Extensions

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Give users access to your app's functionality and content throughout iOS and macOS using extensions.

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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.
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506
Oct ’25
Files Provider Extension Domain:Process mapping
Hi We have a non-replicated Files Provider extension on iOS that creates multiple domains. I've noticed that iOS typically creates one process per domain, so I would assume that each process is meant to handle one domain. However, in practice, is seems that calls for any domain can occur in any process. I'm wondering whether there is supposed to be a mapping, implying there might be something wrong with the code, or whether we shouldn't make assumptions about domain:process mapping. Thanks for any info you can provide.
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143
Jun ’25
How can I get the system to use my FSModule for probing?
I've gotten to the point where I can use the mount(8) command line tool and the -t option to mount a file system using my FSKit file system extension, in which case I can see a process for my extension launch, probe, and perform the other necessary actions. However, when plugging in my USB flash drive or trying to mount with diskutil mount, the file system does not mount: $ diskutil mount disk20s3 Volume on disk20s3 failed to mount If you think the volume is supported but damaged, try the "readOnly" option $ diskutil mount readOnly disk20s3 Volume on disk20s3 failed to mount If you think the volume is supported but damaged, try the "readOnly" option Initially I thought it would be enough to just implement probeExtension(resource:replyHandler:) and the system would handle the rest, but this doesn't seem to be the case. Even a trivial implementation that always returns .usable doesn't cause the system to use my FSModule, even though I've enabled my extension in System Settings > General > Login Items & Extensions > File System Extensions. From looking at some of the open source msdos and Disk Arb code, it seems like my app extension needs to list FSMediaTypes to probe. I eventually tried putting this in my Info.plist of the app extension: <key>FSMediaTypes</key> <dict> <key>EBD0A0A2-B9E5-4433-87C0-68B6B72699C7</key> <dict> <key>FSMediaProperties</key> <dict> <key>Content Hint</key> <string>EBD0A0A2-B9E5-4433-87C0-68B6B72699C7</string> <key>Leaf</key> <true/> </dict> </dict> <key>0FC63DAF-8483-4772-8E79-3D69D8477DE4</key> <dict> <key>FSMediaProperties</key> <dict> <key>Content Hint</key> <string>0FC63DAF-8483-4772-8E79-3D69D8477DE4</string> <key>Leaf</key> <true/> </dict> </dict> <key>Whole</key> <dict> <key>FSMediaProperties</key> <dict> <key>Leaf</key> <true/> <key>Whole</key> <true/> </dict> </dict> <key>ext4</key> <dict> <key>FSMediaProperties</key> <dict> <key>Content Hint</key> <string>ext4</string> <key>Leaf</key> <true/> </dict> </dict> </dict> </plist> (For reference, the partition represented by disk20s3 has a Content Hint of 0FC63DAF-8483-4772-8E79-3D69D8477DE4 and Leaf is True which I verified using IORegistryExplorer.app from the Xcode additional tools.) Looking in Console it does appear now that the system is trying to use my module (ExtendFS_fskit) to probe when I plug in my USB drive, but I never see a process for my extension actually launch when trying to attach to it from Xcode by name (unlike when I use mount(8), where I can do this). However I do see a Can't find the extension for <private> error which I'm not sure is related but does sound like the system can't find the extension for some reason. The below messages are when filtering for "FSKit": default 19:14:53.455826-0400 diskarbitrationd probed disk, id = /dev/disk20s3, with ExtendFS_fskit, ongoing. default 19:14:53.456038-0400 fskitd Incomming connection, entitled 1 default 19:14:53.456064-0400 fskitd [0x7d4172e40] activating connection: mach=false listener=false peer=true name=com.apple.filesystems.fskitd.peer[350].0x7d4172e40 default 19:14:53.456123-0400 fskitd Hello FSClient! entitlement yes default 19:14:53.455902-0400 diskarbitrationd [0x7461d8dc0] activating connection: mach=true listener=false peer=false name=com.apple.filesystems.fskitd default 19:14:53.456151-0400 diskarbitrationd Setting remote protocol to all XPC default 19:14:53.456398-0400 fskitd About to get current agent for 501 default 19:14:53.457185-0400 diskarbitrationd probed disk, id = /dev/disk20s3, with ExtendFS_fskit, failure. error 19:14:53.456963-0400 fskitd -[fskitdXPCServer applyResource:targetBundle:instanceID:initiatorAuditToken:authorizingAuditToken:isProbe:usingBlock:]: Can't find the extension for <private> (I only see these messages after plugging my USB drive in. When running diskutil mount, I see no messages in the console when filtering by FSKit, diskarbitrationd, or ExtendFS afterward. It just fails.) Is there a step I'm missing to get this to work, or would this be an FSKit bug/current limitation?
12
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943
Aug ’25
NEFilterManager saveToPreferences fails with "permission denied" on TestFlight build
I'm working on enabling a content filter in my iOS app using NEFilterManager and NEFilterProviderConfiguration. The setup works perfectly in debug builds when running via Xcode, but fails on TestFlight builds with the following error: **Failed to save filter settings: permission denied ** **Here is my current implementation: ** (void)startContentFilter { NSUserDefaults *userDefaults = [NSUserDefaults standardUserDefaults]; [userDefaults synchronize]; [[NEFilterManager sharedManager] loadFromPreferencesWithCompletionHandler:^(NSError * _Nullable error) { dispatch_async(dispatch_get_main_queue(), ^{ if (error) { NSLog(@"Failed to load filter: %@", error.localizedDescription); [self showAlertWithTitle:@"Error" message:[NSString stringWithFormat:@"Failed to load content filter: %@", error.localizedDescription]]; return; } NEFilterProviderConfiguration *filterConfig = [[NEFilterProviderConfiguration alloc] init]; filterConfig.filterSockets = YES; filterConfig.filterBrowsers = YES; NEFilterManager *manager = [NEFilterManager sharedManager]; manager.providerConfiguration = filterConfig; manager.enabled = YES; [manager saveToPreferencesWithCompletionHandler:^(NSError * _Nullable error) { dispatch_async(dispatch_get_main_queue(), ^{ if (error) { NSLog(@"Failed to save filter settings: %@", error.localizedDescription); [self showAlertWithTitle:@"Error" message:[NSString stringWithFormat:@"Failed to save filter settings: %@", error.localizedDescription]]; } else { NSLog(@"Content filter enabled successfully!"); [self showAlertWithTitle:@"Success" message:@"Content filter enabled successfully!"]; } }); }]; }); }]; } **What I've tried: ** Ensured the com.apple.developer.networking.networkextension entitlement is set in both the app and system extension. The Network extension target includes content-filter-provider. Tested only on physical devices. App works in development build, but not from TestFlight. **My questions: ** Why does saveToPreferencesWithCompletionHandler fail with “permission denied” on TestFlight? Are there special entitlements required for using NEFilterManager in production/TestFlight builds? Is MDM (Mobile Device Management) required to deploy apps using content filters? Has anyone successfully implemented NEFilterProviderConfiguration in production, and if so, how?
