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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Change default handler for tel URL scheme on macOS
My app is a VoIP softphone for Mac that allows people to make phone calls to a regular phone numbers. The app exists since before Mac App Store. The app declares itself to the system as capable of handling tel: URLs. Until now, people could change the default handler for tel URLs in FaceTime settings (Default for calls). In macOS Tahoe 26, this doesn't seem to be possible any more. That option is gone from the FaceTime settings. Is it completely gone or has it been moved somewhere else? If there is no UI control for this any more, is it possible to change it programmatically?
12
1
395
Oct ’25
Screen Time API: ApplicationToken Mismatch / Randomization in Extensions
Description: I am developing a digital well-being application using the Screen Time API (FamilyControls, ManagedSettings, and DeviceActivity). I am encountering a critical issue where the ApplicationToken provided by the system to my app extensions suddenly changes, causing a mismatch with the tokens originally stored by the main application. The Problem: When a user selects applications via FamilyActivityPicker, we persist the FamilyActivitySelection (and the underlying ApplicationToken objects) in a shared App Group container. However, we are seeing frequent cases where the token passed into: ShieldConfigurationDataSource.configuration(shielding:in:) ShieldActionDelegate.handle(action:for:completionHandler:) ...does not match (using ==) any of the tokens previously selected and stored. IOS version: 26.2.1
2
1
428
Mar ’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.
0
1
93
Jan ’26
Can't get DeviceActivityReportExtension to work
DeviceActivityReportExtension issues Hi, I am currently working on a project and hoping to use DeviceActivityReportExtension. I have already successfully set up the DeviceActivityMonitorExtension and that is working correctly, but can't get this to reproduce. I initially had a complex capacitor project which displayed a native UI screen which (tried to) display the screen time report though it was failing silently. I tried a much simpler setup with a pure swift project (not an iOS dev so forgive my poor code quality) and still having an issue getting this to render on my computer. Here is a reproduction: https://github.com/ethanmichel0/screen-time-report-bug-recreation/tree/main Does this code work for others? and if not do you know how I can set this up? idk if my Xcode or iOS versions are incompatible (see versions in that link). Would be super grateful for some help, thanks so much.
2
0
280
Jan ’26
Spotlight Importer Extension Not Triggered for Custom UTI on macOS
Hi all, I'm trying to add Spotlight support to a macOS app that handles custom virtual machine bundles with the .vpvm extension. I’ve followed the current documentation and used the modern CSImportExtension approach with a Spotlight Importer extension target. Here’s what I’ve done: App Info.plist: Declared com.makeprog.vpvm as a UTI conforming to com.apple.package. Registered it under UTExportedTypeDeclarations and CFBundleDocumentTypes. Spotlight Importer Extension: Added a new macOS target using the Spotlight Import Extension template. Set the NSExtensionPointIdentifier to com.apple.spotlight.import. Used CSSupportedContentTypes = com.makeprog.vpvm. Implemented a minimal update(_ attributes:forFileAt:) method that sets displayName, title, and contentDescription. Other steps: Verified that the .appex is embedded under Contents/PlugIns/. Confirmed it appears in mdimport -e output with correct UTI. Used mdimport -m -d2 -t /path/to/file.vpvm, but I still get: Imported '/path/to/file.vpvm' of type 'com.makeprog.vpvm' with no plugIn. The extension is never invoked. I’ve also tried: Ensuring the .vpvm file is a valid directory bundle. Restarting Spotlight / rebuilding index. Ensuring the app and extension are properly signed. Tried installing the app in test virtual machine Question: Has anyone successfully used CSImportExtension for custom UTIs? Is there something additional I need to do for the extension to be recognized and triggered? Any advice or examples would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance.
6
1
503
Oct ’25
CallKit blocked call remains Missed Calls
I’m currently developing a spam number blocking app using CallKit. I’ve confirmed that up to iOS 26 beta 5, there is a bug where number blocking doesn’t work. In my current tests, the ringtone doesn’t sound and the blocking works fine, but the call still appears in the missed calls list, which is bothersome. If the bug is fixed in future versions (as it was in previous versions), is there a way to block the number so that it also does not appear in missed calls?
4
1
168
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.
0
1
117
Jan ’26
Is there any way to control alarm volume independently when using AlarmKit?
