Hello, I'm currently experiencing an issue with the DeviceActivityMonitor extension in my code, specifically with the eventDidReachThreshold callback. I'm hoping to get some insights into why this problem occurs and how to resolve it. Problem: Issue 1: The eventDidReachThreshold callback is not triggering as expected. It appears that the callback is not being invoked when the threshold is reached. Issue 2: After a few seconds, the eventDidReachThreshold callback starts to trigger multiple times. This unexpected behavior is causing problems in my code, as it results in incorrect actions being taken. iOS version: iOS16.7.2 and iOS17.1 Xcode version: 15.0.1 Swift version: 5.9 Here is my code to start the monitoring: func startMonitoring() { var startTime : DateComponents = DateComponents(hour: 0, minute: 0) let endTime : DateComponents = DateComponents(hour: 23, minute: 59) /// Creates the schedule for the activity, specifying the start and end times, and setting it to repeat. let schedule = DeviceActivitySchedule(intervalStart: startTime, intervalEnd: endTime, repeats: true, warningTime: nil) /// Defines the event that should trigger the encouragement. let event = DeviceActivityEvent(applications: socialActivitySelection.applicationTokens, categories: socialActivitySelection.categoryTokens, webDomains: socialActivitySelection.webDomainTokens, threshold: DateComponents(minute: 2)) let events: [DeviceActivityEvent.Name: DeviceActivityEvent] = [.socialScreenTimeEvent : event] do { activityCenter.stopMonitoring([.socialScreenTime]) /// Tries to start monitoring the activity using the specified schedule and events. try activityCenter.startMonitoring(.socialScreenTime, during: schedule, events: events) } catch { /// Prints an error message if the activity could not be started. print("Could not start monitoring: \(error)") } } If there are any known workarounds or potential solutions, please share them. Thank you for your help in resolving this problem.

Hello everyone, I’m working on an iOS app that uses the new DeviceActivity framework to monitor and report user screen‐time in an extension (DeviceActivityReportExtension). I need to persist my processed screen‐time data into a standalone SQLite database inside the extension, but I’m running into issues opening and writing to the database file. Here’s what I’ve tried so far: import UIKit import DeviceActivity import SQLite3 class DeviceActivityReportExtension: DeviceActivityReportExtension { private var db: OpaquePointer? override func didReceive(_ report: DeviceActivityReport) async { // 1. Construct path in app container: let containerURL = FileManager.default.containerURL(forSecurityApplicationGroupIdentifier: "group.com.mycompany.myapp") let dbURL = containerURL?.appendingPathComponent("ScreenTimeReports.db") // 2. Open database: if sqlite3_open(dbURL?.path, &db) != SQLITE_OK { print("❌ Unable to open database at \(dbURL?.path ?? "unknown path")") return } defer { sqlite3_close(db) } // 3. Create table if needed: let createSQL = """ CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS reports ( id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY AUTOINCREMENT, date TEXT, totalScreenTime DOUBLE ); """ if sqlite3_exec(db, createSQL, nil, nil, nil) != SQLITE_OK { print("❌ Could not create table: \(String(cString: sqlite3_errmsg(db)))") return } // 4. Insert data: let insertSQL = "INSERT INTO reports (date, totalScreenTime) VALUES (?, ?);" var stmt: OpaquePointer? if sqlite3_prepare_v2(db, insertSQL, -1, &stmt, nil) == SQLITE_OK { sqlite3_bind_text(stmt, 1, report.date.description, -1, nil) sqlite3_bind_double(stmt, 2, report.totalActivityDuration) if sqlite3_step(stmt) != SQLITE_DONE { print("❌ Insert failed: \(String(cString: sqlite3_errmsg(db)))") } } sqlite3_finalize(stmt) } } However: Path issues: The extension’s sandbox is separate from the app’s. I’m not sure if I can use the same App Group container, or if there’s a better location for an on‐extension database. Entitlements: I’ve added the App Group (group.com.mycompany.myapp) to both the main app and the extension, but the file never appears, and I still get “unable to open database” errors. My questions are: How do I correctly construct a file URL for an SQLite file in a DeviceActivityReportExtension? Is SQLite the recommended approach here, or is there a more “Apple-approved” pattern for writing data from a DeviceActivity extension? Any sample code snippets, pointers to relevant Apple documentation, or alternative approaches would be greatly appreciated!