1
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259
Jun ’25
Notification Content Extension on Simulator
Hello All, I see an issue while running the Notification content Extension on simulator without checking the "Copy only when installing in app target -> Build Phases -> Embed App Extensions" If I check "Copy only when installing in app target" then only it is working. Can someone please confirm if Notification Content Extension is working on simulator. If yes how can we do that. Please share the details
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107
May ’25
Unable to send iMessage game extension on simulator
I recently started building an iMessage game, and whenever I try to send the game through the first contact on the simulator to loop back into the second one, I get an alert saying "Unable to send. The recipient can not receive this item via satellite". Has anyone experienced this? If so, do you have a solution? It is making it a bit difficult to test the flow of my app.
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124
Jun ’25
NWConnections in Network Extension Redirected to Proxy
We have a setup where the system uses proxy settings configured via a PAC file. We are investigating how NWConnection behaves inside a Network Extension (NETransparentProxyProvider) with a transparent proxy configuration based on this PAC file. Scenario: The browser makes a connection which the PAC file resolves as "DIRECT" (bypassing the proxy) Our Network Extension intercepts this traffic for analysis The extension creates a new connection using NWConnection to the original remote address. The issue: despite the PAC file’s "DIRECT" decision, NWConnection still respects the system proxy settings and routes the connection through the proxy. Our questions: Is it correct that NWConnection always uses the system proxy if configured ? Does setting preferNoProxies = true guarantee bypassing the system proxy? Additionally: Whitelisting IPs in the Network Extension to avoid interception is not a viable solution because IPs may correspond to multiple services, and the extension only sees IP addresses, not domains (e.g., we want to skip scanning meet.google.com traffic but still scan other Google services on the same IP range). Are there any recommended approaches or best practices to ensure that connections initiated from a Network Extension can truly bypass the proxy (for example, for specific IP ranges or domains)?
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176
May ’25
Action Extension Won't Launch Outside Mac App Store: Prompting policy for hardened runtime; service: kTCCServiceAppleEvents requires entitlement com.apple.security.automation.apple-events but it is missing
I have an outside Mac App Store app. It has an action extension. I can't get it to run from Xcode. I try to debug it from Safari. It shows up in the menu when I click the 'rollover' button but it doesn't show up in the UI at all. Xcode doesn't give me any indication as to what the problem is. I see this logs out in console when I try to open the action extension: Prompting policy for hardened runtime; service: kTCCServiceAppleEvents requires entitlement com.apple.security.automation.apple-events but it is missing for accessing={TCCDProcess: identifier=BundleIdForActionExtHere, pid=6650, auid=501, euid=501, binary_path=/Applications/AppNamehere.app/Contents/PlugIns/ActionExtension.appex/Contents/MacOS/ActionExtension}, requesting={TCCDProcess: identifier=com.apple.appleeventsd, pid=550, auid=55, euid=55, binary_path=/System/Library/CoreServices/appleeventsd}, I don't see why the Action extension needs Apple events but I added it to the entitlements anyway but it doesn't seem to matter. The action extension fails to open.
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123
May ’25
How can I open and write to an SQLite database from my DeviceActivityReport Extension?
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, &amp;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, &amp;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!
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252
May ’25
Install Safari Extension fails with "Unable to download App" and "Operation not permitted" in log
We have a Safari extension that's been up on the App Store for about 18 months with no apparent issues. This week, however, while working on an update, we uninstalled the production version on our test machines and installed a developer version. When we had some issues, we tried to go back to the production version downloaded from the App Store, but we get an pop saying "Unable to download App." In the log, the most obviously relevant error is 'Operation not permitted'. This occurs on several machines and different logins on those machines in both norma and safe modes. However, on another machine that never had one installed, we could still install the app from the app store, so I suspect there is something left behind that needs to be removed, but I don't know what. FWIW, I see the download directory getting created under /Applications, but it is promptly removed when the failure popup appears. Any suggestions?
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144
May ’25
Local Push Connectivity - Unreliable Connection
Hi! My project has the Local Push Connectivity entitlement for a feature we have requiring us to send low-latency critical notifications over a local, private Wi-Fi network. We have our NEAppPushProvider creating a SSE connection using the Network framework with our hardware running a server. The server sends a keep-alive message every second. On an iPhone 16 with iOS 18+, the connection is reliable and remains stable for hours, regardless of whether the iOS app is in the foreground, background, or killed. One of our QA engineers has been testing on an iPhone 13 running iOS 16, and has notice shortly after locking the phone, specifically when not connected to power the device seems to turn off the Wi-Fi radio. So when the server sends a notification, it is not received. About 30s later, it seems to be back on. This happens on regular intervals. When looking at our log data, the provider does seem to be getting stopped, then restarted shortly after. The reason code is NEProviderStopReasonNoNetworkAvailable, which further validates that the network is getting dropped by the device in regular intervals. My questions are: Were there possibly silent changes to the framework between iOS versions that could be the reason we're seeing inconsistent behavior? Is there a connection type we could use, instead of SSE, that would prevent the device from disconnecting and reconnecting to the Wi-Fi network? Is there an alternative approach to allow us to maintain a persistent network connection with the extension or app?
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326
Jul ’25
Extend Family Control permission to app's extensions
I have tried multiple time through multiple channels and you have yet to respond to my request. I am developing an App on xcode APP Bundle ID: garymdmd.MediaPace Apple ID: 6740823496 Apple has granted me distribution use of the Family Control/Screentime module for my main app. According to your engineer's post here: https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/764919 That permission should be extended to your extensions that are part of the app. When you try to setup the extension identifiers they do not show the "added capabilities" column that sow sup when getting permission for the main app so you are not able to endow the extension with these permissions which seem to be needed to work with the app. I am trying to add these bundle identifier extensions: garymdmd.MediaPace.ScreenTimeMonitorDuo garymdmd.MediaPace.DeviceActivityReport Can you please tell me how to get this to work or to add permissions to these extensions. I have sent in the request form multiple times (here - https://developer.apple.com/contact/request/family-controls-distribution) and Apple simply writes back that I have permission after a few weeks but nothing changes for the extension capabilities.
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176
Jun ’25
Increased Memory Limit for QL Preview Generator
we have written a QL preview generator for some 3D data formats not supported by the AR Quicklook generators included in iOS. however, we are struggeling with the 100 MB memory ceiling imposed on an app extension in iOS. we have included the "Increased Memory Limit" entitlement in both the app and in the preview extensions. nevertheless, the preview generator is limited to 100 MB, even on most recent devices like iPhone 16 Pro Max. we can even see 100 MB limit when we attach to the process with Xcode. my question: did we miss anything? are there additional steps necessary to obtain the increased memory limit? must we explicitly apply for it? 500 MB would be fine (our preview generator does not load textures). best regards
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466
May ’25
App crashes due to a third-party library we use making a bad memory access.
