Extensions

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

Posts under Extensions tag

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Feature Request: Allow Foundation Models in MessageFilter Extensions
I’d like to submit a feature request regarding the availability of Foundation Models in MessageFilter extensions. Background MessageFilter extensions play a critical role in protecting users from spam, phishing, and unwanted messages. With the introduction of Foundation Models and Apple Intelligence, Apple has provided powerful on-device natural language understanding capabilities that are highly aligned with the goals of MessageFilter. However, Foundation Models are currently unavailable in MessageFilter extensions. Why Foundation Models Are a Great Fit for MessageFilter Message filtering is fundamentally a natural language classification problem. Foundation Models would significantly improve: Detection of phishing and scam messages Classification of promotional vs transactional content Understanding intent, tone, and semantic context beyond keyword matching Adaptation to evolving scam patterns without server-side processing All of this can be done fully on-device, preserving user privacy and aligning with Apple’s privacy-first design principles. Current Limitations Today, MessageFilter extensions are limited to relatively simple heuristics or lightweight models. This often results in: Higher false positives Lower recall for sophisticated scam messages Increased development complexity to compensate for limited NLP capabilities Request Could Apple consider one of the following: Allowing Foundation Models to be used directly within MessageFilter extensions Providing a constrained or optimized Foundation Model API specifically designed for MessageFilter Enabling a supported mechanism for MessageFilter extensions to delegate inference to the containing app using Foundation Models Even limited access (e.g. short text only, strict execution limits) would be extremely valuable. Closing Foundation Models have the potential to significantly raise the quality and effectiveness of message filtering on Apple platforms while maintaining strong privacy guarantees. Supporting them in MessageFilter extensions would be a major improvement for both developers and users. Thank you for your consideration and for continuing to invest in on-device intelligence.
1
0
1.1k
Jan ’26
Activating a Container App from a Custom Keyboard Extension to Enable Continuous Voice Input While Preserving the Original Typing Context
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.
3
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505
Jan ’26
Detecting host app bundle ID from keyboard extension to enable "return to app" after deep link
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.
0
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363
Jan ’26
Follow-up: Programmatically detecting "Allow in Private Browsing" for Safari App Extensions
I am following up on Thread (https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/733233). Currently, SFSafariExtensionManager.getStateOfSafariExtension only returns if an extension is enabled, but not if "Allow in Private Browsing" is toggled on. Is there an API in macOS 26 and Safari 19 that allows a native Safari App Extension to detect this specific permission?
0
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783
Jan ’26
How do I provide developer documentation (4.1 - Copycats)
My application does not compete with the developer. It’s an extension which sits on top of their website. Its only use is to work with their website. Without using their name, the extension does not make any sense. The developer not only has no issue with it - some of their own employees use the extension. To get documentation from developer, that’s easy. However, two questions: Developer wants to know what needs to be provided? An email, A statement? How / what format would be required they are asking? How does such above documentation get submitted / included in subsequent updates to Not hinder approval? The app went through 8 positive reviews / approvals and then all of a sudden this happened out of no where. So not understanding what changed on Apples side and how/what is sufficient documentation (email, statement, PDF, ????) from developer? thanks.
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411
Dec ’25
Cannot make my app appear in “Share with App” action in Shortcuts – How to allow receiving images from Shortcuts?
Hi, I’m trying to integrate my iOS app with Shortcuts. My goal is: In the Shortcuts app → Create a shortcut → Select an image → Share the image directly to my app for analysis. However, when I try to add the “Share with App” / “Open in App” / “Send to App” action in Shortcuts: My app does NOT appear in the list of available apps. I want my app to be selectable so that Shortcuts can send an image (UIImage / file) to my app. What I have tried My app supports receiving images using UIActivityViewController and Share Extension. I created an App Intents extension (AppIntent + @Parameter(file)...) but the app still does not appear in Shortcuts “Share with App”. I also checked the Info.plist but didn’t find any permission related to Shortcuts. The app is installed on the device and works normally. My question What permission, Info.plist entry, or capability is required so that my app becomes visible in the Shortcuts app as a target for image sharing? More specifically: Which extension type should be used for receiving images from Shortcuts? App Intents Extension? Share Extension? Intent Extension? Do I need a specific NSExtensionPointIdentifier for Shortcuts integration? Do I need to declare a custom Uniform Type Identifier (UTI) or add supported content types so Shortcuts knows my app can handle images? Are there any required entitlements / capabilities to make the app appear inside the “Share with App” action? Goal Summary I simply want: Shortcuts → Pick Image → Send to My App → App receives the image and processes it. But currently my app cannot be selected in Shortcuts. Thanks in advance for any guidance!