For an iOS app that runs in both child and parent mode across iOS devices. On the child device, with Family Controls enabled using .child permissions via AuthorizationCenter.requestAuthorization(for: .child). Is any way to display a list of recently used apps by the child on the parent (guardian) device, in a privacy-preserving and Apple-compliant way?

Hi everyone, I’m experimenting with the new ScreenTime DeviceActivityReport view in SwiftUI (iOS 17 / Xcode 15). My goal is to show the report inside a Button (or, more generally, capture any tap on it) so that I can push a detail screen when the user selects it. Here’s the minimal code that reproduces the issue: import FamilyControls import DeviceActivity import SwiftUI struct ScreenTimeView: View { let center = AuthorizationCenter.shared @State private var context: DeviceActivityReport.Context = .init(rawValue: "Total Activity") @State private var filter = DeviceActivityFilter( segment: .hourly( during: Calendar.current.dateInterval(of: .day, for: .now)! ), users: .all, devices: .init([.iPhone, .iPad]) ) var body: some View { ZStack { DeviceActivityReport(context, filter: filter) } .onAppear { Task { do { try await center.requestAuthorization(for: .individual) } catch { print("Authorization failed:", error) } } } } } struct ContentView: View { var body: some View { ScrollViewReader { _ in ScrollView(showsIndicators: false) { VStack { Button { print("BUTTON TAPPED") // ← never fires } label: { ScreenTimeView() .frame(height: UIScreen.main.bounds.height * 1.4) } } } } } } ** What happens** DeviceActivityReport renders correctly with hourly bars. Tapping anywhere inside the Button does not trigger print("BUTTON TAPPED"). I’ve tried replacing Button with .onTapGesture, adding .contentShape(Rectangle()), and .allowsHitTesting(true), but nothing registers. What I’ve checked Authorisation succeeds—calling code in .onAppear prints no errors. Removing DeviceActivityReport and replacing it with a plain Rectangle() lets the tap gesture fire, so the issue seems specific to DeviceActivityReport.

Hello! I am a relatively new Apple developer and am almost done with my first app. I am implementing the Screen Time API to my app because the app is designed to help the user digitally detox and I am trying to make it so the user can select which apps they would like to monitor from a list of their apps on their phone so I am using the family activity picker but I just can't extract the data needed to track the apps. I am wondering how to do this. Thank you!

Hello, I am trying to display basic screen time data on my main screen. On the initial load of the screen, the DeviceActivityReport renders correctly and visible, but after being in the background and coming back to the app, the whole view is just blank. I don't think I'm doing anything special. Is this a known bug? @main struct MyActivityReportExtension: DeviceActivityReportExtension { var body: some DeviceActivityReportScene { // Create a report for each DeviceActivityReport.Context that your app supports. TotalActivityReport { totalActivity in TotalActivityView(totalActivity: totalActivity) } // Add more reports here... } } extension DeviceActivityReport.Context { // If your app initializes a DeviceActivityReport with this context, then the system will use // your extension's corresponding DeviceActivityReportScene to render the contents of the // report. static let totalActivity = Self("Total Activity") } struct TotalActivityReport: DeviceActivityReportScene { // Define which context your scene will represent. let context: DeviceActivityReport.Context = .totalActivity // Define the custom configuration and the resulting view for this report. let content: (String) -> TotalActivityView func makeConfiguration(representing data: DeviceActivityResults<DeviceActivityData>) async -> String { // Reformat the data into a configuration that can be used to create // the report's view. let formatter = DateComponentsFormatter() formatter.allowedUnits = [.day, .hour, .minute] formatter.unitsStyle = .abbreviated formatter.zeroFormattingBehavior = .dropAll let totalActivityDuration = await data.flatMap { $0.activitySegments }.reduce(0, { $0 + $1.totalActivityDuration }) return formatter.string(from: totalActivityDuration) ?? "No activity data" } } struct TotalActivityView: View { let totalActivity: String var body: some View { VStack(alignment: .center, spacing: 4) { Text("Screen Time") .font(.system(size: 14, weight: .regular)) .foregroundColor(.secondary) .frame(maxWidth: .infinity, // stretch to the full cell width alignment: .center) Text(totalActivity) .font(.system(size: 18, weight: .medium)) .foregroundColor(.primary) } } } And I am using it in my main view: private var analyticsSection: some View { HStack(spacing: 24) { // Some View DeviceActivityReport(DeviceActivityReport.Context(rawValue: "Total Activity"), filter: DeviceActivityFilter( segment: .weekly( during: Calendar.current.dateInterval( of: .weekOfYear, for: .now )! ), users: .all, devices: .init([.iPhone, .iPad]), )) .frame(maxWidth: .infinity) // another view } .frame(maxWidth: .infinity, maxHeight: showAnalytics ? 58 : 0) .padding(.horizontal, showAnalytics ? 24 : 0) .opacity(showAnalytics ? 1.0 : 0.0) .clipped() }