Is there a way to prevent or handle our application's crash if a third-party library makes a bad memory access? Basically, I want to know if using a buggy library (that causes bad memory access) will automatically make our application inherit those crashes, leading to our app crashing as well. If there is a way to prevent the crash, what methods can be used to do so? Thread 13: EXC_BAD_ACCESS (code=1, address=0x3a7d300)
2
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256
Nov ’25
IdentityLookup deferQueryRequestToNetwork error 3 despite valid AASA and extension setup
I'm seeking help troubleshooting a persistent com.apple.IdentityLookup.error.messagefilter Code=3 error when my Message Filter Extension tries to defer to network. I’ve exhausted Apple documentation and forum posts, and Apple Support has asked me to escalate this via the forums to reach engineering. ✅ My Setup: Xcode: 16.2 macOS: Sequoia 15.3.1 (Apple Silicon Mac mini) Device: iPhone 14 Pro iOS: 18.3.2 (Developer Mode enabled) Tested via: TestFlight install on real device 📦 App Structure: Main App Target (minimal "hello world" logic) Message Filter Extension Target Messages Extension Target Message Reporting Extension Target Notifications Extension Target ✅ Capabilities & Configurations Main App Capabilities: App Groups: group.com.example.shared Network Extensions: Content Filter Associated Domains: messagefilter:my-api.example.com applinks:my-api.example.com Message Filter Capabilities: App Groups: same as main app Network Extensions: Content Filter Associated Domains: same as above 📄 Info.plist Config Main App Info.plist: NSAppTransportSecurity with: NSAllowsArbitraryLoads = YES Exception domain my-api.example.com with: NSIncludesSubdomains = YES NSTemporaryExceptionAllowsInsecureHTTPLoads = YES NSTemporaryExceptionMinimumTLSVersion = TLSv1.2 MessageFilter Info.plist: Same ATS settings as above NSExtension block: <key>NSExtension</key> <dict> <key>NSExtensionAttributes</key> <dict> <key>ILMessageFilterExtensionNetworkURL</key> <string>https://my-api.example.com/api/sms-filter</string> <key>ILClassificationExtensionSMSReportDestination</key> <string>+10000000000</string> </dict> <key>NSExtensionPointIdentifier</key> <string>com.apple.identitylookup.message-filter</string> <key>NSExtensionPrincipalClass</key> <string>$(PRODUCT_MODULE_NAME).MessageFilterExtension</string> </dict> 📜 Entitlements Main App Entitlements <key>com.apple.developer.associated-domains</key> <array> <string>messagefilter:my-api.example.com</string> <string>applinks:my-api.example.com</string> </array> <key>com.apple.developer.networking.networkextension</key> <array> <string>content-filter-provider</string> </array> <key>com.apple.security.application-groups</key> <array> <string>group.com.example.shared</string> </array> Message Filter Extension Entitlements Identical to main app’s, scoped to the extension. 📄 AASA File (Hosted on https://my-api.example.com/.well-known/apple-app-site-association) Serves as application/json, returns 200 OK, and is reachable on device via Safari. Logs confirm AASA is downloaded and installed successfully during TestFlight install. { "applinks": { "apps": [], "details": [ { "appID": "TEAMID.com.example.app", "paths": ["*"] }, { "appID": "TEAMID.com.example.app.MessageFilter", "paths": ["*"] } ] }, "messagefilter": { "apps": [], "details": [ { "appID": "TEAMID.com.example.app", "filterType": "URL", "domains": ["my-api.example.com"] }, { "appID": "TEAMID.com.example.app.MessageFilter", "filterType": "URL", "domains": ["my-api.example.com"] } ] }, "classificationreport": { "apps": [], "details": [ { "appID": "TEAMID.com.example.app", "domains": ["my-api.example.com"] }, { "appID": "TEAMID.com.example.MessageReporting", "domains": ["my-api.example.com"] } ] } } ❌ The Problem When the extension launches and receives an SMS to classify, logs show: deferQueryRequestToNetwork failed: The operation couldn’t be completed. (com.apple.IdentityLookup.error.messagefilter error 3.) The extension loads, network URL is available, the AASA is installed, and yet the extension is not allowed to defer to network. This occurs every time. 🧪 Other Notes Tried rebuilding everything from scratch Archiving to TestFlight, not running via Xcode Clean entitlements verified using codesign -d --entitlements :- Console logs show no issues with AASA download or validation Any help or insights from Apple engineering or others in the community who have successfully deployed a working Message Filter Extension would be hugely appreciated. Thanks in advance 🙏
2
1
258
Sep ’25
How to pass URL to iOS app from share sheet, and automatically open app?
Hello everyone, I’ve been trying to pass a URL from Safari (or any other app) into my own app via iOS extensions (similar to how if you go to a website, open the share sheet, and hit the ChatGPT app icon, it opens ChatGPT and pastes the website URL into the chat textbox), and I’m hitting a wall. I’ve attempted both a Share Extension (using SLComposeServiceViewController) and a UI-less Action Extension (using extensionContext?.open(...)), but in both scenarios, my main app never opens. Here’s a summary of my setup: Main App Target plist <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd"> <plist version="1.0"> <dict> <key>CFBundleURLTypes</key> <array> <dict> <key>CFBundleTypeRole</key> <string>Editor</string> <key>CFBundleURLName</key> <string>com.elislothower.URLDisplayApp</string> <key>CFBundleURLSchemes</key> <array> <string>myapp</string> </array> </dict> </array> <key>LSApplicationQueriesSchemes</key> <array/> </dict> </plist> This means my custom URL scheme is myapp://. My app delegate (or SwiftUI’s .onOpenURL) correctly handles myapp://share?url=... if I open it directly from Safari. Share Extension Attempt Subclassed SLComposeServiceViewController. Plist had com.apple.share-services as the NSExtensionPointIdentifier. I called extensionContext?.open(deepLink) with myapp://share?url=..., but it always returned false. Also, the UI (with Cancel/Post buttons) was overkill for my needs. UI-less Action Extension Attempt Created a no-UI action extension with com.apple.ui-services as NSExtensionPointIdentifier. In my custom ActionViewController, I formed the same myapp://share?url=... deep link and called extensionContext?.open(deepLink). The extension does appear in the share sheet, but again, open(deepLink) returns false—my main app never opens. Confirmed Setup I’ve tested the URL scheme in Safari: typing myapp://share?url=... directly prompts to open my app, and the URL is handled fine there. I’ve ensured both extension Info.plists have <key>LSApplicationQueriesSchemes</key><array><string>myapp</string></array> so they can attempt to open that scheme. Tried on both simulator and physical device. On the physical device, the main app is definitely installed and has been launched at least once. Current Behavior The extension logs that it forms the deep link (myapp://share?url=...) correctly. extensionContext?.open(deepLink) fails (success == false), so the main app never opens. I’ve also tried forcing the call on the main thread, simplifying the URL (like myapp://test), and checking for any typos or case-sensitivity issues—still no luck. Is there a known iOS restriction or trick for allowing an extension (share or action) to open its containing app directly? Have I missed a configuration step or entitlement that’s necessary? Is it possible that iOS is just rejecting the call in these contexts? I’d love any insight or suggestions from those who have successfully launched their main app from an extension. Thank you in advance! ContentView.swift Info.plist URLDisplayAppApp.swift URLDisplayApp.entitlements ActionRequestHandler.swift ActionViewController.swift Info.plist MyAppActionExtension.entitlements
3
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624
Jun ’25
Can I tell when my iOS Widget is running on MacOS (when Use IPhone Widgets is on)
I have an iOS Widget that also can load on the Mac when the Use iPhone Widgets setting is turned on on the Mac in Desktop & Dock. I want to use a different url scheme to open video clips from the widget if it is being clicked on iOS or the Mac. I tried using ProcessInfo.processInfo.isiOSAppOnMac but it always thinks it is on iOS. I also tried looking for the user document path to see if it was /var/mobile/ or /Users/. but it always thinks it is /var/mobile. I assume this is as it is not really a catalyst app but a WidgetKit extension from the phone. Is there anyway I can figure out when the widget is running on the mac? Thanks!