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1.1k
Dec ’25
My Notifications Message Extension doesn't seem to run after distributing my app via Enterprise IPA
I'm developing an app that receives push notifications, and writes the contents of the push notification to a shared location between the main app and a Notifications Message Extension, through App Groups. This all seems to work on my phone, with developer mode turned on, but when I archive my app as an Enterprise IPA and distribute it, the users can install the app on their phones and they receive the push notifications, but it doesn't appear that the message extension is running as my app displays the content of the shared data in the App Groups on the main screen and nothing is showing. I have tried on 3 phones, and it only works on the phone with developer mode turned on. I can't tell at this point whether it's because of a signing issue, or build phase order issue, or something else?
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1k
Dec ’25
Fileprovider Recycle Bin recovery does not trigger the create event, and dataless files should not be moved to the Recycle Bin
I want to use FileProvder to implement the function of recovering from the recycle bin (the cloud recycle bin does not move, and after the local recycle bin is restored, the upload event is triggered again), but testing shows that the current recovery from the recycle bin is through the modifyItem event, and the CreateItem event is not triggered again to upload locally restored files Implement the deletion of undelivered files (dateless) without moving them to the recycle bin, which currently appears to be achieved by granting file. dash permission. But it is possible for the content of a file to be manually verified by the user. How can this be solved? How can we dynamically monitor whether a file is dataless Thank you for your reply. Could you please help answer my question
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749
Dec ’25
SetFocusFilterIntent app cannot be copied to another Mac
I have recently added a SetFocusFilterIntent target extension to my app which is a system utility which goes into the menu bar(Application is agent = YES). I have followed the approach in the WWDC22 video introducing Focus Intent and I have created an App Groups to being able to make the Extension to communicate with my main app, however from when I did this sometimes when I run the app I do get this log line: Couldn't read values in CFPrefsPlistSource<0x97cd34700> (Domain: group.xxx.xxx.MyApp, User: kCFPreferencesAnyUser, ByHost: Yes, Container: (null), Contents Need Refresh: Yes): Using kCFPreferencesAnyUser with a container is only allowed for System Containers, detaching from cfprefsd Despite this the Focus mode integration is working correctly on my development Mac. However I used to Archive the app and then Copy the app to my MacBook but when I do that now my other Mac cannot open the app and it is giving me an error. If I revert this change then I can bring the app back to my other Mac as usual following the procedure: Product -> Archive. Then from the archiver: Distribute App -> Copy App. After that I copy the app generated to the App folder of my other MacBook but it doesn't open anymore. During the archival phase now I am even getting this warning: MyAppFocus.appex is an ExtensionKit extension and must be embedded in the parent app bundle's Extensions directory, but is embedded in the parent app bundle's ../../../BuildProductsPath/Release/MyApp.app/Contents/Extensions directory. How can I solve this issue? If I rollback the commit related to this SetFocusFilterIntent new feature the app can be Copied and moved to the other Mac as before. Is this related to the extension or to the fact that I had to use this new entitlement: com.apple.security.application-groups ?
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700
Dec ’25
ExtensionFoundation/ExtensionKit across app boundary
Hi there, I'm trying to work on an architecture where one app exposes an API (Extension Host) that other apps can plugin to. I've been reading all I can from the docs and whatever I can find online. It seemed like iOS26 added the ability to do such a thing (at least in early builds). Is that the case? Has the functionality been walked back such that extensions can only be loaded in iOS from within the single app bundle? My use case is the following: I'm working on an agent app that desires to have 3rd party developers add functionality (think how MCP servers add functionality to LLMs). The 3rd party plugins would be provided in their own app bundles vetted by the AppStore review team, of course, and would only provide hooks, basically, the main app can use to execute functions or get state. This is the best thread I found on the topic, and the subtext is that it needs to be in the same bundle. https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/803896?answerId=865314022#865314022 Let's say for the moment that this isn't possible using ExtensionKit. What's the best way to achieve this? Our current best alternative idea is a hidded WebKit window that runs JS/WASM but that's so hackish. Please let me know, thanks!
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645
Dec ’25
ExtensionKit and iOS 26
It looks like ExtensionKit (and ExtensionFoundation) is fully available on iOS 26 but there is no mention about this in WWDC. From my testing, it seems as of beta 1, ExtensionKit allows the app from one dev team to launch extension provided by another dev team. Before we start building on this, can someone from Apple help confirm this is the intentional behavior and not just beta 1 thing?
