I'm building a voice-to-text keyboard extension that needs to open the main app briefly for audio recording (since keyboard extensions can't record audio), then return the user to their original app. The flow I'm trying to achieve: User is in WhatsApp (or Messages, Slack, etc.) User taps "Voice" button in my keyboard My main app opens via deep link (myapp://keyboard/dictation) App starts recording App automatically returns user to WhatsApp I cannot find a way to detect which app the keyboard is running inside, or which app opened my main app via the deep link. UIInputViewController.textDocumentProxy - No host app information available UIApplication.OpenURLOptionsKey.sourceApplication in application(_:open:options:) - When opened from a keyboard extension, does this return the host app bundle ID or the keyboard extension bundle ID? Private APIs (for research only, not production): _hostBundleID on UIInputViewController - blocked/returns nil on iOS 18 KVC approaches - all blocked Hardcoded app support - Works but requires maintaining a list of popular apps and showing multiple buttons instead of a single "Voice" button My questions: When a keyboard extension triggers a URL open (via SwiftUI Link or UIApplication.shared.open), what does sourceApplication contain? The host app or the keyboard extension? Is there any supported way for a main app to know which app it was launched from, specifically when that launch originated from a keyboard extension? How do apps like "Wispr Flow" achieve seamless return-to-app with a single voice button? They seem to auto-return to whatever app the user was in. Environment: iOS 18.0+ Xcode 16 SwiftUI keyboard using KeyboardKit Any guidance on the recommended approach would be greatly appreciated. I understand there may be privacy reasons for limiting host app detection, but the UX of requiring users to manually swipe back (or tap app-specific buttons) is significantly worse than automatic return.

Project Background： I am developing a third-party custom keyboard for iOS whose primary feature is real-time voice input. In my current design, responsibilities are split as follows: 1. The container (main) app is responsible for: Audio recording Speech recognition (ASR) 2. The keyboard extension is responsible for: Providing the keyboard UI Initiating the voice input workflow Receiving transcription results via an App Group Inserting recognized text into the active text field using textDocumentProxy.insertText(_:) Intended User Flow The intended workflow is: The user is typing in a third-party app (for example, WeChat) using my custom keyboard. The user taps a “Voice Input” button in the keyboard extension. The keyboard extension activates the container app so that audio recording and ASR can begin. After recording has started, control returns to the original app where the user was typing. The container app continues running in the background, maintaining active audio recording and ASR. Recognized text is continuously streamed back to the keyboard extension and inserted into the current cursor position in real time. Observed Industry Behavior Some popular third-party keyboards on iOS, such as WeChat Keyboard and Doubao Keyboard, appear to provide a similar user experience in which: Voice input can be initiated directly from the keyboard while typing in another app. The user remains (or returns) in the original typing context after voice input starts. Speech recognition continues and text is streamed into the active text field without interrupting the typing experience. I would like to better understand how this type of workflow aligns with iOS platform capabilities and supported APIs. My Questions Is it supported by iOS public APIs for a custom keyboard extension to activate its container app to start audio recording and ASR, then return to the original host app while the container app continues recording and performing ASR in the background? If this workflow is not supported, are there any Apple-recommended or supported alternative architectures for achieving a similar user experience, especially when audio recording and ASR logic are currently implemented in the container app rather than in the keyboard extension? Goal My goal is to design a solution that is fully compliant with iOS public APIs and platform constraints, while providing a real-time voice input experience comparable to existing third-party keyboards on the platform. Any guidance on supported APIs, recommended architectures, or relevant documentation would be greatly appreciated.