Is there any supported or recommended way to achieve user-configurable alarm volume while still using AlarmKit? Hi there! I’m currently building an alarm app on iOS using AlarmKit, and I’m running into a fundamental limitation around volume control. When using AlarmKit, alarm sounds are played at the system ringer volume. My goal is simple in concept: Allow users to set an alarm volume inside the app, and have the alarm sound play at that volume when triggered. However, AlarmKit does not provide any API to control or override the alarm volume. I’ve explored several approaches(AVSystemController, MPVolumeView...), but none achieved the desired result. Is there any supported or recommended way to achieve user-configurable alarm volume while still using AlarmKit? Any insights from developers who’ve shipped alarm apps, or from Apple engineers, would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance 🙏
1
0
518
Jan ’26
WeatherKit fails on AppStore
Hello, After being in the AppStore for more than a year with the app working perfectly, yesterday I started seeing that WeatherKit requests failed with Failed to generate jwt token for: com.apple.weatherkit.authservice with error: Error Domain=WeatherDaemon.WDSJWTAuthenticatorServiceListener.Errors Code=2 "(null)" Encountered an error when fetching weather data subset; location=<+41.40217108,+2.20023642> +/- 0.00m (speed -1.00 mps / course -1.00) @ 13/12/25, 12:20:35 Central European Standard Time, error=WeatherDaemon.WDSJWTAuthenticatorServiceListener.Errors 2 Error Domain=WeatherDaemon.WDSJWTAuthenticatorServiceListener.Errors Code=2 "(null)" I checked on developer.apple.com and we still have everything turned on and No changes were made from an already deployed app; and we pay 200$ a month for WeatherKit, this is unacceptable since it's not the first time WeatherKit randomly decides to stop working. More fun facts: the widget works fine...
5
1
383
Jan ’26
ExtensionFoundation on iOS 26
Hi, I'm trying to add an extension to my app on iOS 26. I've followed the instructions on https://developer.apple.com/documentation/extensionfoundation/adding-support-for-app-extensions-to-your-app and made it as far as being able to launch the extension: let monitor = try await AppExtensionPoint.Monitor(appExtensionPoint: .localWebServerExtension) currentIdentity = monitor.identities.first if let currentIdentity = currentIdentity { let myConfig = AppExtensionProcess.Configuration(appExtensionIdentity: currentIdentity, onInterruption: { NSLog("extension was terminated") }) myProcess = try await AppExtensionProcess(configuration: myConfig) myConnection = try myProcess?.makeXPCConnection() } None of these calls throw, and when I examine myProcess from inside that code, it seems to be normal (there's a pid, for example). Yet the code inside my extension seems to not be executed: breakpoints are not triggered, NSLog() calls do not appear on the console. The onInterruption() callback is also not triggered, or at least it does not appear on the console either. I've probably missed something obvious, but what could it be?
4
0
194
Oct ’25
SCREEN TIME API is reporting false positives to DeviceActivityMonitor extension in iOS 26.2 & 26.3
Since the iOS 26.2 update, we have been experiencing anomalous behavior with the DeviceActivityMonitor extension when utilizing the ScreenTime API. Specifically, we are receiving the eventDidReachThreshold event within a few minutes of initiating monitoring, despite configuring a high usage limit. The process of turning off Screen Time -> restarting the device -> turning on Screen Time does not work. Any ideas? Thanks Filed Feedback Assistant: FB21560904
0
1
400
Jan ’26
How to find renamed app using old name in Spotlight?
We are planning on renaming our app. The new name is not like the current name. It will be renamed in the App Store as well as the App display name. Yet, we still want new and existing users to be able to find the app by using the old name in search/spotlight under iOS. A great example of this is entering Twitter to find the X app and it shows up in the App section in the Spotlight search. Are there any guidelines, settings, or tricks for doing this? Some have suggested adding a Spotlight search term but that will not have it show up in the App section I fear.
2
0
828
Oct ’25
How to protect endpoints used by Message Filtering Extension?
Hi, I am just wondering if there is any option to protect my endpoints that will be used by Message Filtering Extension? According to the documentation our API has 2 endpoints: /.well-known/apple-app-site-association /[endpoint setup in the ILMessageFilterExtensionNetworkURL value of the Info.plist file] that the deferQueryRequestToNetwork will request on every message Since all requests to these 2 endpoints are made by iOS itself (deferQueryRequestToNetwork), I don't understand how I can protect these endpoints on my side, like API key, or maybe mTLS. The only way that I found is white list for Apple IP range. Is there other methods for it?