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4
1.1k
Dec ’25
VisionOS 2 - Passthrough in screen capture
I'm trying to develop an app that broadcasts what the user sees (priorly we were using main camera access) but now we'd like to investigate and try with this option. I have set up the BroadcastExtension, I've added the picker, I click on my button, I can see my broadcast extension in the options list in the control center, once I click start, it stops after 1 second more or less. I'm not able to get anything in the console from my Sample Handler (prints or logs or anything). I can see however in the console.app some misleading information (one after the other): [INFO] -[RPRecordingManager getSystemBroadcastExtensionInfo:]_block_invoke:1333 Extension has passthrough license [INFO] -[RPRecordingManager getSystemBroadcastExtensionInfo:]_block_invoke:1336 Extension does not have passthrough license We have the entreprise license, the capability and I did add the capability on the extension target as well.
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457
Dec ’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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1.1k
Dec ’25
Alternatives to exports file for using Xcode frameworks in iOS
Hi, I have an iOS project with the following app targets: main iOS application a notification service extension 5 static libs containing some swift files with public methods 1 dynamic framework with above static libs as dependencies. The framework only contains 2 files - a default .h file and 1 .exp file. This exports file contains mangled-names of all the public methods that are exposed by the 5 static libs present as framework's dependencies. I obtained these symbols using the nm command for each static lib. The main iOS app target has 2 dependencies - the framework and the notification extension. The notification extension only depends on the framework. This setup works perfectly fine. I wanted to understand: If using the exports file is the only way to make this setup work? If not, what else can I do? What way does Apple recommend? According to my requirements, I only need at-most 2-3 functions to be exposed by the framework - thus using a exports file just for that seems to bug me. Thank you.
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729
Dec ’25
FSKit removeItem Not Being Called - Volume Operations Issue
I'm developing a custom file system using FSKit. After testing some example projects on github and have encountered an issue where the removeItem(_:named:fromDirectory:) method in my FSVolume.Operations implementation is not being invoked when attempting to delete files or directories through Finder or the command line. Environment: macOS: macOS 26.1 Xcode: 16.2 / 17A400 Sample Project: https://github.com/KhaosT/FSKitSample https://github.com/debox-network/FSKitBridge My volume implements the required FSVolume.Operations protocol with the following removeItem implementation: func removeItem( _ item: FSItem, named name: FSFileName, fromDirectory directory: FSItem ) async throws { logger.info("remove: \(name)") if let item = item as? MyFSItem, let directory = directory as? MyFSItem { directory.removeItem(item) } else { throw fs_errorForPOSIXError(POSIXError.EIO.rawValue) } } Steps to Reproduce: Mount the custom FSKit-based file system Create files using Finder or terminal (works correctly - createItem is called) Attempt to delete a file using: Terminal command: rm -rf /path/to/mounted/file option+cmd+delete force to delete file Expected Behavior: The removeItem(_:named:fromDirectory:) method should be called, logging "remove: [filename]" and removing the item from the directory's children collection. Actual Behavior: The removeItem method is never invoked. No logs appear from this method. The deletion operation either fails silently or returns an error, but the callback never occurs. Are there specific volume capabilities or entitlements required for removeItem to be invoked or are there any known issues with deletion operations in the current FSKit implementation? Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.