6
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774
Jun ’25
My File Provider Extension cannot be started sometimes
We use File Provider Extension in our main app, and it is working fine. We always call "NSFileProviderManager.add(_:completionHandler:)" function to start the extension, and "NSFileProviderManager.disconnect(reason:options:completionHandler:)" to temporarily quit the extension with the reason which will be shown in the Finder at the top of the FP domain folder. But sometimes, when the main app calls the above functions, the following issue cases occur, and the extension does not start/stop: The completionHandler function doesn't get called (As we noticed, we waited for 2 minutes. Then, we restarted the main app.) One of the following errors returned: i) "The application cannot be used right now", ii) "Couldn't communicate with the helper application", iii) "No valid file provider found with identifier" Here, the important thing is that restarting the main app once or twice clears the issue, and the extension starts. But it is frustrating to restart the app each time we get this issue. We want to know the following things: Why and when do the above issues occur? Why do they occur only sometimes, and how does the app restart clear the issue? How do we resolve them without restarting the main app? This has become a critical issue, so a detailed explanation would be greatly appreciated. TIA.
1
1
754
Dec ’25
Missing flows for content filter on macOS 15 Sequoia
We use as content filter in our app to monitor flows, we gather data about the flow and block flows deemed suspicious. Our content filter is activated/deactivated by a UI app but the flows are reported via XPC to a separate daemon process for analysis. As of macOS 15, we are seeing cases where flows are missing or flows are not received at all by the content filter. The behaviour is not consistent, some devices seem to receive flows normally but others don't. It appears Intel devices are much less prone to showing the problem, whereas Arm devices routinely exhibit missing flows. On macOS 14 or earlier, there is no sign of missing flows. Testing on earlier beta versions of macOS 15 did not appear to show the problem, however I can't rule out if issue was present but it wasn't spotted. Experimenting with simple examples of using a content filter (e.g. QNE2FilterMac) does not appear to reproduce the issue. Questions, What has changed between macOS 14 and 15 that could be the cause of the lack of flows? Is our approach to using an app activated content filter reporting to a daemon connected via XPC unsupported?
7
1
1.1k
Aug ’25
Safari Extension Stops on iOS 17.5.1 - 18
We are encountering an issue where the Safari extension we are developing stops working while in use on relatively new iOS versions (confirmed on 17.5.1, 17.6.1, and 18). Upon checking the Safari console, the content script is displayed in the extension script, so the background script or Service Worker must be stopping. The time until it stops is about 1 minute on 17.5.1 and about one day on 17.6.1 or 18. When it stops, we would like to find a way to restart the Service Worker from the extension side, but we have not found a method to do so yet. To restart the extension, the user needs to turn off the corresponding extension in the iPhone settings and then turn it back on. As mentioned in the following thread, it is written that the above bug was fixed in 17.6, but we recognize that it has not been fixed. https://forums.developer.apple.com/forums/thread/758346 On 17.5.1, adding the following process to the background script prevents it from stopping for about the same time as on 17.6 and above. // Will be passed into runtime.onConnect for processes that are listening for the connection event const INTERNAL_STAYALIVE_PORT = "port.connect"; // Try wake up every 9S const INTERVAL_WAKE_UP = 9000; // Alive port var alivePort = null; // Call the function at SW(service worker) start StayAlive(); async function StayAlive() { var wakeup = setInterval(() => { if (alivePort == null) { alivePort = browser.runtime.connect({ name: INTERNAL_STAYALIVE_PORT }); alivePort.onDisconnect.addListener((p) => { alivePort = null; }); } if (alivePort) { alivePort.postMessage({ content: "ping" }); } }, INTERVAL_WAKE_UP); } Additionally, we considered methods to revive the Service Worker when it stops, which are listed below. None of the methods listed below resolved the issue. ① Implemented a process to create a connection again if the return value of sendMessage is null. The determination of whether the Service Worker has stopped is made by sending a message from the content script to the background script and checking whether the message return value is null as follows. sendMessageToBackground.js let infoFromBackground = await browser.runtime.sendMessage(sendParam); if (!infoFromBackground) { // If infoFromBackground is null, Service Worker should have stopped. browser.runtime.connect({name: 'reconnect'}); // ← reconnection process // Sending message again infoFromBackground = await browser.runtime.sendMessage(sendParam); } return infoFromBackground.message; Background script browser.runtime.onConnect.addListener((port) => { if (port.name !== 'reconnect') return; port.onMessage.addListener(async (request, sender, sendResponse) => { sendResponse({ response: "response form background", message: "reconnect.", }); }); ② Verified whether the service worker could be restarted by regenerating Background.js and content.js. sendMessageToBackground.js export async function sendMessageToBackground(sendParam) { let infoFromBackground = await browser.runtime.sendMessage(sendParam); if (!infoFromBackground) { executeContentScript(); // ← executeScript infoFromBackground = await browser.runtime.sendMessage(sendParam); } return infoFromBackground.message; } async function executeContentScript() { browser.webNavigation.onDOMContentLoaded.addListener((details) => { browser.scripting.executeScript({ target: { tabId: details.tabId }, files: ["./content.js"] }); }); } However, browser.webNavigation.onDOMContentLoaded.addListener was not executed due to the following error. @webkit-masked-url://hidden/:2:58295 @webkit-masked-url://hidden/:2:58539 @webkit-masked-url://hidden/:2:58539 ③ Verify that ServiceWorker restarts by updating ContentScripts async function updateContentScripts() { try { const scripts = await browser.scripting.getRegisteredContentScripts(); const scriptIds = scripts.map(script => script.id); await browser.scripting.updateContentScripts(scriptIds);//update content } catch (e) { await errorLogger(e.stack); } } However, scripting.getRegisteredContentScripts was not executed due to the same error as in 2. @webkit-masked-url://hidden/:2:58359 @webkit-masked-url://hidden/:2:58456 @webkit-masked-url://hidden/:2:58456 @webkit-masked-url://hidden/:2:58549 @webkit-masked-url://hidden/:2:58549 These are the methods we have considered. If anyone knows a solution, please let us know.
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Aug ’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.
