# LiveAssistanceExtension The protocol you extend to provide live assistance services. ``` @MainActor protocol LiveAssistanceExtension : AppExtension ``` ## Overview To provide interpreter, captioning, or other services that work with FaceTime calls, create a container app that uses the [`LiveAssistance`](/documentation/LiveCommunicationKit/LiveAssistance) APIs, as well as an app extension that conforms to this protocol. The extension performs most of the work involved in joining an assistance provider to a FaceTime call. When a person on a call chooses your app to provide assistance, the framework launches the extension and calls the [`prepareAssistanceRequest(_:)`](/documentation/LiveCommunicationKit/LiveAssistanceExtension/prepareAssistanceRequest(_:)) method. If your extension determines it has everything it needs — the person is signed in and has provided all needed information — it can retrieve a URL from the framework that the service provider uses to join the call. If the extension needs more information, it can return [`LiveAssistanceRequest.Response.requiresUserInput(reason:)`](/documentation/LiveCommunicationKit/LiveAssistanceRequest/Response/requiresUserInput(reason:)), which launches the container app to perform any remaining setup. When the container app is ready for the request to continue, it calls [`returnToCall(requestID:)`](/documentation/LiveCommunicationKit/LiveAssistance/returnToCall(requestID:)), which results in a call to the extension’s [`resumeRequest(_:)`](/documentation/LiveCommunicationKit/LiveAssistanceExtension/resumeRequest(_:)) method. Each invocation of your extension runs in a fresh process context. This means you can’t rely on instance state persisting across calls to [`prepareAssistanceRequest(_:)`](/documentation/LiveCommunicationKit/LiveAssistanceExtension/prepareAssistanceRequest(_:)) and [`resumeRequest(_:)`](/documentation/LiveCommunicationKit/LiveAssistanceExtension/resumeRequest(_:)), since the framework may have killed the extension and relaunched it in the interim. Instead, persist cross-invocation state in the keychain or App Group defaults. If the extension process crashes mid-invocation, the request fails immediately. The framework doesn’t re-invoke the handler in this scenario. ## Topics ### Handling a new request [`func prepareAssistanceRequest(LiveAssistanceRequest) async throws -> LiveAssistanceRequest.Response`](/documentation/LiveCommunicationKit/LiveAssistanceExtension/prepareAssistanceRequest(_:)) Prepares to handle a fresh assistance request, in response to a call from the framework. ### Resuming a request [`func resumeRequest(LiveAssistanceRequest) async throws -> LiveAssistanceRequest.Response`](/documentation/LiveCommunicationKit/LiveAssistanceExtension/resumeRequest(_:)) Resumes an assistance request, in response to a call from the framework. ### Working with supporting types [`struct LiveAssistanceRequest`](/documentation/LiveCommunicationKit/LiveAssistanceRequest) A pending interpreter request, sent from the framework to the extension. [`enum LiveAssistanceRequestError`](/documentation/LiveCommunicationKit/LiveAssistanceRequestError) An error thrown by a live assistance extension when handling a request. [`protocol LiveAssistanceExtensionConfiguration`](/documentation/LiveCommunicationKit/LiveAssistanceExtensionConfiguration) An interface type required to conform to the ExtensionFoundation framework protocols. ## Relationships ### Inherits From [`AppExtension`](/documentation/ExtensionFoundation/AppExtension) --- Copyright © 2026 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. | [Terms of Use](https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/terms/site.html) | [Privacy Policy](https://www.apple.com/privacy/privacy-policy)