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478
Dec ’25
Unable to upload an app with ExtensionFoundation
I have an iOS app with ExtensionFoundation. It runs well on my local device, but when I upload on the AppStore it gets rejected with: Validation failed Invalid Info.plist value. The value of the EXExtensionPointIdentifier key, AsheKube.app.a-Shell.localWebServer, in the Info.plist of “a-Shell.app/Extensions/localWebServer.appex” is invalid. Please refer to the App Extension Programming Guide at https://developer.apple.com/library/content/documentation/General/Conceptual/ExtensibilityPG/Action.html#/apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40014214-CH13-SW1. (ID: ae8dd1dd-8caf-4a48-9651-7a225faed4eb) The Info.plist in my Extension is: <?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>EXAppExtensionAttributes</key> <dict> <key>EXExtensionPointIdentifier</key> <string>com.example.example-extension</string> </dict> </dict> </plist> so the Info.plist that causes the issue has been automatically generated by Xcode. I can access it as well, and it says: { "BuildMachineOSBuild" => "25A354" "CFBundleDevelopmentRegion" => "en" "CFBundleDisplayName" => "localWebServerExtension" "CFBundleExecutable" => "localWebServer" "CFBundleIdentifier" => "AsheKube.app.a-Shell.localWebServerExtension" "CFBundleInfoDictionaryVersion" => "6.0" "CFBundleName" => "localWebServer" "CFBundlePackageType" => "XPC!" "CFBundleShortVersionString" => "1.0" "CFBundleSupportedPlatforms" => [ 0 => "iPhoneOS" ] "CFBundleVersion" => "1" "DTCompiler" => "com.apple.compilers.llvm.clang.1_0" "DTPlatformBuild" => "23A339" "DTPlatformName" => "iphoneos" "DTPlatformVersion" => "26.0" "DTSDKBuild" => "23A339" "DTSDKName" => "iphoneos26.0" "DTXcode" => "2601" "DTXcodeBuild" => "17A400" "EXAppExtensionAttributes" => { "EXExtensionPointIdentifier" => "AsheKube.app.a-Shell.localWebServer" } "MinimumOSVersion" => "26.0" "NSHumanReadableCopyright" => "Copyright © 2025 AsheKube. All rights reserved." "UIDeviceFamily" => [ 0 => 1 1 => 2 ] "UIRequiredDeviceCapabilities" => [ 0 => "arm64" ] } What should I do to be able to upload on the AppStore?
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1.1k
Nov ’25
How can I open my app from the restricted screen like many apps in the App Store, one of which is AppLocker?
class ShieldActionExtension: ShieldActionDelegate { override func handle(action: ShieldAction, for application: ApplicationToken, completionHandler: @escaping (ShieldActionResponse) -> Void) { // Handle the action as needed. switch action { case .primaryButtonPressed: if let url = URL(string: "blockfocusapp://") { let extensionContext = NSExtensionContext() extensionContext.open(url, completionHandler: nil) } // completionHandler(.defer) case .secondaryButtonPressed: let userDefaults = UserDefaults(suiteName: "group.in.appsquare.FocusApp.shieldExt") userDefaults?.set(false, forKey: "shouldOpenMainApp") completionHandler(.defer) @unknown default: fatalError() } } override func handle(action: ShieldAction, for webDomain: WebDomainToken, completionHandler: @escaping (ShieldActionResponse) -> Void) { // Handle the action as needed. completionHandler(.close) } override func handle(action: ShieldAction, for category: ActivityCategoryToken, completionHandler: @escaping (ShieldActionResponse) -> Void) { // Handle the action as needed. completionHandler(.close) } } I want to be able to open my app from ShieldActionExtension
1
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331
Nov ’25
crash when call keyboardAppearance of UITextDocumentProxy
In third-party keyboard app, the app is crashed when call [[UIInputViewController textDocumentProxy] keyboardAppearance]. Environment) iOS 26 crash dump call stack Thread 0 Crashed: 0 libobjc.A.dylib 0x0000000198433008 objc_msgSend + 8 1 UIKitCore 0x00000001a1cea570 -[_UITextDocumentInterface _controllerState] + 68 2 UIKitCore 0x00000001a1ceaef0 -[_UITextDocumentInterface documentIdentifier] + 20 3 ThirtPartyKeyboardApp 0x0000000104aad190 -[NKBKeyboardViewController _updateThemeCenterAppearanceModeIfNeeds] + 56 (NKBKeyboardViewController.m:164)
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200
Nov ’25
Questions about NEHotspotEvaluationProvider Extension
Description : Our app helps users connect to Wi-Fi hotspots. We are trying to adapt our code to iOS 26 Hotspot Authentication and Hotspot Evaluation application extensions. When filtering hotspots in the filterScanList callback, we need to fetch support information from a remote server to determine which hotspots are supported. However, attempts to use URLSession or NWTCPConnection in the extension always fail. When accessing a URL (e.g., https://www.example.com), the network log shows: Error Domain=NSURLErrorDomain Code=-1003 "A server with the specified hostname could not be found." When accessing a raw IP address, the log shows: [1: Operation not permitted] Interestingly, NWPathMonitor shows the network path as satisfied, indicating that the network is reachable. Question: Are there any missing permissions or misconfigurations on our side, or are we using the wrong approach? Is there an official recommended way to perform network requests from an NEHotspotEvaluationProvider extension?