1
0
191
Oct ’25
Screen Time issues after transferring App developer account ownership
After transferring the App ownership to a different account, if you update the app on iOS, two identical apps will show up in Settings > Screen Time. Users can't control the blocking settings from before the update - the only fix is to restart the phone. After the next execution of manageStore.shield.applications, users still can't manually disable the restrictions - their only option is to uninstall and reinstall the app. I believe this is related to how Screen Time API's authentication works - it's not just tied to the app's bundle ID, but also linked to the developer account's organization ID. Any suggestions for a clean solution that would allow smooth app updates after the transfer without running into these issues?
3
1
634
Jan ’26
How to test Declared Age Range functionality
How can experimentation and testing calling the AgeRangeService.shared.requestAgeRange() functionality be recreated easily? The very first time I ran this the OS popped up a dialog, however it won't do so again, even after the app is deleted and the device re-started. If one navigates to Settings/User/Personal Information/Age Range for Apps/Apps that have requested your age range appear here. Then the names of apps appear here even after the app has been deleted. Therefore how can it be removed from this section? Erasing and resetting the phone will presumably reset things back to a state such that the dialog can be presented again. But doing that and having to wait for that to complete each development or test run is impractical. Is there an alternative?
1
1
260
Oct ’25
Change default handler for tel URL scheme on macOS
My app is a VoIP softphone for Mac that allows people to make phone calls to a regular phone numbers. The app exists since before Mac App Store. The app declares itself to the system as capable of handling tel: URLs. Until now, people could change the default handler for tel URLs in FaceTime settings (Default for calls). In macOS Tahoe 26, this doesn't seem to be possible any more. That option is gone from the FaceTime settings. Is it completely gone or has it been moved somewhere else? If there is no UI control for this any more, is it possible to change it programmatically?
Replies
12
Boosts
1
Views
395
Activity
Oct ’25
Screen Time API: ApplicationToken Mismatch / Randomization in Extensions
Description: I am developing a digital well-being application using the Screen Time API (FamilyControls, ManagedSettings, and DeviceActivity). I am encountering a critical issue where the ApplicationToken provided by the system to my app extensions suddenly changes, causing a mismatch with the tokens originally stored by the main application. The Problem: When a user selects applications via FamilyActivityPicker, we persist the FamilyActivitySelection (and the underlying ApplicationToken objects) in a shared App Group container. However, we are seeing frequent cases where the token passed into: ShieldConfigurationDataSource.configuration(shielding:in:) ShieldActionDelegate.handle(action:for:completionHandler:) ...does not match (using ==) any of the tokens previously selected and stored. IOS version: 26.2.1
Replies
2
Boosts
1
Views
428
Activity
Mar ’26
Report JetsamEvent kill app event to MetricKit
App out of memory and killed by Jetsam event seems not report to MetricKit diagnostic, it only contains crash or watch dog kill (scene create or scene update). So I want to ask to report these issues to MetricKit
Replies
3
Boosts
0
Views
260
Activity
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.
Replies
0
Boosts
1
Views
93
Activity
Jan ’26
Can't get DeviceActivityReportExtension to work
DeviceActivityReportExtension issues Hi, I am currently working on a project and hoping to use DeviceActivityReportExtension. I have already successfully set up the DeviceActivityMonitorExtension and that is working correctly, but can't get this to reproduce. I initially had a complex capacitor project which displayed a native UI screen which (tried to) display the screen time report though it was failing silently. I tried a much simpler setup with a pure swift project (not an iOS dev so forgive my poor code quality) and still having an issue getting this to render on my computer. Here is a reproduction: https://github.com/ethanmichel0/screen-time-report-bug-recreation/tree/main Does this code work for others? and if not do you know how I can set this up? idk if my Xcode or iOS versions are incompatible (see versions in that link). Would be super grateful for some help, thanks so much.
Replies
2
Boosts
0
Views
280
Activity
Jan ’26
Will RCS messages be filterable by a message filter extension?
A message filter extension is only forwarded SMSs by the OS for filtering, iMessages aren't. But what is the situation with RCS messages? Will they be filterable by a message filtering extension?