Hi everyone, I am building an SMS filtering app using the IdentityLookup framework. My main application handles the user login and receives a JWT. I need my ILMessageFilterExtension to use this JWT to authenticate its backend requests via context.deferQueryRequestToNetwork. Since the extension is sandboxed and doesn't share a URLSession or standard Keychain with the main app, I am trying to use the Shared Web Credentials mechanism as suggested in the documentation. My Questions: Is SecAddSharedWebCredential still the recommended way to "bridge" a token from the main app to the messagefilter service in 2026? If the backend returns a 401 Unauthorized with a WWW-Authenticate: Basic realm="api.mydomain.com" header, will iOS automatically retry the request with the stored token? Are there any specific AASA (Apple App Site Association) requirements for the messagefilter key? Does it need to be a separate top-level object or nested? Current Setup: Entitlements: Both Main App and Extension have messagefilter:api.mydomain.com and webcredentials:api.mydomain.com. Main App Code: Swift SecAddSharedWebCredential("api.mydomain.com" as CFString, "UserAccount" as CFString, "my_jwt_token" as CFString) { error in // Returns nil (success) } AASA File: JSON { "messagefilter": { "apps": ["TEAMID.bundle.id"] } } Despite this, I see the first 401 in my server logs, but the automatic retry with the Authorization header never happens. Has anyone successfully implemented this "silent" handshake recently?

Hi all, I'm building an iOS app extension using ExtensionKit that works exclusively with its containing host app, presenting UI via EXHostViewController. I'd like the extension to have read-only access to the host's task for process introspection purposes. I'm aware this would almost certainly require a special entitlement. I know get-task-allow and the debugger entitlement exist, but those aren't shippable to the App Store. I'm looking for something that could realistically be distributed to end users. My questions: Does an entitlement exist (or is one planned) that would grant an extension limited, read-only access to its host's task—given the extension is already tightly coupled to the host? If not, is this something Apple would consider adding? The use case is an extension that needs to inspect host process state without the ability to modify it. Is there a path to request such an entitlement through the provisioning profile process, or is this fundamentally off the table for App Store distribution? It seems like a reasonable trust boundary given the extension already lives inside the host's app bundle, but I understand the security implications. Any insight appreciated. Thanks!

Hi I'm developing an app that autofills Passkeys. The app allows the user to authenticate to their IdP to obtain an access token. Using the token the app fetches from <server>/attestation/options. The app will generate a Passkey credential using a home-grown module - the extension has no involvement, neither does ASAuthorizationSecurityKeyPublicKeyCredentialProvider. I can confirm the passkey does get created. Next the credential is posted to <server>/attestation/results with the response JSON being parsed and used to create a ASPasskeyCredentialIdentity - a sample of the response JSON is attached. Here is my save function: static func save(authenticator: AuthenticatorInfo) async throws { guard let credentialID = Data(base64URLEncoded: authenticator.attributes.credentialId) else { throw AuthenticatorError.invalidEncoding("Credential ID is not a valid Base64URL string.") } guard let userHandle = authenticator.userId.data(using: .utf8) else { throw AuthenticatorError.invalidEncoding("User handle is not a valid UTF-8 string.") } let identity = ASPasskeyCredentialIdentity( relyingPartyIdentifier: authenticator.attributes.rpId, userName: authenticator.userId, // This is what the user sees in the UI credentialID: credentialID, userHandle: userHandle, recordIdentifier: authenticator.id ) try await ASCredentialIdentityStore.shared.saveCredentialIdentities([identity]) } Although no error occurs, I don't get any identities returned when I call this method: let identities = await ASCredentialIdentityStore.shared.credentialIdentities( forService: nil, credentialIdentityTypes: [.passkey] ) Here is the Info.plist in the Extension: <plist version="1.0"> <dict> <key>NSExtension</key> <dict> <key>NSExtensionAttributes</key> <dict> <key>ASCredentialProviderExtensionCapabilities</key> <dict> <key>ProvidesPasskeys</key> <true/> </dict> <key>ASCredentialProviderExtensionShowsConfigurationUI</key> <true/> </dict> <key>NSExtensionPointIdentifier</key> <string>com.apple.authentication-services-credential-provider-ui</string> <key>NSExtensionPrincipalClass</key> <string>$(PRODUCT_MODULE_NAME).CredentialProviderViewController</string> </dict> </dict> </plist> The entitlements are valid and the app and extension both support the same group. I'm stumped as to why the identity is not getting saved. Any ideas and not getting retrieved. attestationResult.json