5
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532
Nov ’25
Feature Request: Allow Foundation Models in MessageFilter Extensions
I’d like to submit a feature request regarding the availability of Foundation Models in MessageFilter extensions. Background MessageFilter extensions play a critical role in protecting users from spam, phishing, and unwanted messages. With the introduction of Foundation Models and Apple Intelligence, Apple has provided powerful on-device natural language understanding capabilities that are highly aligned with the goals of MessageFilter. However, Foundation Models are currently unavailable in MessageFilter extensions. Why Foundation Models Are a Great Fit for MessageFilter Message filtering is fundamentally a natural language classification problem. Foundation Models would significantly improve: Detection of phishing and scam messages Classification of promotional vs transactional content Understanding intent, tone, and semantic context beyond keyword matching Adaptation to evolving scam patterns without server-side processing All of this can be done fully on-device, preserving user privacy and aligning with Apple’s privacy-first design principles. Current Limitations Today, MessageFilter extensions are limited to relatively simple heuristics or lightweight models. This often results in: Higher false positives Lower recall for sophisticated scam messages Increased development complexity to compensate for limited NLP capabilities Request Could Apple consider one of the following: Allowing Foundation Models to be used directly within MessageFilter extensions Providing a constrained or optimized Foundation Model API specifically designed for MessageFilter Enabling a supported mechanism for MessageFilter extensions to delegate inference to the containing app using Foundation Models Even limited access (e.g. short text only, strict execution limits) would be extremely valuable. Closing Foundation Models have the potential to significantly raise the quality and effectiveness of message filtering on Apple platforms while maintaining strong privacy guarantees. Supporting them in MessageFilter extensions would be a major improvement for both developers and users. Thank you for your consideration and for continuing to invest in on-device intelligence.
Replies
1
Boosts
0
Views
1.1k
Activity
Jan ’26
Activating a Container App from a Custom Keyboard Extension to Enable Continuous Voice Input While Preserving the Original Typing Context
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.
Replies
3
Boosts
0
Views
505
Activity
Jan ’26
Detecting host app bundle ID from keyboard extension to enable "return to app" after deep link
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.
Replies
0
Boosts
1
Views
363
Activity
Jan ’26
Follow-up: Programmatically detecting "Allow in Private Browsing" for Safari App Extensions
I am following up on Thread (https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/733233). Currently, SFSafariExtensionManager.getStateOfSafariExtension only returns if an extension is enabled, but not if "Allow in Private Browsing" is toggled on. Is there an API in macOS 26 and Safari 19 that allows a native Safari App Extension to detect this specific permission?
Replies
0
Boosts
0
Views
783
Activity
Jan ’26
How do I provide developer documentation (4.1 - Copycats)
My application does not compete with the developer. It’s an extension which sits on top of their website. Its only use is to work with their website. Without using their name, the extension does not make any sense. The developer not only has no issue with it - some of their own employees use the extension. To get documentation from developer, that’s easy. However, two questions: Developer wants to know what needs to be provided? An email, A statement? How / what format would be required they are asking? How does such above documentation get submitted / included in subsequent updates to Not hinder approval? The app went through 8 positive reviews / approvals and then all of a sudden this happened out of no where. So not understanding what changed on Apples side and how/what is sufficient documentation (email, statement, PDF, ????) from developer? thanks.
Replies
2
Boosts
0
Views
411
Activity
Dec ’25
Cannot make my app appear in “Share with App” action in Shortcuts – How to allow receiving images from Shortcuts?
Hi, I’m trying to integrate my iOS app with Shortcuts. My goal is: In the Shortcuts app → Create a shortcut → Select an image → Share the image directly to my app for analysis. However, when I try to add the “Share with App” / “Open in App” / “Send to App” action in Shortcuts: My app does NOT appear in the list of available apps. I want my app to be selectable so that Shortcuts can send an image (UIImage / file) to my app. What I have tried My app supports receiving images using UIActivityViewController and Share Extension. I created an App Intents extension (AppIntent + @Parameter(file)...) but the app still does not appear in Shortcuts “Share with App”. I also checked the Info.plist but didn’t find any permission related to Shortcuts. The app is installed on the device and works normally. My question What permission, Info.plist entry, or capability is required so that my app becomes visible in the Shortcuts app as a target for image sharing? More specifically: Which extension type should be used for receiving images from Shortcuts? App Intents Extension? Share Extension? Intent Extension? Do I need a specific NSExtensionPointIdentifier for Shortcuts integration? Do I need to declare a custom Uniform Type Identifier (UTI) or add supported content types so Shortcuts knows my app can handle images? Are there any required entitlements / capabilities to make the app appear inside the “Share with App” action? Goal Summary I simply want: Shortcuts → Pick Image → Send to My App → App receives the image and processes it. But currently my app cannot be selected in Shortcuts. Thanks in advance for any guidance!