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506
Activity
Oct ’25
Files Provider Extension Domain:Process mapping
Hi We have a non-replicated Files Provider extension on iOS that creates multiple domains. I've noticed that iOS typically creates one process per domain, so I would assume that each process is meant to handle one domain. However, in practice, is seems that calls for any domain can occur in any process. I'm wondering whether there is supposed to be a mapping, implying there might be something wrong with the code, or whether we shouldn't make assumptions about domain:process mapping. Thanks for any info you can provide.
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2
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143
Activity
Jun ’25
How can I get the system to use my FSModule for probing?
I've gotten to the point where I can use the mount(8) command line tool and the -t option to mount a file system using my FSKit file system extension, in which case I can see a process for my extension launch, probe, and perform the other necessary actions. However, when plugging in my USB flash drive or trying to mount with diskutil mount, the file system does not mount: $ diskutil mount disk20s3 Volume on disk20s3 failed to mount If you think the volume is supported but damaged, try the "readOnly" option $ diskutil mount readOnly disk20s3 Volume on disk20s3 failed to mount If you think the volume is supported but damaged, try the "readOnly" option Initially I thought it would be enough to just implement probeExtension(resource:replyHandler:) and the system would handle the rest, but this doesn't seem to be the case. Even a trivial implementation that always returns .usable doesn't cause the system to use my FSModule, even though I've enabled my extension in System Settings > General > Login Items & Extensions > File System Extensions. From looking at some of the open source msdos and Disk Arb code, it seems like my app extension needs to list FSMediaTypes to probe. I eventually tried putting this in my Info.plist of the app extension: <key>FSMediaTypes</key> <dict> <key>EBD0A0A2-B9E5-4433-87C0-68B6B72699C7</key> <dict> <key>FSMediaProperties</key> <dict> <key>Content Hint</key> <string>EBD0A0A2-B9E5-4433-87C0-68B6B72699C7</string> <key>Leaf</key> <true/> </dict> </dict> <key>0FC63DAF-8483-4772-8E79-3D69D8477DE4</key> <dict> <key>FSMediaProperties</key> <dict> <key>Content Hint</key> <string>0FC63DAF-8483-4772-8E79-3D69D8477DE4</string> <key>Leaf</key> <true/> </dict> </dict> <key>Whole</key> <dict> <key>FSMediaProperties</key> <dict> <key>Leaf</key> <true/> <key>Whole</key> <true/> </dict> </dict> <key>ext4</key> <dict> <key>FSMediaProperties</key> <dict> <key>Content Hint</key> <string>ext4</string> <key>Leaf</key> <true/> </dict> </dict> </dict> </plist> (For reference, the partition represented by disk20s3 has a Content Hint of 0FC63DAF-8483-4772-8E79-3D69D8477DE4 and Leaf is True which I verified using IORegistryExplorer.app from the Xcode additional tools.) Looking in Console it does appear now that the system is trying to use my module (ExtendFS_fskit) to probe when I plug in my USB drive, but I never see a process for my extension actually launch when trying to attach to it from Xcode by name (unlike when I use mount(8), where I can do this). However I do see a Can't find the extension for <private> error which I'm not sure is related but does sound like the system can't find the extension for some reason. The below messages are when filtering for "FSKit": default 19:14:53.455826-0400 diskarbitrationd probed disk, id = /dev/disk20s3, with ExtendFS_fskit, ongoing. default 19:14:53.456038-0400 fskitd Incomming connection, entitled 1 default 19:14:53.456064-0400 fskitd [0x7d4172e40] activating connection: mach=false listener=false peer=true name=com.apple.filesystems.fskitd.peer[350].0x7d4172e40 default 19:14:53.456123-0400 fskitd Hello FSClient! entitlement yes default 19:14:53.455902-0400 diskarbitrationd [0x7461d8dc0] activating connection: mach=true listener=false peer=false name=com.apple.filesystems.fskitd default 19:14:53.456151-0400 diskarbitrationd Setting remote protocol to all XPC default 19:14:53.456398-0400 fskitd About to get current agent for 501 default 19:14:53.457185-0400 diskarbitrationd probed disk, id = /dev/disk20s3, with ExtendFS_fskit, failure. error 19:14:53.456963-0400 fskitd -[fskitdXPCServer applyResource:targetBundle:instanceID:initiatorAuditToken:authorizingAuditToken:isProbe:usingBlock:]: Can't find the extension for <private> (I only see these messages after plugging my USB drive in. When running diskutil mount, I see no messages in the console when filtering by FSKit, diskarbitrationd, or ExtendFS afterward. It just fails.) Is there a step I'm missing to get this to work, or would this be an FSKit bug/current limitation?
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943
Activity
Aug ’25
NEFilterManager saveToPreferences fails with "permission denied" on TestFlight build
I'm working on enabling a content filter in my iOS app using NEFilterManager and NEFilterProviderConfiguration. The setup works perfectly in debug builds when running via Xcode, but fails on TestFlight builds with the following error: **Failed to save filter settings: permission denied ** **Here is my current implementation: ** (void)startContentFilter { NSUserDefaults *userDefaults = [NSUserDefaults standardUserDefaults]; [userDefaults synchronize]; [[NEFilterManager sharedManager] loadFromPreferencesWithCompletionHandler:^(NSError * _Nullable error) { dispatch_async(dispatch_get_main_queue(), ^{ if (error) { NSLog(@"Failed to load filter: %@", error.localizedDescription); [self showAlertWithTitle:@"Error" message:[NSString stringWithFormat:@"Failed to load content filter: %@", error.localizedDescription]]; return; } NEFilterProviderConfiguration *filterConfig = [[NEFilterProviderConfiguration alloc] init]; filterConfig.filterSockets = YES; filterConfig.filterBrowsers = YES; NEFilterManager *manager = [NEFilterManager sharedManager]; manager.providerConfiguration = filterConfig; manager.enabled = YES; [manager saveToPreferencesWithCompletionHandler:^(NSError * _Nullable error) { dispatch_async(dispatch_get_main_queue(), ^{ if (error) { NSLog(@"Failed to save filter settings: %@", error.localizedDescription); [self showAlertWithTitle:@"Error" message:[NSString stringWithFormat:@"Failed to save filter settings: %@", error.localizedDescription]]; } else { NSLog(@"Content filter enabled successfully!"); [self showAlertWithTitle:@"Success" message:@"Content filter enabled successfully!"]; } }); }]; }); }]; } **What I've tried: ** Ensured the com.apple.developer.networking.networkextension entitlement is set in both the app and system extension. The Network extension target includes content-filter-provider. Tested only on physical devices. App works in development build, but not from TestFlight. **My questions: ** Why does saveToPreferencesWithCompletionHandler fail with “permission denied” on TestFlight? Are there special entitlements required for using NEFilterManager in production/TestFlight builds? Is MDM (Mobile Device Management) required to deploy apps using content filters? Has anyone successfully implemented NEFilterProviderConfiguration in production, and if so, how?