Hello everyone, I’m currently working with the Message Filtering Extension and would really appreciate some clarification around its performance and operational constraints. While the extension is extremely powerful and useful, I’ve found that some important details are either unclear or not well covered in the available documentation. There are two main areas I’m trying to understand better: Machine learning model constraints within the extension In our case, we already have an existing ML model that classifies messages (and are not dependant on Apple's built-in models). We’re evaluating whether and how it can be used inside the extension. Specifically, I’m trying to understand: Are there documented limits on the size of an ML model (e.g., maximum bundle size or model file size in MB)? What are the memory constraints for a model once loaded into memory by the extension? Under what conditions would the system terminate or “kick out” the extension due to memory or performance pressure? Message processing timeouts and execution constraints What is the timeout for processing a single received message? At what point will the OS stop waiting for the extension’s response and allow the message by default (for example, if the extension does not respond in time)? Any guidance, official references, or practical experience from Apple engineers or other developers would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance for your help,

Hello, We are using a Message Filter Extension (ILMessageFilterExtension) to classify SMS/iMessage content (junk vs allow) in our app. After testing on iOS 26.1, we want to confirm whether there are any behavioral, performance, or API-level changes that impact message filtering, such as: Changes in how often the filter extension is invoked Differences in classification accuracy or system overrides New privacy, entitlement, or permission-related restrictions Execution time limits or memory constraints Any changes specific to iMessage vs SMS filtering We did not find any explicit mention of Message Filter Extensions in the iOS 26.1 release notes and would like to confirm whether the existing behavior from previous iOS versions remains unchanged. Has Apple introduced any known or undocumented changes in iOS 26.1 that developers should be aware of when supporting Message Filter Extensions? Sometime I also found unpredictable behaviour on iOS version 18.5 or below, like sometime it works but sometimes starts working. Thanks in advance for any guidance.

I have noticed race conditions on macOS when tearing down and re-configuring an NEPacketTunnelProvider. My goal is to handle switching out one VPN profile for another identical/near identical one (I'll add some context for this below). The flow that I have tested was to wait for the NEVPNStatusDidChange notification to report a NEVPNStatus.disconnected state, and then start the process of re-configuring the VPN with a new profile. In practice however, I have noticed that I must wait a couple of seconds between NEVPNStatus.disconnected state being reported and setting up a new tunnel. Otherwise, the system routing table gets messed up but the VPN reports being in NEVPNStatus.connected state, resulting in a tunnel that appears healthy but can't be accessed. With this, I wanted to ask if you have any suggestions on any OS items I can observer, in order to deterministically know that the system has fully cleaned up my packet tunnel, and that I am safe to configure another? This would be much more optimal than a hard-coded delay. Additional context: Jamf is a common solution for deploying MDM configuration profiles. However, in my tests, it doesn't support Apple's recommended approach of using the PayloadIdentifier to mark profiles for replacement, as PayloadIdentifiers are automatically updated to match the PayloadUUID of that same profile on upload. Although given what I've observed, I'm not sure the Apple recommended approach would work here in any case. Additionally, it would be nice to transition from non-MDM to MDM cleanly, however, this also requires an indeterminate wait time between the non-MDM configuration being disconnected and subsequently removed, and the MDM one being configured. With these scenarios, we need to be able to add a second configuration, with possibly identical VPN settings, then remove the old one, allowing the system to transition to the new configuration. For the MDM case, the pattern I've noticed on the system is that when the current profile is suddenly deleted, the connection will go into disconnected state, then NEVPNConfigurationChange will fire. The new profile can be configured from NEVPNConfigurationChange, however some time is needed to avoid races. For non-MDM, I had experimented with an approach of polling for MDM configurations appearing. When they do, I'd remove my previous notification observers, and set up a new NEVPNStatusDidChange notification observer, to remove the non-MDM VPN configuration after. it enters a disconnected state. Following the removal, I would call a function to reconfigure the VPN with new configuration. When this logic is in place, the call to stopVPNTunnel() is made. Again, a hardcoded delay is required between stopping and removing the old configuration and setting up a new one. Thanks!