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3
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1.1k
Activity
Dec ’25
My Notifications Message Extension doesn't seem to run after distributing my app via Enterprise IPA
I'm developing an app that receives push notifications, and writes the contents of the push notification to a shared location between the main app and a Notifications Message Extension, through App Groups. This all seems to work on my phone, with developer mode turned on, but when I archive my app as an Enterprise IPA and distribute it, the users can install the app on their phones and they receive the push notifications, but it doesn't appear that the message extension is running as my app displays the content of the shared data in the App Groups on the main screen and nothing is showing. I have tried on 3 phones, and it only works on the phone with developer mode turned on. I can't tell at this point whether it's because of a signing issue, or build phase order issue, or something else?
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6
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1k
Activity
Dec ’25
Fileprovider Recycle Bin recovery does not trigger the create event, and dataless files should not be moved to the Recycle Bin
I want to use FileProvder to implement the function of recovering from the recycle bin (the cloud recycle bin does not move, and after the local recycle bin is restored, the upload event is triggered again), but testing shows that the current recovery from the recycle bin is through the modifyItem event, and the CreateItem event is not triggered again to upload locally restored files Implement the deletion of undelivered files (dateless) without moving them to the recycle bin, which currently appears to be achieved by granting file. dash permission. But it is possible for the content of a file to be manually verified by the user. How can this be solved? How can we dynamically monitor whether a file is dataless Thank you for your reply. Could you please help answer my question
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5
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749
Activity
Dec ’25
SetFocusFilterIntent app cannot be copied to another Mac
I have recently added a SetFocusFilterIntent target extension to my app which is a system utility which goes into the menu bar(Application is agent = YES). I have followed the approach in the WWDC22 video introducing Focus Intent and I have created an App Groups to being able to make the Extension to communicate with my main app, however from when I did this sometimes when I run the app I do get this log line: Couldn't read values in CFPrefsPlistSource<0x97cd34700> (Domain: group.xxx.xxx.MyApp, User: kCFPreferencesAnyUser, ByHost: Yes, Container: (null), Contents Need Refresh: Yes): Using kCFPreferencesAnyUser with a container is only allowed for System Containers, detaching from cfprefsd Despite this the Focus mode integration is working correctly on my development Mac. However I used to Archive the app and then Copy the app to my MacBook but when I do that now my other Mac cannot open the app and it is giving me an error. If I revert this change then I can bring the app back to my other Mac as usual following the procedure: Product -> Archive. Then from the archiver: Distribute App -> Copy App. After that I copy the app generated to the App folder of my other MacBook but it doesn't open anymore. During the archival phase now I am even getting this warning: MyAppFocus.appex is an ExtensionKit extension and must be embedded in the parent app bundle's Extensions directory, but is embedded in the parent app bundle's ../../../BuildProductsPath/Release/MyApp.app/Contents/Extensions directory. How can I solve this issue? If I rollback the commit related to this SetFocusFilterIntent new feature the app can be Copied and moved to the other Mac as before. Is this related to the extension or to the fact that I had to use this new entitlement: com.apple.security.application-groups ?
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0
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1
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700
Activity
Dec ’25
ExtensionFoundation/ExtensionKit across app boundary
Hi there, I'm trying to work on an architecture where one app exposes an API (Extension Host) that other apps can plugin to. I've been reading all I can from the docs and whatever I can find online. It seemed like iOS26 added the ability to do such a thing (at least in early builds). Is that the case? Has the functionality been walked back such that extensions can only be loaded in iOS from within the single app bundle? My use case is the following: I'm working on an agent app that desires to have 3rd party developers add functionality (think how MCP servers add functionality to LLMs). The 3rd party plugins would be provided in their own app bundles vetted by the AppStore review team, of course, and would only provide hooks, basically, the main app can use to execute functions or get state. This is the best thread I found on the topic, and the subtext is that it needs to be in the same bundle. https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/803896?answerId=865314022#865314022 Let's say for the moment that this isn't possible using ExtensionKit. What's the best way to achieve this? Our current best alternative idea is a hidded WebKit window that runs JS/WASM but that's so hackish. Please let me know, thanks!
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3
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645
Activity
Dec ’25
ExtensionKit and iOS 26
It looks like ExtensionKit (and ExtensionFoundation) is fully available on iOS 26 but there is no mention about this in WWDC. From my testing, it seems as of beta 1, ExtensionKit allows the app from one dev team to launch extension provided by another dev team. Before we start building on this, can someone from Apple help confirm this is the intentional behavior and not just beta 1 thing?