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259
Activity
Jun ’25
Notification Content Extension on Simulator
Hello All, I see an issue while running the Notification content Extension on simulator without checking the "Copy only when installing in app target -> Build Phases -> Embed App Extensions" If I check "Copy only when installing in app target" then only it is working. Can someone please confirm if Notification Content Extension is working on simulator. If yes how can we do that. Please share the details
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107
Activity
May ’25
Unable to send iMessage game extension on simulator
I recently started building an iMessage game, and whenever I try to send the game through the first contact on the simulator to loop back into the second one, I get an alert saying "Unable to send. The recipient can not receive this item via satellite". Has anyone experienced this? If so, do you have a solution? It is making it a bit difficult to test the flow of my app.
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124
Activity
Jun ’25
NWConnections in Network Extension Redirected to Proxy
We have a setup where the system uses proxy settings configured via a PAC file. We are investigating how NWConnection behaves inside a Network Extension (NETransparentProxyProvider) with a transparent proxy configuration based on this PAC file. Scenario: The browser makes a connection which the PAC file resolves as "DIRECT" (bypassing the proxy) Our Network Extension intercepts this traffic for analysis The extension creates a new connection using NWConnection to the original remote address. The issue: despite the PAC file’s "DIRECT" decision, NWConnection still respects the system proxy settings and routes the connection through the proxy. Our questions: Is it correct that NWConnection always uses the system proxy if configured ? Does setting preferNoProxies = true guarantee bypassing the system proxy? Additionally: Whitelisting IPs in the Network Extension to avoid interception is not a viable solution because IPs may correspond to multiple services, and the extension only sees IP addresses, not domains (e.g., we want to skip scanning meet.google.com traffic but still scan other Google services on the same IP range). Are there any recommended approaches or best practices to ensure that connections initiated from a Network Extension can truly bypass the proxy (for example, for specific IP ranges or domains)?
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176
Activity
May ’25
Action Extension Won't Launch Outside Mac App Store: Prompting policy for hardened runtime; service: kTCCServiceAppleEvents requires entitlement com.apple.security.automation.apple-events but it is missing
I have an outside Mac App Store app. It has an action extension. I can't get it to run from Xcode. I try to debug it from Safari. It shows up in the menu when I click the 'rollover' button but it doesn't show up in the UI at all. Xcode doesn't give me any indication as to what the problem is. I see this logs out in console when I try to open the action extension: Prompting policy for hardened runtime; service: kTCCServiceAppleEvents requires entitlement com.apple.security.automation.apple-events but it is missing for accessing={TCCDProcess: identifier=BundleIdForActionExtHere, pid=6650, auid=501, euid=501, binary_path=/Applications/AppNamehere.app/Contents/PlugIns/ActionExtension.appex/Contents/MacOS/ActionExtension}, requesting={TCCDProcess: identifier=com.apple.appleeventsd, pid=550, auid=55, euid=55, binary_path=/System/Library/CoreServices/appleeventsd}, I don't see why the Action extension needs Apple events but I added it to the entitlements anyway but it doesn't seem to matter. The action extension fails to open.
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123
Activity
May ’25
How can I open and write to an SQLite database from my DeviceActivityReport Extension?
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, &amp;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, &amp;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!
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252
Activity
May ’25
Install Safari Extension fails with "Unable to download App" and "Operation not permitted" in log
We have a Safari extension that's been up on the App Store for about 18 months with no apparent issues. This week, however, while working on an update, we uninstalled the production version on our test machines and installed a developer version. When we had some issues, we tried to go back to the production version downloaded from the App Store, but we get an pop saying "Unable to download App." In the log, the most obviously relevant error is 'Operation not permitted'. This occurs on several machines and different logins on those machines in both norma and safe modes. However, on another machine that never had one installed, we could still install the app from the app store, so I suspect there is something left behind that needs to be removed, but I don't know what. FWIW, I see the download directory getting created under /Applications, but it is promptly removed when the failure popup appears. Any suggestions?
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144
Activity
May ’25
Local Push Connectivity - Unreliable Connection
Hi! My project has the Local Push Connectivity entitlement for a feature we have requiring us to send low-latency critical notifications over a local, private Wi-Fi network. We have our NEAppPushProvider creating a SSE connection using the Network framework with our hardware running a server. The server sends a keep-alive message every second. On an iPhone 16 with iOS 18+, the connection is reliable and remains stable for hours, regardless of whether the iOS app is in the foreground, background, or killed. One of our QA engineers has been testing on an iPhone 13 running iOS 16, and has notice shortly after locking the phone, specifically when not connected to power the device seems to turn off the Wi-Fi radio. So when the server sends a notification, it is not received. About 30s later, it seems to be back on. This happens on regular intervals. When looking at our log data, the provider does seem to be getting stopped, then restarted shortly after. The reason code is NEProviderStopReasonNoNetworkAvailable, which further validates that the network is getting dropped by the device in regular intervals. My questions are: Were there possibly silent changes to the framework between iOS versions that could be the reason we're seeing inconsistent behavior? Is there a connection type we could use, instead of SSE, that would prevent the device from disconnecting and reconnecting to the Wi-Fi network? Is there an alternative approach to allow us to maintain a persistent network connection with the extension or app?
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8
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326
Activity
Jul ’25
Extend Family Control permission to app's extensions
I have tried multiple time through multiple channels and you have yet to respond to my request. I am developing an App on xcode APP Bundle ID: garymdmd.MediaPace Apple ID: 6740823496 Apple has granted me distribution use of the Family Control/Screentime module for my main app. According to your engineer's post here: https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/764919 That permission should be extended to your extensions that are part of the app. When you try to setup the extension identifiers they do not show the "added capabilities" column that sow sup when getting permission for the main app so you are not able to endow the extension with these permissions which seem to be needed to work with the app. I am trying to add these bundle identifier extensions: garymdmd.MediaPace.ScreenTimeMonitorDuo garymdmd.MediaPace.DeviceActivityReport Can you please tell me how to get this to work or to add permissions to these extensions. I have sent in the request form multiple times (here - https://developer.apple.com/contact/request/family-controls-distribution) and Apple simply writes back that I have permission after a few weeks but nothing changes for the extension capabilities.
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2
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Activity
Jun ’25
Increased Memory Limit for QL Preview Generator
we have written a QL preview generator for some 3D data formats not supported by the AR Quicklook generators included in iOS. however, we are struggeling with the 100 MB memory ceiling imposed on an app extension in iOS. we have included the "Increased Memory Limit" entitlement in both the app and in the preview extensions. nevertheless, the preview generator is limited to 100 MB, even on most recent devices like iPhone 16 Pro Max. we can even see 100 MB limit when we attach to the process with Xcode. my question: did we miss anything? are there additional steps necessary to obtain the increased memory limit? must we explicitly apply for it? 500 MB would be fine (our preview generator does not load textures). best regards
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2
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466
Activity
May ’25
App crashes due to a third-party library we use making a bad memory access.