Replies
5
Boosts
1
Views
805
Activity
May ’25
How to link from shield
Hello, How do apps like App Lock implement app-opening from a shield? Is this supported for 3rd-party apps or limited to partners? https://apps.apple.com/us/app/app-lock/id6448239603
Replies
1
Boosts
1
Views
94
Activity
Jun ’25
Spotlight Importer Extension Not Triggered for Custom UTI on macOS
Hi all, I'm trying to add Spotlight support to a macOS app that handles custom virtual machine bundles with the .vpvm extension. I’ve followed the current documentation and used the modern CSImportExtension approach with a Spotlight Importer extension target. Here’s what I’ve done: App Info.plist: Declared com.makeprog.vpvm as a UTI conforming to com.apple.package. Registered it under UTExportedTypeDeclarations and CFBundleDocumentTypes. Spotlight Importer Extension: Added a new macOS target using the Spotlight Import Extension template. Set the NSExtensionPointIdentifier to com.apple.spotlight.import. Used CSSupportedContentTypes = com.makeprog.vpvm. Implemented a minimal update(_ attributes:forFileAt:) method that sets displayName, title, and contentDescription. Other steps: Verified that the .appex is embedded under Contents/PlugIns/. Confirmed it appears in mdimport -e output with correct UTI. Used mdimport -m -d2 -t /path/to/file.vpvm, but I still get: Imported '/path/to/file.vpvm' of type 'com.makeprog.vpvm' with no plugIn. The extension is never invoked. I’ve also tried: Ensuring the .vpvm file is a valid directory bundle. Restarting Spotlight / rebuilding index. Ensuring the app and extension are properly signed. Tried installing the app in test virtual machine Question: Has anyone successfully used CSImportExtension for custom UTIs? Is there something additional I need to do for the extension to be recognized and triggered? Any advice or examples would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance.
Replies
6
Boosts
1
Views
503
Activity
Oct ’25
CallKit blocked call remains Missed Calls
I’m currently developing a spam number blocking app using CallKit. I’ve confirmed that up to iOS 26 beta 5, there is a bug where number blocking doesn’t work. In my current tests, the ringtone doesn’t sound and the blocking works fine, but the call still appears in the missed calls list, which is bothersome. If the bug is fixed in future versions (as it was in previous versions), is there a way to block the number so that it also does not appear in missed calls?
Replies
4
Boosts
1
Views
168
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.
Replies
0
Boosts
1
Views
117
Activity
Jan ’26
Do we need to request family controls (distribution) for each extension
Hi, I got family controls (distribution) approved for my main app and assumed this would carry over to my extensions but it did not. Do I need to re-request for other the deviceactivitymonitorextension and deviceactivityreportextension?
Replies
2
Boosts
0
Views
235
Activity
Jan ’26
Is there any way to control alarm volume independently when using AlarmKit?
Is there any supported or recommended way to achieve user-configurable alarm volume while still using AlarmKit? Hi there! I’m currently building an alarm app on iOS using AlarmKit, and I’m running into a fundamental limitation around volume control. When using AlarmKit, alarm sounds are played at the system ringer volume. My goal is simple in concept: Allow users to set an alarm volume inside the app, and have the alarm sound play at that volume when triggered. However, AlarmKit does not provide any API to control or override the alarm volume. I’ve explored several approaches(AVSystemController, MPVolumeView...), but none achieved the desired result. Is there any supported or recommended way to achieve user-configurable alarm volume while still using AlarmKit? Any insights from developers who’ve shipped alarm apps, or from Apple engineers, would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance 🙏
Replies
1
Boosts
0
Views
518
Activity
Jan ’26
WeatherKit fails on AppStore
Hello, After being in the AppStore for more than a year with the app working perfectly, yesterday I started seeing that WeatherKit requests failed with Failed to generate jwt token for: com.apple.weatherkit.authservice with error: Error Domain=WeatherDaemon.WDSJWTAuthenticatorServiceListener.Errors Code=2 "(null)" Encountered an error when fetching weather data subset; location=<+41.40217108,+2.20023642> +/- 0.00m (speed -1.00 mps / course -1.00) @ 13/12/25, 12:20:35 Central European Standard Time, error=WeatherDaemon.WDSJWTAuthenticatorServiceListener.Errors 2 Error Domain=WeatherDaemon.WDSJWTAuthenticatorServiceListener.Errors Code=2 "(null)" I checked on developer.apple.com and we still have everything turned on and No changes were made from an already deployed app; and we pay 200$ a month for WeatherKit, this is unacceptable since it's not the first time WeatherKit randomly decides to stop working. More fun facts: the widget works fine...