Hello everyone, I'm hoping to find a solution for a critical issue that is blocking my app's submission to the App Store. My app uses the Screen Time API and therefore has a main app and a DeviceActivityMonitor extension. The main app has been successfully granted the Family Controls (Distribution) entitlement. However, the DeviceActivityMonitor extension is stuck with only the Family Controls (Development) entitlement. This mismatch causes my build to fail during the archive/distribution process with the error: "Provisioning profile failed qualification. Profile doesn't support Family Controls (Development)." This is a hard blocker, as the extension is a mandatory part of the API. I have already filled out the entitlement request form and also contacted Developer Support (Case #102666581576), who confirmed they could not assist and directed me here. My question is: What is the correct procedure to escalate or resolve the issue of a required extension not receiving the distribution-level Family Controls entitlement after the main app has already been approved? Has anyone else encountered this specific "Development" vs. "Distribution" mismatch and found a definitive way to resolve it? Any guidance would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

I'm working on an app for iOS that will help people get tasks done. Within the app, we use a ManagedSettingsStore to let the user setup distracting apps. When the user opens any of those apps while it is being shielded, our ShieldConfiguration target opens and displays a screen that we configure with the description of the task they are supposed to do. On the bottom of the view, there are two buttons, one to start the task, and another to dismiss and return to their home screen. I want to have the button that starts the task open up the main application and deeplink to the focus view with the task that they started. Currently, the only thing that we can tell the system to do is via a ShieldActionResponse which is an enum with 3 cases: none, close, or defer. None of these three allow us to open the main application. I have found no workarounds that allow us to do it either. I've tried creating a custom URL scheme and calling UIApplication.shared.open(url), but there is no shared application available within the action extension. I have tried using a NSExtensionContext to open a url, but that does not work either. I have even tried starting a live activity to show the user what task they are working on and have a live timer, but that does not work either. I know it is technically possible, because an app I downloaded does it perfectly. The app is called "Ascent: Screen Time Control". Is there some sort of extension I am missing, or entitlement I have not requested? Any help would be very appreciated.

Hi, after updating to iOS 26 I'm encountering an issue where the FamilyActivityPicker no longer opens. No errors are shown in the console, it just never shows up. It works fine pre iOS 26. I've never had any issues with the picker showing up until iOS 26. My latest update was rejected because of this issue, but I've changed nothing in the code. Is anyone else experiencing this?

Hello! I am working on a screentime app and wondering if anyone has had success achieving reliable background shield application while using com.apple.ManagedSettingsUI.shield-configuration-service? I recently switched from com.apple.deviceactivity.shield-configuration (which worked reliably but isn't accepted by TestFlight) and have not found any consistency getting shields to apply while the app is backgrounded. I believe this is a known limitation of ManagedSettingsUI and want to know if there are successful workarounds or any specific patterns/timing that improve consistency?

Pretty much as per the title and I suspect I know the answer. Given that Foundation Models run on device, is it possible to use Foundation Models framework inside of a DeviceActivityReport? I've been tinkering with it, and all I get is errors and "Sandbox restrictions". Am I missing something? Seems like a missed trick to utilise on device AI/ML with other frameworks.