Is there a way to prevent or handle our application's crash if a third-party library makes a bad memory access? Basically, I want to know if using a buggy library (that causes bad memory access) will automatically make our application inherit those crashes, leading to our app crashing as well. If there is a way to prevent the crash, what methods can be used to do so? Thread 13: EXC_BAD_ACCESS (code=1, address=0x3a7d300)
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256
Activity
Nov ’25
IdentityLookup deferQueryRequestToNetwork error 3 despite valid AASA and extension setup
I'm seeking help troubleshooting a persistent com.apple.IdentityLookup.error.messagefilter Code=3 error when my Message Filter Extension tries to defer to network. I’ve exhausted Apple documentation and forum posts, and Apple Support has asked me to escalate this via the forums to reach engineering. ✅ My Setup: Xcode: 16.2 macOS: Sequoia 15.3.1 (Apple Silicon Mac mini) Device: iPhone 14 Pro iOS: 18.3.2 (Developer Mode enabled) Tested via: TestFlight install on real device 📦 App Structure: Main App Target (minimal "hello world" logic) Message Filter Extension Target Messages Extension Target Message Reporting Extension Target Notifications Extension Target ✅ Capabilities & Configurations Main App Capabilities: App Groups: group.com.example.shared Network Extensions: Content Filter Associated Domains: messagefilter:my-api.example.com applinks:my-api.example.com Message Filter Capabilities: App Groups: same as main app Network Extensions: Content Filter Associated Domains: same as above 📄 Info.plist Config Main App Info.plist: NSAppTransportSecurity with: NSAllowsArbitraryLoads = YES Exception domain my-api.example.com with: NSIncludesSubdomains = YES NSTemporaryExceptionAllowsInsecureHTTPLoads = YES NSTemporaryExceptionMinimumTLSVersion = TLSv1.2 MessageFilter Info.plist: Same ATS settings as above NSExtension block: <key>NSExtension</key> <dict> <key>NSExtensionAttributes</key> <dict> <key>ILMessageFilterExtensionNetworkURL</key> <string>https://my-api.example.com/api/sms-filter</string> <key>ILClassificationExtensionSMSReportDestination</key> <string>+10000000000</string> </dict> <key>NSExtensionPointIdentifier</key> <string>com.apple.identitylookup.message-filter</string> <key>NSExtensionPrincipalClass</key> <string>$(PRODUCT_MODULE_NAME).MessageFilterExtension</string> </dict> 📜 Entitlements Main App Entitlements <key>com.apple.developer.associated-domains</key> <array> <string>messagefilter:my-api.example.com</string> <string>applinks:my-api.example.com</string> </array> <key>com.apple.developer.networking.networkextension</key> <array> <string>content-filter-provider</string> </array> <key>com.apple.security.application-groups</key> <array> <string>group.com.example.shared</string> </array> Message Filter Extension Entitlements Identical to main app’s, scoped to the extension. 📄 AASA File (Hosted on https://my-api.example.com/.well-known/apple-app-site-association) Serves as application/json, returns 200 OK, and is reachable on device via Safari. Logs confirm AASA is downloaded and installed successfully during TestFlight install. { "applinks": { "apps": [], "details": [ { "appID": "TEAMID.com.example.app", "paths": ["*"] }, { "appID": "TEAMID.com.example.app.MessageFilter", "paths": ["*"] } ] }, "messagefilter": { "apps": [], "details": [ { "appID": "TEAMID.com.example.app", "filterType": "URL", "domains": ["my-api.example.com"] }, { "appID": "TEAMID.com.example.app.MessageFilter", "filterType": "URL", "domains": ["my-api.example.com"] } ] }, "classificationreport": { "apps": [], "details": [ { "appID": "TEAMID.com.example.app", "domains": ["my-api.example.com"] }, { "appID": "TEAMID.com.example.MessageReporting", "domains": ["my-api.example.com"] } ] } } ❌ The Problem When the extension launches and receives an SMS to classify, logs show: deferQueryRequestToNetwork failed: The operation couldn’t be completed. (com.apple.IdentityLookup.error.messagefilter error 3.) The extension loads, network URL is available, the AASA is installed, and yet the extension is not allowed to defer to network. This occurs every time. 🧪 Other Notes Tried rebuilding everything from scratch Archiving to TestFlight, not running via Xcode Clean entitlements verified using codesign -d --entitlements :- Console logs show no issues with AASA download or validation Any help or insights from Apple engineering or others in the community who have successfully deployed a working Message Filter Extension would be hugely appreciated. Thanks in advance 🙏
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258
Activity
Sep ’25
How to pass URL to iOS app from share sheet, and automatically open app?
Hello everyone, I’ve been trying to pass a URL from Safari (or any other app) into my own app via iOS extensions (similar to how if you go to a website, open the share sheet, and hit the ChatGPT app icon, it opens ChatGPT and pastes the website URL into the chat textbox), and I’m hitting a wall. I’ve attempted both a Share Extension (using SLComposeServiceViewController) and a UI-less Action Extension (using extensionContext?.open(...)), but in both scenarios, my main app never opens. Here’s a summary of my setup: Main App Target plist <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd"> <plist version="1.0"> <dict> <key>CFBundleURLTypes</key> <array> <dict> <key>CFBundleTypeRole</key> <string>Editor</string> <key>CFBundleURLName</key> <string>com.elislothower.URLDisplayApp</string> <key>CFBundleURLSchemes</key> <array> <string>myapp</string> </array> </dict> </array> <key>LSApplicationQueriesSchemes</key> <array/> </dict> </plist> This means my custom URL scheme is myapp://. My app delegate (or SwiftUI’s .onOpenURL) correctly handles myapp://share?url=... if I open it directly from Safari. Share Extension Attempt Subclassed SLComposeServiceViewController. Plist had com.apple.share-services as the NSExtensionPointIdentifier. I called extensionContext?.open(deepLink) with myapp://share?url=..., but it always returned false. Also, the UI (with Cancel/Post buttons) was overkill for my needs. UI-less Action Extension Attempt Created a no-UI action extension with com.apple.ui-services as NSExtensionPointIdentifier. In my custom ActionViewController, I formed the same myapp://share?url=... deep link and called extensionContext?.open(deepLink). The extension does appear in the share sheet, but again, open(deepLink) returns false—my main app never opens. Confirmed Setup I’ve tested the URL scheme in Safari: typing myapp://share?url=... directly prompts to open my app, and the URL is handled fine there. I’ve ensured both extension Info.plists have <key>LSApplicationQueriesSchemes</key><array><string>myapp</string></array> so they can attempt to open that scheme. Tried on both simulator and physical device. On the physical device, the main app is definitely installed and has been launched at least once. Current Behavior The extension logs that it forms the deep link (myapp://share?url=...) correctly. extensionContext?.open(deepLink) fails (success == false), so the main app never opens. I’ve also tried forcing the call on the main thread, simplifying the URL (like myapp://test), and checking for any typos or case-sensitivity issues—still no luck. Is there a known iOS restriction or trick for allowing an extension (share or action) to open its containing app directly? Have I missed a configuration step or entitlement that’s necessary? Is it possible that iOS is just rejecting the call in these contexts? I’d love any insight or suggestions from those who have successfully launched their main app from an extension. Thank you in advance! ContentView.swift Info.plist URLDisplayAppApp.swift URLDisplayApp.entitlements ActionRequestHandler.swift ActionViewController.swift Info.plist MyAppActionExtension.entitlements
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3
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624
Activity
Jun ’25
Can I tell when my iOS Widget is running on MacOS (when Use IPhone Widgets is on)
I have an iOS Widget that also can load on the Mac when the Use iPhone Widgets setting is turned on on the Mac in Desktop & Dock. I want to use a different url scheme to open video clips from the widget if it is being clicked on iOS or the Mac. I tried using ProcessInfo.processInfo.isiOSAppOnMac but it always thinks it is on iOS. I also tried looking for the user document path to see if it was /var/mobile/ or /Users/. but it always thinks it is /var/mobile. I assume this is as it is not really a catalyst app but a WidgetKit extension from the phone. Is there anyway I can figure out when the widget is running on the mac? Thanks!