Replies
5
Boosts
1
Views
383
Activity
Jan ’26
ExtensionFoundation on iOS 26
Hi, I'm trying to add an extension to my app on iOS 26. I've followed the instructions on https://developer.apple.com/documentation/extensionfoundation/adding-support-for-app-extensions-to-your-app and made it as far as being able to launch the extension: let monitor = try await AppExtensionPoint.Monitor(appExtensionPoint: .localWebServerExtension) currentIdentity = monitor.identities.first if let currentIdentity = currentIdentity { let myConfig = AppExtensionProcess.Configuration(appExtensionIdentity: currentIdentity, onInterruption: { NSLog("extension was terminated") }) myProcess = try await AppExtensionProcess(configuration: myConfig) myConnection = try myProcess?.makeXPCConnection() } None of these calls throw, and when I examine myProcess from inside that code, it seems to be normal (there's a pid, for example). Yet the code inside my extension seems to not be executed: breakpoints are not triggered, NSLog() calls do not appear on the console. The onInterruption() callback is also not triggered, or at least it does not appear on the console either. I've probably missed something obvious, but what could it be?
Replies
4
Boosts
0
Views
194
Activity
Oct ’25
SCREEN TIME API is reporting false positives to DeviceActivityMonitor extension in iOS 26.2 & 26.3
Since the iOS 26.2 update, we have been experiencing anomalous behavior with the DeviceActivityMonitor extension when utilizing the ScreenTime API. Specifically, we are receiving the eventDidReachThreshold event within a few minutes of initiating monitoring, despite configuring a high usage limit. The process of turning off Screen Time -> restarting the device -> turning on Screen Time does not work. Any ideas? Thanks Filed Feedback Assistant: FB21560904
Replies
0
Boosts
1
Views
400
Activity
Jan ’26
How to find renamed app using old name in Spotlight?
We are planning on renaming our app. The new name is not like the current name. It will be renamed in the App Store as well as the App display name. Yet, we still want new and existing users to be able to find the app by using the old name in search/spotlight under iOS. A great example of this is entering Twitter to find the X app and it shows up in the App section in the Spotlight search. Are there any guidelines, settings, or tricks for doing this? Some have suggested adding a Spotlight search term but that will not have it show up in the App section I fear.
Replies
2
Boosts
0
Views
828
Activity
Oct ’25
How to protect endpoints used by Message Filtering Extension?
Hi, I am just wondering if there is any option to protect my endpoints that will be used by Message Filtering Extension? According to the documentation our API has 2 endpoints: /.well-known/apple-app-site-association /[endpoint setup in the ILMessageFilterExtensionNetworkURL value of the Info.plist file] that the deferQueryRequestToNetwork will request on every message Since all requests to these 2 endpoints are made by iOS itself (deferQueryRequestToNetwork), I don't understand how I can protect these endpoints on my side, like API key, or maybe mTLS. The only way that I found is white list for Apple IP range. Is there other methods for it?
Replies
1
Boosts
0
Views
191
Activity
Oct ’25
Family Controls Entitlement - Typical Review Timeline?
Hi, Submitted Family Controls entitlement requests yesterday for a digital wellness app (main app + 3 extensions). For those who've been through this: How long did approval take? Did Apple ask for more info? Any tips? Thanks!
Replies
3
Boosts
0
Views
273
Activity
Jan ’26
Screen Time issues after transferring App developer account ownership
After transferring the App ownership to a different account, if you update the app on iOS, two identical apps will show up in Settings > Screen Time. Users can't control the blocking settings from before the update - the only fix is to restart the phone. After the next execution of manageStore.shield.applications, users still can't manually disable the restrictions - their only option is to uninstall and reinstall the app. I believe this is related to how Screen Time API's authentication works - it's not just tied to the app's bundle ID, but also linked to the developer account's organization ID. Any suggestions for a clean solution that would allow smooth app updates after the transfer without running into these issues?
Replies
3
Boosts
1
Views
634
Activity
Jan ’26
How to test Declared Age Range functionality
How can experimentation and testing calling the AgeRangeService.shared.requestAgeRange() functionality be recreated easily? The very first time I ran this the OS popped up a dialog, however it won't do so again, even after the app is deleted and the device re-started. If one navigates to Settings/User/Personal Information/Age Range for Apps/Apps that have requested your age range appear here. Then the names of apps appear here even after the app has been deleted. Therefore how can it be removed from this section? Erasing and resetting the phone will presumably reset things back to a state such that the dialog can be presented again. But doing that and having to wait for that to complete each development or test run is impractical. Is there an alternative?
Replies
1
Boosts
1
Views
260
Activity
Oct ’25