Hi everyone, I have a question regarding the intended privacy limits of the DeviceActivityReportExtension. According to the documentation and the WWDC21 session "Meet the Screen Time API", this extension was created specifically to prevent the host application from accessing the user's underlying activity data (websites visited, app usage, screen time, etc). But I have found that my host app is actually able to reconstruct this raw activity data from the activity report. I am able to extract specific visited websites and app usage durations back into the main app. I reported this to Apple Security (Case ID: OE1100504480881 ), assuming it was a sandbox bypass. However, they closed the ticket stating that this is "expected behavior" and requires no fix. My question for Screen Time Engineers: Is the documentation incorrect? If my host app is expected to be able to read this data, is there a formal API we should be using instead of extracting it from the report extension? The current behavior contradicts the privacy limits described in the documentation, so I am confused if I should rely on this data access for my app features or if it will be patched later. Thanks.

I'm stuck in an impossible situation with DeviceActivityReportExtension on iOS 18. THE ISSUE: Configuration that works on device (iOS 18.2): Info.plist has only NSExtensionPointIdentifier Swift code uses u/main attribute App installs and runs perfectly Extension works correctly App Store validation FAILS: "Missing NSExtensionPrincipalClass" Adding NSExtensionPrincipalClass (as validation requests): Device installation FAILS with Error 3002 Error says: "NSExtensionPrincipalClass key is not allowed for this extension point" Cannot test on device Validation would likely pass ENVIRONMENT: Xcode 16.2 iOS 18.2 Extension point: com.apple.deviceactivityui.report-extension EVIDENCE IT'S WIDESPREAD: Apple Forums (3 days ago): https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/812380 Stack Overflow (1+ year): https://stackoverflow.com/questions/77866230/ ROOT CAUSE: iOS 18 changed this extension to use u/main pattern (no NSExtensionPrincipalClass needed). App Store validation hasn't been updated and still expects iOS 17 configuration. WHAT I'VE TRIED: ✅ All deployment targets set to iOS 18.3 ✅ Code follows Apple's WWDC 2022 guidance ✅ All entitlements correct ✅ Info.plist validated ✅ Clean builds ✅ Works perfectly on device No configuration satisfies both device runtime AND App Store validation. Has anyone successfully uploaded an app with DeviceActivityReportExtension to TestFlight on iOS 18? Any workarounds? This is blocking TestFlight deployment completely.

Hi, I’m building an iOS self accountability app using FamilyControls and DeviceActivity. I can show the user’s real Screen Time correctly inside a DeviceActivityReport extension on a real device, but I want to use that same daily total inside the main app for today’s log and leaderboard. What I’m stuck on is getting that value back into the app. I tried App Groups, shared UserDefaults, a shared file in the app group container, and CFPreferences, but the report still only works as a display and the main app never receives the total. Is there any Apple supported way to use the daily Screen Time total from a DeviceActivityReport extension inside the containing app, or is this intentionally display only? Thanks.

I am building a simple iOS app that shows the total phone usage time for today using the Screen Time APIs. Architecture: Main app → requests authorization using AuthorizationCenter.shared.requestAuthorization(for: .individual) → displays a DeviceActivityReport Report extension → DeviceActivityReportExtension → calculates total usage using DeviceActivityResults<DeviceActivityData> → shows the number in a SwiftUI view The report works correctly. The extension successfully calculates the total usage and displays it on screen. Example logic inside the report extension: for await activityData in data { for await segment in activityData.activitySegments { totalSeconds += segment.totalActivityDuration } } let totalMinutes = Int(totalSeconds / 60) The problem: I need the main app to access that number so I can store it daily in my own database. I tried to send the value from the extension to the main app using: App Group + UserDefaults(suiteName:) App Group + shared file (FileManager.containerURL) writing inside makeConfiguration(...) Example: if let defaults = UserDefaults(suiteName: "group.myapp") { defaults.set(value, forKey: "savedTotalActivity") } But the main app cannot read the value. The report extension displays the number correctly, but the data never appears in shared storage. Questions: Is DeviceActivityReportExtension intentionally sandboxed so Screen Time data cannot be exported to the containing app? Is there any supported way for the main app to access the total usage value calculated in the report extension? If exporting the value is restricted, what is the recommended architecture for apps that want to store daily Screen Time totals for later analysis? Goal: I want a simple app that records something like: 2026-03-08 → 244 minutes 2026-03-09 → 198 minutes and stores it inside the app database. Any guidance on the correct architecture would help.