In these threads, it was clarified that Credential Provider Extensions must set both Backup Eligible (BE) and Backup State (BS) flags to 1 in authenticator data: https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/745605 https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/787629 However, I'm developing a passkey manager that intentionally stores credentials only on the local device. My implementation uses: kSecAttrAccessibleWhenUnlockedThisDeviceOnly for keychain items kSecAttrTokenIDSecureEnclave for private keys No iCloud sync or backup These credentials are, by definition, single-device credentials. According to the WebAuthn specification, they should be represented with BE=0, BS=0. Currently, I'm forced to set BE=1, BS=1 to make the extension work, which misrepresents the actual backup status to relying parties. This is problematic because: Servers using BE/BS flags for security policies will incorrectly classify these as synced passkeys Users who specifically want device-bound credentials for higher security cannot get accurate flag representation Request: Please allow Credential Provider Extensions to return credentials with BE=0, BS=0 for legitimate device-bound passkey implementations. Environment: macOS 26.2 (25C56), Xcode 26.2 (17C52)

Hello, We are using a Message Filter Extension (ILMessageFilterExtension) to classify SMS/iMessage content (junk vs allow) in our app. After testing on iOS 26.1, we want to confirm whether there are any behavioral, performance, or API-level changes that impact message filtering, such as: Changes in how often the filter extension is invoked Differences in classification accuracy or system overrides New privacy, entitlement, or permission-related restrictions Execution time limits or memory constraints Any changes specific to iMessage vs SMS filtering We did not find any explicit mention of Message Filter Extensions in the iOS 26.1 release notes and would like to confirm whether the existing behavior from previous iOS versions remains unchanged. Has Apple introduced any known or undocumented changes in iOS 26.1 that developers should be aware of when supporting Message Filter Extensions? Sometime I also found unpredictable behaviour on iOS version 18.5 or below, like sometime it works but sometimes starts working. Thanks in advance for any guidance.

Hello Apple Developer Community, I currently have a Safari Web Extension on iOS that blocks certain URLs for users. I would like to provide the same functionality for Chrome on iOS. I understand that Chrome on iOS uses WebKit under the hood, and Safari Web Extensions can run in Safari, but I am unsure whether there is any way to implement URL blocking in Chrome for iOS—either via an extension, API, or other supported mechanism. Specifically, I’m looking for guidance on: Whether any browser extension (Safari, Chrome, or otherwise) can intercept or block web requests in Chrome on iOS. If not, what Apple-supported alternatives exist for implementing URL-blocking functionality for users of Chrome on iOS. Any best practices for maintaining a cross-browser URL-blocking solution for iOS users. I want to make sure my approach is aligned with Apple’s policies and platform capabilities. Any guidance or official references would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

I’m working on an iOS VPN app and looking into using NETunnelProvider (Packet Tunnel) for the VPN implementation. From the documentation it seems that Packet Tunnel is required for VPN protocols like OpenVPN, but the Packet Tunnel capability doesn’t appear to be available by default. Does using NETunnelProvider / Packet Tunnel require a special entitlement to be enabled by Apple for App Store apps? If so, what is the general process for requesting or enabling that entitlement?

Hello, We are using a Message Filter Extension (ILMessageFilterExtension) to classify SMS/iMessage content (junk vs allow) in our app. After testing on iOS 26.1, we want to confirm whether there are any behavioral, performance, or API-level changes that impact message filtering, such as: Changes in how often the filter extension is invoked Differences in classification accuracy or system overrides New privacy, entitlement, or permission-related restrictions Execution time limits or memory constraints Any changes specific to iMessage vs SMS filtering We did not find any explicit mention of Message Filter Extensions in the iOS 26.1 release notes and would like to confirm whether the existing behavior from previous iOS versions remains unchanged. Has Apple introduced any known or undocumented changes in iOS 26.1 that developers should be aware of when supporting Message Filter Extensions? Sometime I also found unpredictable behaviour on iOS version 18.5 or below, like sometime it works but sometimes starts working. Thanks in advance for any guidance.

Hello, We are using a Message Filter Extension (ILMessageFilterExtension) to classify SMS/iMessage content (junk vs allow) in our app. After testing on iOS 26.1, we want to confirm whether there are any behavioral, performance, or API-level changes that impact message filtering, such as: Changes in how often the filter extension is invoked Differences in classification accuracy or system overrides New privacy, entitlement, or permission-related restrictions Execution time limits or memory constraints Any changes specific to iMessage vs SMS filtering We did not find any explicit mention of Message Filter Extensions in the iOS 26.1 release notes and would like to confirm whether the existing behavior from previous iOS versions remains unchanged. Has Apple introduced any known or undocumented changes in iOS 26.1 that developers should be aware of when supporting Message Filter Extensions? Sometime I also found unpredictable behaviour on iOS version 18.5 or below, like sometime it works but sometimes starts working. Thanks in advance for any guidance.

