
107
Activity
Sep ’25
FamilyControls on Mac Catalyst — can’t authorize due to sandbox; does this make ManagedSettings/DeviceActivity unusable?
Hi DTS / Apple engineers, We’re attempting to extending our screen time app target to Mac Catalyst. On iOS, FamilyControls works as expected (AuthorizationCenter + FamilyActivityPicker, then ManagedSettings shields + DeviceActivity monitoring/reporting). On Mac Catalyst: The project builds with FamilyControls/DeviceActivity/ManagedSettings capabilities enabled. But attempting to request FamilyControls authorization (or present FamilyActivityPicker) fails at runtime. We see errors similar to: Failed to get service proxy: The connection to service named com.apple.FamilyControlsAgent was invalidated: failed at lookup with error 159 - Sandbox restriction. And our app stays authorizationStatus == .notDetermined, with the request failing. We saw an Apple engineer suggestion to “disable App Sandbox”, but Mac Catalyst apps appear to always be sandboxed, so we can’t disable it. Questions: Is FamilyControls authorization supported on Mac Catalyst today? If so, what entitlement/capability is required specifically for Catalyst/macOS? If FamilyControls auth cannot succeed on Catalyst, does that mean ManagedSettings shields and DeviceActivity monitoring/reporting are effectively unusable on Catalyst (since they depend on that authorization)? Is there an Apple‑recommended approach for a Catalyst “portal” app that mirrors an iOS child device’s restrictions, or is local enforcement on Catalyst intentionally unsupported? Any guidance (and any official docs that clarify current platform support) would be hugely appreciated.
Replies
0
Boosts
0
Views
131
Activity
Feb ’26
FamilyActivityPicker: manage own device AND children device
Hello, I am unable to figure out how I tell the FamilyActivityPicker whether it should show apps installed on my personal device (to be used with AuthorizationCenter.shared.requestAuthorization(for: .individual)) or apps installed on my child’s device (authenticated their phone via AuthorizationCenter.shared.requestAuthorization(for: .child)). Is there any parameter or SwiftUI modifier I need to apply? Otherwise, how does the user or the app know which token belongs to them and which token belongs to their child’s device? Radar: FB17020977 Thanks a lot for your help!
Replies
0
Boosts
0
Views
128
Activity
Mar ’25
How can we revoke sharing to an app after shared the age range(Not for family account)
I found currently there is no way to revoke sharing age to an app after I shared to it, no matter in testing or in app settings
Replies
0
Boosts
0
Views
100
Activity
Jan ’26
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.
Replies
0
Boosts
0
Views
50
Activity
Jan ’26
Live Caller ID Lookup: does iOS call /queries even when the number is in Contacts?
Hi! We’ve had Live Caller ID Lookup in production for a while. We’re seeing backend RPS on our /queries endpoint much higher than our expected incoming call volume. While testing with Console.app during an incoming call, it looks like iOS may still hit our service even when the caller number is already in the user’s Contacts - but I’m not 100% sure from logs alone. Can you confirm: Does iOS invoke Live Caller ID Lookup (i.e. call /queries) for every incoming call, including calls from saved Contacts? If yes, is this simply expected framework behavior? Thanks!
Replies
0
Boosts
0
Views
84
Activity
2w
SensorKit - didFetchResult never get called.
We tried to fetch the recorded PPG data using SensorKit with the following code, however the didFetchResult callback method is never called. let ppgReader = SRSensorReader(sensor: .photoplethysmogram) let request = SRFetchRequest() let nowDate = Date() let toDate = nowDate.addingTimeInterval(-25 * 60 * 60) let fromDate = toDate.addingTimeInterval(-24 * 60 * 60) request.from = SRAbsoluteTime.fromCFAbsoluteTime(_cf: fromDate.timeIntervalSinceReferenceDate) request.to = SRAbsoluteTime.fromCFAbsoluteTime(_cf: toDate.timeIntervalSinceReferenceDate) ppgReader.delegate = self; ppgReader.fetch(request) The delegate called the didComplete successfully: func sensorReader(_ reader: SRSensorReader, didCompleteFetch fetchRequest: SRFetchRequest) But never called the didFetchResult func sensorReader(_ reader: SRSensorReader, fetching fetchRequest: SRFetchRequest, didFetchResult result: SRFetchResult<AnyObject>) -> Bool Any ideas why ? (I am wearing the watch for couple days and ensure it has the data for the time period I am querying) One thing I notice is when Apple granted us the entitlement, it uses Uppercase for ECG and PPG, however the document use Lowercases in the plist https://developer.apple.com/documentation/sensorkit/srsensor/photoplethysmogram Dose it matter ?