Hi everyone, I'm running into what appears to be a stuck Family Controls entitlement request and wanted to see if anyone has experienced something similar. Request ID: 9D7MU547QH The request is still showing a status of "Submitted". Context: • Our main app bundle ID was already approved for the Family Controls entitlement. • Two related extensions (ShieldConfiguration and DeviceActivityMonitor) were also approved within a few days. • The remaining request is for a ShieldAction extension, which handles button taps from the shield UI. This entitlement is currently blocking our business's beta testing, so we’re trying to understand whether this is just normal queue delay or if the request might be stuck. Has anyone seen a case where the main app and other extensions were approved but a ShieldAction request remained in "Submitted" for an extended period? If an Apple engineer happens to see this, I’d greatly appreciate any guidance on whether the request might be stuck in the review queue. Thank you!

Hi everyone, I’m the developer of one sec, an app used by a large number of users globally to reduce time spent on social media and to build healthier digital habits. Because of this, we rely heavily on Apple’s Screen Time / DeviceActivity / FamilyControls, ManagedSettings APIs – and unfortunately, we’re seeing increasingly severe issues in production that directly impact hundreds of thousands of real iOS users. During the past years, we have been busy filing dozens of feedback requests for different Screen Time issues – and there has been no response from Apple at all. Developer Relations might be able to "confirm" that the bugs are present and that they ended up with the right team – but they are never addressed, neither are workarounds provided. Instead, the situation gets worse and worse. iOS 26 introduced a series of heavy regressions (which have been reported via Apple’s official bug report tool "Feedback Assistant" on iOS 26 beta 1 in June 2025 – and have not been addressed 10 Months later). This is very frustrating for us as developers, but also for our end-users who run into these issues every day. In the end this impacts our ability to build an amazing product and hurts revenue (which affects both us and Apple). 1. DeviceActivity thresholds are not firing at all This affects both: our app’s usage of the API and Apple’s own Screen Time limits Radars: FB22304617, FB20526837, FB15491936, FB12195437, FB15663329, FB18198691, FB18289475, FB19827144 2. Screen Time usage data is clearly corrupted Websites showing hundreds of hours per week Up to ~20 hours per day of usage reported for a single domain Radars: FB22304617, FB17777429, FB18464235 3. DeviceActivity thresholds reaching threshold immediately Newly introduced with iOS 26 Reported on iOS 26 beta 1 in June No response so far / no workaround DeviceActivity calls didReachThreshold immediately after creating the DeviceActivityEvent – instead of waiting till the defined threshold is actually reached. Radars: FB13696022, FB18351583, FB21320644, FB18927456, FB18061981 4. Randomly Randomizing ApplicationTokens From time to time, and without consistency, Screen Time suddenly provides new, random, unknown tokens to my app in the ShieldConfigurationDataSource and ShieldActionDelegate. This has been reported on many times before here on the dev forms, many many years back already: https://forums.developer.apple.com/forums/thread/756440 https://forums.developer.apple.com/forums/thread/758325 https://forums.developer.apple.com/forums/thread/758325?answerId=793267022#793267022 Radars: FB14082790 and FB18764644 5. Moving Tokens from one ManagedSettingsStore to Another Removing an ApplicationToken from one SettingsStore and then adding it to another while the target app remains in foreground leads to the re-use of the ShieldConfiguration. Which can be wrong in many scenarios. It is not possible to request a re-request of the ShieldConfiguration in that scenario. Radar: FB14237883 6. Unable to Open Parent App (one sec) from Shield Many times, when a target app is blocked by a shield, the user wants to perform some action (e.g. to unlock more time for the target app via an intervention). That means, that somehow I have to forward the user from a ShieldActionDelegate back into my target app. Unfortunately, there’s no API for that. Many apps on the App Store rely on private API to achieve that, but that’s too risky for a popular app like one sec. Radar: FB15079668 7. Unable to Open Target App from an ApplicationToken When a user has completed an intervention within one sec, and they indend to to continue to the target app, there is no way that one sec can open the target app just from the token alone. Sure, there are URL schemes, but that means the user has to manually assign URL schemes to each ApplicationToken. That is not a very user friendly process (and in many cases impossible, because not every app registers URL schemes). It would be better if there was a way that my app could open a target app directly from an ApplicationToken, e.g. via an AppIntent that can be run on a button press. This way, the selected apps would remain fully private while still offering advanced functionality: struct OpenTargetAppIntent: AppIntent, OpenAppFromApplicationTokenIntent { func perform() { return .result(openAppFromApplicationToken: applicationToken) } } Radar: FB15500695 Summary Thanks a lot for taking the time to read my feedback. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me any time. I’m always happy to provide more details, logs, and steps to reproduce in my radars / feedback requests or in-person in Cupertino. It would be extremely helpful if someone from the Screen Time / DeviceActivity engineering team could: Take a look at the listed radars. Work on bug fixes and be transparent about when fixes will be shipped. Provide workarounds in the meantime. We genuinely want to build great, reliable experiences on top of Screen Time – but in its current state, it’s becoming very difficult to depend on. – Frederik