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6
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0
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774
Activity
Jun ’25
My File Provider Extension cannot be started sometimes
We use File Provider Extension in our main app, and it is working fine. We always call "NSFileProviderManager.add(_:completionHandler:)" function to start the extension, and "NSFileProviderManager.disconnect(reason:options:completionHandler:)" to temporarily quit the extension with the reason which will be shown in the Finder at the top of the FP domain folder. But sometimes, when the main app calls the above functions, the following issue cases occur, and the extension does not start/stop: The completionHandler function doesn't get called (As we noticed, we waited for 2 minutes. Then, we restarted the main app.) One of the following errors returned: i) "The application cannot be used right now", ii) "Couldn't communicate with the helper application", iii) "No valid file provider found with identifier" Here, the important thing is that restarting the main app once or twice clears the issue, and the extension starts. But it is frustrating to restart the app each time we get this issue. We want to know the following things: Why and when do the above issues occur? Why do they occur only sometimes, and how does the app restart clear the issue? How do we resolve them without restarting the main app? This has become a critical issue, so a detailed explanation would be greatly appreciated. TIA.
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1
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1
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754
Activity
Dec ’25
Missing flows for content filter on macOS 15 Sequoia
We use as content filter in our app to monitor flows, we gather data about the flow and block flows deemed suspicious. Our content filter is activated/deactivated by a UI app but the flows are reported via XPC to a separate daemon process for analysis. As of macOS 15, we are seeing cases where flows are missing or flows are not received at all by the content filter. The behaviour is not consistent, some devices seem to receive flows normally but others don't. It appears Intel devices are much less prone to showing the problem, whereas Arm devices routinely exhibit missing flows. On macOS 14 or earlier, there is no sign of missing flows. Testing on earlier beta versions of macOS 15 did not appear to show the problem, however I can't rule out if issue was present but it wasn't spotted. Experimenting with simple examples of using a content filter (e.g. QNE2FilterMac) does not appear to reproduce the issue. Questions, What has changed between macOS 14 and 15 that could be the cause of the lack of flows? Is our approach to using an app activated content filter reporting to a daemon connected via XPC unsupported?
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7
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1
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1.1k
Activity
Aug ’25
Safari Extension Stops on iOS 17.5.1 - 18
We are encountering an issue where the Safari extension we are developing stops working while in use on relatively new iOS versions (confirmed on 17.5.1, 17.6.1, and 18). Upon checking the Safari console, the content script is displayed in the extension script, so the background script or Service Worker must be stopping. The time until it stops is about 1 minute on 17.5.1 and about one day on 17.6.1 or 18. When it stops, we would like to find a way to restart the Service Worker from the extension side, but we have not found a method to do so yet. To restart the extension, the user needs to turn off the corresponding extension in the iPhone settings and then turn it back on. As mentioned in the following thread, it is written that the above bug was fixed in 17.6, but we recognize that it has not been fixed. https://forums.developer.apple.com/forums/thread/758346 On 17.5.1, adding the following process to the background script prevents it from stopping for about the same time as on 17.6 and above. // Will be passed into runtime.onConnect for processes that are listening for the connection event const INTERNAL_STAYALIVE_PORT = "port.connect"; // Try wake up every 9S const INTERVAL_WAKE_UP = 9000; // Alive port var alivePort = null; // Call the function at SW(service worker) start StayAlive(); async function StayAlive() { var wakeup = setInterval(() => { if (alivePort == null) { alivePort = browser.runtime.connect({ name: INTERNAL_STAYALIVE_PORT }); alivePort.onDisconnect.addListener((p) => { alivePort = null; }); } if (alivePort) { alivePort.postMessage({ content: "ping" }); } }, INTERVAL_WAKE_UP); } Additionally, we considered methods to revive the Service Worker when it stops, which are listed below. None of the methods listed below resolved the issue. ① Implemented a process to create a connection again if the return value of sendMessage is null. The determination of whether the Service Worker has stopped is made by sending a message from the content script to the background script and checking whether the message return value is null as follows. sendMessageToBackground.js let infoFromBackground = await browser.runtime.sendMessage(sendParam); if (!infoFromBackground) { // If infoFromBackground is null, Service Worker should have stopped. browser.runtime.connect({name: 'reconnect'}); // ← reconnection process // Sending message again infoFromBackground = await browser.runtime.sendMessage(sendParam); } return infoFromBackground.message; Background script browser.runtime.onConnect.addListener((port) => { if (port.name !== 'reconnect') return; port.onMessage.addListener(async (request, sender, sendResponse) => { sendResponse({ response: "response form background", message: "reconnect.", }); }); ② Verified whether the service worker could be restarted by regenerating Background.js and content.js. sendMessageToBackground.js export async function sendMessageToBackground(sendParam) { let infoFromBackground = await browser.runtime.sendMessage(sendParam); if (!infoFromBackground) { executeContentScript(); // ← executeScript infoFromBackground = await browser.runtime.sendMessage(sendParam); } return infoFromBackground.message; } async function executeContentScript() { browser.webNavigation.onDOMContentLoaded.addListener((details) => { browser.scripting.executeScript({ target: { tabId: details.tabId }, files: ["./content.js"] }); }); } However, browser.webNavigation.onDOMContentLoaded.addListener was not executed due to the following error. @webkit-masked-url://hidden/:2:58295 @webkit-masked-url://hidden/:2:58539 @webkit-masked-url://hidden/:2:58539 ③ Verify that ServiceWorker restarts by updating ContentScripts async function updateContentScripts() { try { const scripts = await browser.scripting.getRegisteredContentScripts(); const scriptIds = scripts.map(script => script.id); await browser.scripting.updateContentScripts(scriptIds);//update content } catch (e) { await errorLogger(e.stack); } } However, scripting.getRegisteredContentScripts was not executed due to the same error as in 2. @webkit-masked-url://hidden/:2:58359 @webkit-masked-url://hidden/:2:58456 @webkit-masked-url://hidden/:2:58456 @webkit-masked-url://hidden/:2:58549 @webkit-masked-url://hidden/:2:58549 These are the methods we have considered. If anyone knows a solution, please let us know.
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1
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1
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1.1k
Activity
Aug ’25