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3
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4
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1.1k
Activity
Dec ’25
VisionOS 2 - Passthrough in screen capture
I'm trying to develop an app that broadcasts what the user sees (priorly we were using main camera access) but now we'd like to investigate and try with this option. I have set up the BroadcastExtension, I've added the picker, I click on my button, I can see my broadcast extension in the options list in the control center, once I click start, it stops after 1 second more or less. I'm not able to get anything in the console from my Sample Handler (prints or logs or anything). I can see however in the console.app some misleading information (one after the other): [INFO] -[RPRecordingManager getSystemBroadcastExtensionInfo:]_block_invoke:1333 Extension has passthrough license [INFO] -[RPRecordingManager getSystemBroadcastExtensionInfo:]_block_invoke:1336 Extension does not have passthrough license We have the entreprise license, the capability and I did add the capability on the extension target as well.
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0
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457
Activity
Dec ’25
Looking to test apps on TestFlight
I would love to partake in beta testing and reporting issues and bugs! Let me know what you got
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0
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363
Activity
Dec ’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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1.1k
Activity
Dec ’25
Alternatives to exports file for using Xcode frameworks in iOS
Hi, I have an iOS project with the following app targets: main iOS application a notification service extension 5 static libs containing some swift files with public methods 1 dynamic framework with above static libs as dependencies. The framework only contains 2 files - a default .h file and 1 .exp file. This exports file contains mangled-names of all the public methods that are exposed by the 5 static libs present as framework's dependencies. I obtained these symbols using the nm command for each static lib. The main iOS app target has 2 dependencies - the framework and the notification extension. The notification extension only depends on the framework. This setup works perfectly fine. I wanted to understand: If using the exports file is the only way to make this setup work? If not, what else can I do? What way does Apple recommend? According to my requirements, I only need at-most 2-3 functions to be exposed by the framework - thus using a exports file just for that seems to bug me. Thank you.
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3
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0
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729
Activity
Dec ’25
FSKit removeItem Not Being Called - Volume Operations Issue
I'm developing a custom file system using FSKit. After testing some example projects on github and have encountered an issue where the removeItem(_:named:fromDirectory:) method in my FSVolume.Operations implementation is not being invoked when attempting to delete files or directories through Finder or the command line. Environment: macOS: macOS 26.1 Xcode: 16.2 / 17A400 Sample Project: https://github.com/KhaosT/FSKitSample https://github.com/debox-network/FSKitBridge My volume implements the required FSVolume.Operations protocol with the following removeItem implementation: func removeItem( _ item: FSItem, named name: FSFileName, fromDirectory directory: FSItem ) async throws { logger.info("remove: \(name)") if let item = item as? MyFSItem, let directory = directory as? MyFSItem { directory.removeItem(item) } else { throw fs_errorForPOSIXError(POSIXError.EIO.rawValue) } } Steps to Reproduce: Mount the custom FSKit-based file system Create files using Finder or terminal (works correctly - createItem is called) Attempt to delete a file using: Terminal command: rm -rf /path/to/mounted/file option+cmd+delete force to delete file Expected Behavior: The removeItem(_:named:fromDirectory:) method should be called, logging "remove: [filename]" and removing the item from the directory's children collection. Actual Behavior: The removeItem method is never invoked. No logs appear from this method. The deletion operation either fails silently or returns an error, but the callback never occurs. Are there specific volume capabilities or entitlements required for removeItem to be invoked or are there any known issues with deletion operations in the current FSKit implementation? Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.