Replies
0
Boosts
0
Views
161
Activity
Jan ’26
User-initiated sharing of Screen Time metrics (FamilyControls / DeviceActivity)
Hi, We’re building an iOS app that uses the Screen Time APIs (FamilyControls and DeviceActivity) to display a user’s own usage metrics inside the app. With the appropriate permissions granted, we are successfully reading and presenting metrics such as: Total screen time Device pickups These metrics are already visible to the user inside our app. We would now like to introduce a user-initiated “Share” feature. The idea is to: Render selected Screen Time metrics into a shareable image card generated locally on device. Present the standard iOS share sheet (UIActivityViewController). Allow the user to share that image to Messages, social apps, etc., if they choose. Important clarifications: This is fully user-initiated. The app does not automatically transmit Screen Time data. The metrics are already displayed in-app with user permission. The share asset would be generated locally. No background export or server-side posting would occur unless explicitly triggered by the user via the share sheet. We are seeking clarification on whether there are any policy or API restrictions around: Rendering Screen Time-derived metrics into a user-facing share card Allowing user-initiated export of those metrics via the standard iOS share flow Are there any additional privacy requirements, entitlement constraints, or App Review considerations we should be aware of when implementing this? Thanks in advance for any guidance.
Replies
0
Boosts
0
Views
92
Activity
3w
Our customer's events on calendar are disappeared
Our app provides a calendar that integrates with the default calendar app. Specifically, we use iOS EventKit to perform CRUD operations on calendar data. Recently, we have received reports from users that all of their events have disappeared. However, after reviewing our implementation and logs, we have not been able to identify the cause. Some users have also reported that all data in their default calendar app has disappeared as well. Does anyone have any idea what might be causing this? To delete an event within our app, users must press the delete button and then confirm the deletion in a dialog. Additionally, it is not possible to delete more than two events at once. We've seen many people in the community discussing a bug where calendar events disappear after updating to iOS 18. If you have any information about when or why this happens, we'd appreciate it if you could share your insights.
Replies
0
Boosts
3
Views
263
Activity
Jul ’25
Cannot access to screentime database to show in UI
I am getting this error when I try to show device activity report view by this DeviceActivityReport(appsContext, filter: filter) Attempt to map database failed: permission was denied. This attempt will not be retried. I have taken access by this way. AuthorizationCenter.shared.requestAuthorization(for: .individual)
Replies
0
Boosts
0
Views
342
Activity
Jan ’26
The math formula can’t be displayed normally
At present, all my apps cannot display normally
Replies
0
Boosts
0
Views
39
Activity
Jun ’25
Timer app which works in background mode
I am developing multi timer app which works in background mode. at first, I could go multi timer in background mode using background mode 'audio' which uses slient wav file. However, app has rejected background mode 'audio' should not use which not for audio app. I want to know how to develop timer app which works in background mode in ios platform. native ios timer that let us alarmed time. so I want develop that kind of app Sincerely,
Replies
0
Boosts
0
Views
54
Activity
Aug ’25
[iOS 26] [PushToTalk] Not receiving microphone PCM sample when Transmission Starts from System UI.
Steps To reproduce: Login to application and App has joined the PTC channel. Push the application to background and Lock the device. From the System UI press the talk button which will start transmit. Audio Session has been activated and Audio unit has been initialised properly. On terminator side no media is being played out. Issue observed consistently on specific models which has configured audio codec with Stereo type. More details are added : FB20281626
Replies
0
Boosts
0
Views
364
Activity
Oct ’25
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!
Replies
0
Boosts
0
Views
108
Activity
Aug ’25
API usage keeps increasing even after revoking a WeatherKit key
We are operating an application that uses WeatherKit. Despite revoking a specific WeatherKit key on the Apple Developer website, the number of API calls associated with that key continues to increase. We are looking for a way to completely disable this particular key. Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Replies
0
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0
Views
41
Activity
2w
WeatherKit Acknowledgement in App
Hi, My app is going to consist of 2-3 pages of weather data. Do I have to add the Apple Weather logo to each page, or just the main one? Thanks, Dan Uff
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0
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0
Views
103
Activity
Jun ’25
Message filter extension does not run for postpaid numbers
If I run an app with a message filter extension, it's triggered for all the prepaid unknown numbers and its not triggered for all the unknown postpaid numbers. Any idea, how to trigger for postpaid unknown numbers?.
Replies
0
Boosts
0
Views
72
Activity
Mar ’25
old icon is displayed in some places after updating the app
I changed the AppIcon in Images.xcassets,and distribute a new version on appstore;The icon have changed on the desktop, but elsewhere, such as when switching between apps, the top left corner shows the old version of the icon.When I restart my phone,the top left corner show the new version of the icon;My phone is iPhone 13 Pro Max,iOS 18.4.1;Is there other ways to resolve the problem without restart the phone?
Replies
0
Boosts
0
Views
63
Activity
Dec ’25
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.
Replies
0
Boosts
0
Views
242
Activity
Sep ’25
Clarification for Live Caller ID Lookup Example
Hello, I'm working on implementing Live Caller ID Lookup, but I noticed that https://github.com/apple/live-caller-id-lookup-example redirects to https://github.com/apple/pir-service-example. Could you please clarify why this redirection occurs?
Replies
0
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0
Views
73
Activity
Jul ’25