I’ve created a document type for my app and set it up in the Info Configuration in Xcode. This all works as expected: Implemented with the Transferrable API and ShareLink, I can share an app’s file via the Files app or Notes and then import the file via a Share extension and the fileImport swiftUI api. My question is regarding Messages, specifically. It appears as a ShareLink option and I’m able to send my app’s document type via a message, but I’m unable to open it or share it (internally, with my app), other than being able to forward or delete it. If I copy the file, I can’t access it within my app (it’s still stored in the Messages private bundle) and startAccessingSecurityScopedResource returns false as expected. The message does detect the right icon, so it’s recognizing the custom document type. If my Share Extension, exported document type, and transferable implementation is configured correctly, should I be able to open a file for my app shared via Messages? Is this an allowed action? I get various answers from AI, and I can’t test this in the Simulator on pre-26 devices.

I'm developing a passkey manager using ASCredentialProviderViewController. I've set a custom AAGUID in the attestation object during registration: let aaguid = Data([ 0xec, 0x78, 0xfa, 0xe8, 0xb2, 0xe0, 0x56, 0x97, 0x8e, 0x94, 0x7c, 0x77, 0x28, 0xc3, 0x95, 0x00 ]) However, when I test on webauthn.io, the relying party receives: AAGUID: 00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000 Provider Name: "iCloud Keychain" It appears that macOS overwrites the AAGUID to all zeros for third-party Credential Provider Extensions. This makes it impossible for relying parties to distinguish between different passkey providers, which is one of the key purposes of AAGUID in the WebAuthn specification. Is this expected behavior? Is there a way for third-party Credential Provider Extensions to use their own registered AAGUID? Environment: macOS 26.2 Xcode 26.2

Hi! I'm building a Screen Time management app using FamilyControls and ManagedSettings. When a user taps the primary button on a ShieldActionExtension, I need to open my main app to guide them through an intervention exercise. Other approved App Store apps like Jomo - Screen Time Blocker do exactly this: tapping their shield's primary button opens the main Jomo app directly. Screen recording: https://drive.google.com/file/d/15yubtTdTkFskGCIaAw_HGB57-boHPl3a/view?usp=sharing I've tried: URL schemes (UIApplication.shared.open() unavailable in extensions) Universal links Local notifications (works, but adds an extra tap) NSUserActivity Is there a supported API I'm missing? Or another accepted solution? Any guidance is appreciated.

While implementing the new background backup feature introduced in iOS 26.1, I create a PHAssetResourceUploadJob in an Extension. On iOS 26.1, the system successfully triggers the upload. However, on iOS 26.2, although the job is created successfully and all related configurations are correctly set, the system does not trigger the upload. Could you please help confirm the cause of this issue? Thank you.

I am trying to sign my Mac app to use Network Extensions capability. But every time I create a profile it displays that to me: on the other hand on the website it displays this to me:

We use Jamf Blueprint to deploy the managed app and identity to the iOS device (iOS 26.3 installed). Our managed app can access the identity via let identityProvider = ManagedAppIdentitiesProvider() let identity: SecIdentity do { identity = try await identityProvider.identity(withIdentifier: "myIdentity") } catch { } However, the app extension cannot access the same identity. Our app extension is notification extension that implemented UNNotificationServiceExtension APIs. We use above code in didReceive() function to access identity that always failed. The MDM configuration payload is: "AppConfig": { "Identities": [ { "Identifier": "myIdentity", "AssetReference": "$PAYLOAD_2" } ] }, "ExtensionConfigs": { "Identifier (com.example.myapp.extension)": { "Identities": [ { "Identifier": "myIdentity", "AssetReference": "$PAYLOAD_2" } ] } }, "ManifestURL": "https://example.net/manifest.plist", "InstallBehavior": { "Install": "Required" } } Is there any problem in our MDM configuration? Or the notification extension cannot integrate with ManagedApp FM?