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1
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478
Activity
Dec ’25
Unable to upload an app with ExtensionFoundation
I have an iOS app with ExtensionFoundation. It runs well on my local device, but when I upload on the AppStore it gets rejected with: Validation failed Invalid Info.plist value. The value of the EXExtensionPointIdentifier key, AsheKube.app.a-Shell.localWebServer, in the Info.plist of “a-Shell.app/Extensions/localWebServer.appex” is invalid. Please refer to the App Extension Programming Guide at https://developer.apple.com/library/content/documentation/General/Conceptual/ExtensibilityPG/Action.html#/apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40014214-CH13-SW1. (ID: ae8dd1dd-8caf-4a48-9651-7a225faed4eb) The Info.plist in my Extension is: <?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>EXAppExtensionAttributes</key> <dict> <key>EXExtensionPointIdentifier</key> <string>com.example.example-extension</string> </dict> </dict> </plist> so the Info.plist that causes the issue has been automatically generated by Xcode. I can access it as well, and it says: { "BuildMachineOSBuild" => "25A354" "CFBundleDevelopmentRegion" => "en" "CFBundleDisplayName" => "localWebServerExtension" "CFBundleExecutable" => "localWebServer" "CFBundleIdentifier" => "AsheKube.app.a-Shell.localWebServerExtension" "CFBundleInfoDictionaryVersion" => "6.0" "CFBundleName" => "localWebServer" "CFBundlePackageType" => "XPC!" "CFBundleShortVersionString" => "1.0" "CFBundleSupportedPlatforms" => [ 0 => "iPhoneOS" ] "CFBundleVersion" => "1" "DTCompiler" => "com.apple.compilers.llvm.clang.1_0" "DTPlatformBuild" => "23A339" "DTPlatformName" => "iphoneos" "DTPlatformVersion" => "26.0" "DTSDKBuild" => "23A339" "DTSDKName" => "iphoneos26.0" "DTXcode" => "2601" "DTXcodeBuild" => "17A400" "EXAppExtensionAttributes" => { "EXExtensionPointIdentifier" => "AsheKube.app.a-Shell.localWebServer" } "MinimumOSVersion" => "26.0" "NSHumanReadableCopyright" => "Copyright © 2025 AsheKube. All rights reserved." "UIDeviceFamily" => [ 0 => 1 1 => 2 ] "UIRequiredDeviceCapabilities" => [ 0 => "arm64" ] } What should I do to be able to upload on the AppStore?
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13
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1
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1.1k
Activity
Nov ’25
How can I open my app from the restricted screen like many apps in the App Store, one of which is AppLocker?
class ShieldActionExtension: ShieldActionDelegate { override func handle(action: ShieldAction, for application: ApplicationToken, completionHandler: @escaping (ShieldActionResponse) -> Void) { // Handle the action as needed. switch action { case .primaryButtonPressed: if let url = URL(string: "blockfocusapp://") { let extensionContext = NSExtensionContext() extensionContext.open(url, completionHandler: nil) } // completionHandler(.defer) case .secondaryButtonPressed: let userDefaults = UserDefaults(suiteName: "group.in.appsquare.FocusApp.shieldExt") userDefaults?.set(false, forKey: "shouldOpenMainApp") completionHandler(.defer) @unknown default: fatalError() } } override func handle(action: ShieldAction, for webDomain: WebDomainToken, completionHandler: @escaping (ShieldActionResponse) -> Void) { // Handle the action as needed. completionHandler(.close) } override func handle(action: ShieldAction, for category: ActivityCategoryToken, completionHandler: @escaping (ShieldActionResponse) -> Void) { // Handle the action as needed. completionHandler(.close) } } I want to be able to open my app from ShieldActionExtension
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1
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331
Activity
Nov ’25
crash when call keyboardAppearance of UITextDocumentProxy
In third-party keyboard app, the app is crashed when call [[UIInputViewController textDocumentProxy] keyboardAppearance]. Environment) iOS 26 crash dump call stack Thread 0 Crashed: 0 libobjc.A.dylib 0x0000000198433008 objc_msgSend + 8 1 UIKitCore 0x00000001a1cea570 -[_UITextDocumentInterface _controllerState] + 68 2 UIKitCore 0x00000001a1ceaef0 -[_UITextDocumentInterface documentIdentifier] + 20 3 ThirtPartyKeyboardApp 0x0000000104aad190 -[NKBKeyboardViewController _updateThemeCenterAppearanceModeIfNeeds] + 56 (NKBKeyboardViewController.m:164)
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200
Activity
Nov ’25
Questions about NEHotspotEvaluationProvider Extension
Description : Our app helps users connect to Wi-Fi hotspots. We are trying to adapt our code to iOS 26 Hotspot Authentication and Hotspot Evaluation application extensions. When filtering hotspots in the filterScanList callback, we need to fetch support information from a remote server to determine which hotspots are supported. However, attempts to use URLSession or NWTCPConnection in the extension always fail. When accessing a URL (e.g., https://www.example.com), the network log shows: Error Domain=NSURLErrorDomain Code=-1003 "A server with the specified hostname could not be found." When accessing a raw IP address, the log shows: [1: Operation not permitted] Interestingly, NWPathMonitor shows the network path as satisfied, indicating that the network is reachable. Question: Are there any missing permissions or misconfigurations on our side, or are we using the wrong approach? Is there an official recommended way to perform network requests from an NEHotspotEvaluationProvider extension?
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5
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532
Activity
Nov ’25