We are trying to create a screentime app using the Family Controls as well as Device activity frameworks. The build succeeds but while pushing to an iphone we are getting an info.plist file for deviceactivity.framework could not be found error. For reference when using the Screentime API a physical device must be used not a simulator. When we remove the device activity framework this error also occurs for the family controls framework. We have added the Family Controls(development) Capability and applied for the distribution capability. We have redownloaded xcode multiple times on the main device, deleted derived data, and redownloaded all of the iphone SDKs and the issue still persists.
Device Activity
RSS for tagMonitor web and app usage through custom time windows and events.
Posts under Device Activity tag
66 Posts
Selecting any option will automatically load the page
Post
Replies
Boosts
Views
Activity
After reading Apple documentation (FamilyControls, DeviceActivity, ManagedSettings, ManagedSettingsUI, ScreenTime) and testing the API, I do not find a way to get the child's device apps on the parent device in order to block them or disable them for a certain time.
Is there a way of doing it?
Or can it only be done locally on the child device?
Topic:
App & System Services
SubTopic:
General
Tags:
Family Controls
Device Activity
Managed Settings
Screen Time
I am developing an app that can help users disable selected apps at a specified time, so that users can get away from their phones and enjoy real life.
Here is my data structure:
extension ActivityModel {
@NSManaged public var id: UUID
@NSManaged public var name: String
@NSManaged public var weeks: Data
@NSManaged public var weekDates: Data
@NSManaged public var appTokens: Data
}
Among them, weeks is of [Bool] type, indicating which weeks from Sunday to Saturday are effective; weekDates is of [[Date,Date]] type, indicating the effective time period; appTokens is of Set type, indicating the selected apps。
At the beginning, I will open a main monitor:
let deviceActivityCenter = DeviceActivityCenter()
do{
try deviceActivityCenter.startMonitoring(
DeviceActivityName(activityModel.id),
during: DeviceActivitySchedule(
intervalStart: DateComponents(hour: 0,minute: 0,second: 0),
intervalEnd: DateComponents(hour: 23,minute: 59,second: 59),
repeats: true
)
)
}catch {
return false
}
Since the time range may be different every day, I will start the sub-monitoring of the day every time the main monitoring starts:
override func intervalDidStart(for activity: DeviceActivityName) {
super.intervalDidStart(for: activity)
if activity.rawValue.hasPrefix("Sub-") {
ActivityModelManager.disableApps(
Tools.getUUIDFromString(activity.rawValue)
)
return
}
let weekIndex = Calendar.current.component(.weekday, from: .now)
let weeks = ActivityModelManager.getWeeks(activity.rawValue)
if weeks[weekIndex] {
let weekDates =
ActivityModelManager.getWeekDates(activity.rawValue)
let deviceActivityCenter = DeviceActivityCenter()
do{
try deviceActivityCenter.startMonitoring(
DeviceActivityName("Sub-" + activityModel.id),
during: DeviceActivitySchedule(
intervalStart: getHourAndMinute(weekDates[weekIndex][0]),
intervalEnd: getHourAndMinute(weekDates[weekIndex][1]),
repeats: false
)
)
}catch {
return
}
}esle {
return
}
}
I will judge whether it is main monitoring or sub monitoring based on the different activity names.
When the sub-monitor starts, I will get the bound application and then disable it:
static func disableApps(_ id : UUID){
let appTokens = ActivityModelManager.getLimitAppById(id)
let name = ManagedSettingsStore.Name(id.uuidString)
let store = ManagedSettingsStore(named: name)
store.shield.applications = appTokens
return
}
When the child monitoring is finished, I resume the application:
static func enableApps(_ id : UUID){
let name = ManagedSettingsStore.Name(id.uuidString)
let store = ManagedSettingsStore(named: name)
store.shield.applications = []
}
The above is my code logic.
When using DeviceActivityMonitorExtension, I found the following problems:
intervalDidStart may be called multiple times, resulting in several sub-monitors being started.
After a period of time, the monitoring is turned off.
The static methods enableApps and disableApps are sometimes not called
Topic:
App & System Services
SubTopic:
General
Tags:
Family Controls
Device Activity
Screen Time
Entitlements
I want to monitor again from the bellow function of DeviceActivityMonitorExtension. I have the function of startMonitoring like this.
override func eventDidReachThreshold(_ event: DeviceActivityEvent.Name, activity: DeviceActivityName) {
super.eventDidReachThreshold(event, activity: activity)
startMonitoring()
}
public func startMonitoring() {
let startTime = DateComponents(hour: 0, minute: 0, second: 0)
let endTime = DateComponents(hour: 23, minute: 59, second: 59)//DateComponents(hour: 11, minute: 0, second: 0)//
let schedule = DeviceActivitySchedule(
intervalStart: startTime,//DateComponents(hour: 0, minute: 0, second: 0),
intervalEnd: endTime,
repeats: true
//warningTime: DateComponents(minute:1)
)
let selection: FamilyActivitySelection = savedSelection() ?? FamilyActivitySelection()
let center = DeviceActivityCenter()
let selections = self.savedSelection() ?? FamilyActivitySelection()
let applications = selections.applicationTokens
let categories = selections.categoryTokens
let webCategories = selections.webDomainTokens
let store = ManagedSettingsStore()
store.shield.applicationCategories = ShieldSettings.ActivityCategoryPolicy.specific(categories, except: Set())
store.shield.applications = applications
store.shield.webDomains = webCategories
let scheduleHard = DeviceActivitySchedule(
intervalStart: startTime,//DateComponents(hour: 0, minute: 0, second: 0),
intervalEnd: endTime,
repeats: true
//warningTime: DateComponents(minute:1)
)
let event = DeviceActivityEvent(
applications: selection.applicationTokens,
categories: selection.categoryTokens,
webDomains: selection.webDomainTokens,
threshold: DateComponents(minute: 0)//timeLimitToUseApp i.e for 15 mins
)
do {
try center.startMonitoring( .weekend,
during: scheduleHard,
events: [
.weekend: event,
]
)
print("ScreenTime Monitoring Started")
} catch let error {
print(error.localizedDescription)
}
}
Please provide us with a solution about starting monitoring from DeviceActivityMonitoringExtension's eventDidReachThreshold function or if there is any other way.
The DeviceActivityReport view does not render immediately when added to the view hierarchy. Instead, it requires repeated navigation to the screen hosting the DeviceActivityReport view for it to appear.
Furthermore, there is no programmatic way to determine whether the view is being rendered for the user, leading to an inconsistent and often poor user experience.
I've created a sample project that demonstrates the issue.
I am able to block apps using FamilyControl and Shield. Unblocking is also simple—just assign nil to store.shield.applications. However, I want to unblock them even when the app is not open.
Use case: Let's say the app allows users to create a session where a particular app is blocked for a specific duration. Once the session starts, the app should remain blocked, and as soon as the session time ends, it should automatically be unblocked.
Please help me with this. Thank you!