I've been stuck on Guideline 2.3 for two weeks now and I'm running out of ideas. My app is iPhone-only (UIDeviceFamily = [1]) and has been on the App Store since January. Version 2.1.9 passed review fine. The only change in 2.1.10 is adding two DeviceActivity extensions — a DeviceActivityMonitor and a DeviceActivityReport — for screen time-based stress detection. Every build since then gets rejected with the same message: "The UIRequiredDeviceCapabilities key in the Info.plist is set up in such a way that the app will not install on the device used in review." Review devices: iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, iPad Air M3. Here's what I've tried across 13+ submissions: UIRequiredDeviceCapabilities as ["arm64"] (array) — rejected Empty array [] — rejected Removed the key entirely — upload validation fails, Xcode re-injects arm64 anyway Post-build script to force ["arm64"] — rejected Dictionary format {"arm64": true} — rejected Added com.apple.developer.family-controls to extension entitlements — rejected Enabled Family Controls (Distribution) on extension bundle IDs — rejected Fixed CFBundleVersion mismatch between host app and extensions — rejected Set TARGETED_DEVICE_FAMILY=1 on all targets including extensions — rejected Tried GENERATE_INFOPLIST_FILE=YES with minimal plists — rejected Tried ExtensionKit type for the report extension — rejected In the exported IPA, every target has UIRequiredDeviceCapabilities = ["arm64"] and UIDeviceFamily = [1]. The entitlements, provisioning profiles, and code signing all look correct. arm64 is supported on every review device they listed. The previous version (2.1.9) without DeviceActivity extensions passes review with the exact same UIRequiredDeviceCapabilities and signing configuration. Has anyone shipped an app with DeviceActivityMonitor + DeviceActivityReport extensions successfully? Is there something specific about these extension types that affects device capability validation? Or is there a known issue with the review system and FamilyControls extensions? I've replied to the review team multiple times asking which specific capability is causing the failure, but the response is always the same generic template. Any guidance would be really appreciated — I'm completely blocked on shipping this update.

As discussed and acknowledged here, there is a known bug with the FamilyActivityPicker. When a user expands a category that contains enough tokens to exceed the 50mb memory limit, the FamilyActivityPicker crashes. This happens quite frequently for heavy Safari users. An apple engineer mentioned on this thread that WebDomains shown in the picker are present based on the last 30 days of usage data as surfaced by WebKit. Is there any way a user can clear these WebDomains? Either programatically through our app or any other process we can guide them to as a workaround while this issue is getting fixed?

I'm working with the FamilyControls and DeviceActivity frameworks in iOS (Swift). In my app, I collect selected apps using a FamilyActivitySelection, and I access the selected apps via selection.applicationTokens, which gives me a Set. I would like to get either the bundle identifier or the display name of the selected apps from these ApplicationTokens. I tried creating an Application instance using: let app = Application(token: token) print(app.bundleIdentifier) print(app.localizedDisplayName) However, both bundleIdentifier and localizedDisplayName are always nil. My questions are: Outside the extension (in the main app), how can I get the bundleIdentifier or display name from an ApplicationToken? Is there an Apple-recommended way to resolve a Token into something human-readable or usable? If not, what is the best practice to store or identify user-selected apps for later use? Environment: iOS 17, Swift 5, Using FamilyControls and DeviceActivity APIs. Thank you for any help!