Hello, I am the developer of an app called one sec which helps users to spend less time on social media: https://one-sec.app Therefore, we make heavy use of the Screen Time API, and thus ManagedSettings and ShieldActionDelegate. One feature of one sec is the so-called “Doom Scroll Emergency Brake”. This blocks a target app after a certain usage threshold (e.g. 5 minutes) and requires going through an intervention (e.g. breathing exercise) to unlock more time. That added friction makes it very effective in reducing time spent on apps. One thing that is confusing for our users is the way they are prompted to unlock more time, if they want to. They have to: Have Push Notifications enabled for one sec Exempt one sec’s notifications from being delayed by AI prioritization (otherwise they are delayed by ca. 10s) Ensure that push notifications can be delivered during foci. Understand that they have to tap on the notification, which is not very straight-forward because it does not make sense from the user’s UX perspective. This is an artificial limitation of Apple’s screen time framework which has no reason (no security / privacy implications here…). Screenshots of the current flow attached. If would be much more reasonable if there was a new ShieldActionResponse.openParentApp value that can be returned from the completion handler of the ShieldActionDelegate.handle(…) callback. We have seen different apps use private API to achieve this, but we are afraid to do the same to avoid getting banned from the App Store. It would be fair if Apple would level the playground for all apps and offer such an API officially. – Frederik PS: Tracked under FB22347946, FB18846650, FB15500681, FB15079668, FB10393561 (all without responses so far…)

Hello, my app is frequently loosing / forgetting the Screen Time Permission that had been granted previously on iOS 26. I have experienced it myself, sysdiagnose is in this radar: FB18997699 But also also my App Store users who have updated to iOS 26 already have reported this bug. It would be great if Apple could ensure that this bug is addressed before iOS 26 is released to the public.

Hello, according to reports from our users these two ManagedSettingsStore options seem to be stuck in the enabled state even after turning them off or removing screen time permissions and uninstalling the app that configured them. Is this possible? Has anyone seen it? The denyAppRemoval (https://developer.apple.com/documentation/managedsettings/applicationsettings/denyappremoval-swift.property) prevents the user from uninstalling any apps from their device when active. The denyAppInstallation (https://developer.apple.com/documentation/managedsettings/applicationsettings/denyappinstallation-swift.property) "hides" App Store, making it impossible to install any new apps. We haven't been able to replicate it yet. Does anyone know about workarounds when this happens? So far it seems like the only way is to reset the affected device.

On iOS 26.2 (23C55), DeviceActivityMonitor.eventDidReachThreshold fires intermittently for a daily schedule (00:00–23:59) even when iOS Screen Time shows 0 minutes for the selected apps that day. This causes premature shielding via ManagedSettings. Environment: iPhone 13 Pro Max, iOS 26.2 (23C55). Event selection: 2 apps. Threshold: 30 minutes. Multiple TestFlight users report the same behavior across various app selections and thresholds. Intermittent (~50% of days); sometimes multiple days in a row. Not observed in testing prior to iOS 26.2. Evidence: sysdiagnose + Screen Time screenshots (with 0 screen time on selected apps) + unified logs show UsageTrackingAgent notifying the extension that “unproductive from activity daily reached its threshold,” followed immediately by ManagedSettings shield being applied (extension reacting to the callback). Filed Feedback Assistant: FB21450954. Questions: Are others seeing this on 26.2? Does it correlate with restarting monitoring at interval boundaries or includesPastActivity settings?

I'm building an app that uses the Family Controls / Screen Time APIs (FamilyControls, ManagedSettings). My app has three targets, each with a distinct Bundle ID: Main App Shield Configuration Extension ShieldAction Extension All three have com.apple.developer.family-controls in their entitlements files, and they share an App Group. My question is about the distribution entitlement request form at developer.apple.com/contact/request/family-controls-distribution: does the form need to be submitted once per Bundle ID, or is a single submission for the main app sufficient to then enable Family Controls (Distribution) for the extension Bundle IDs in the developer portal as well? I've seen conflicting reports in other forum threads — some developers say one submission covers all targets, others say separate submissions are needed per Bundle ID. I've already submitted the main app, but now I am wondering whether I should submit one for each Shield extension. Thanks!

Description: I am developing a digital well-being application using the Screen Time API (FamilyControls, ManagedSettings, and DeviceActivity). I am encountering a critical issue where the ApplicationToken provided by the system to my app extensions suddenly changes, causing a mismatch with the tokens originally stored by the main application. The Problem: When a user selects applications via FamilyActivityPicker, we persist the FamilyActivitySelection (and the underlying ApplicationToken objects) in a shared App Group container. However, we are seeing frequent cases where the token passed into: ShieldConfigurationDataSource.configuration(shielding:in:) ShieldActionDelegate.handle(action:for:completionHandler:) ...does not match (using ==) any of the tokens previously selected and stored. IOS version: 26.2.1

Hi, Submitted Family Controls entitlement request a month ago for my main focus app, got approved within a day. Submitted 3 more requests for my extensions, and it has been 16 days without any word. Saw advice to file a code-level support with DTS in this similar forum: https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/812934 Is there anything else I can do before filing a code-level support? Any extra info to provide? If not, can a DTS engineer please refer me for the code-level support? Thanks!

Hello, I’m using the Screen Time API / Family Controls in my iOS app Sobre and I’m having an issue submitting a new build to TestFlight. My app setup is as follows: Main app ID: com.balthazar.sobre App extensions: Device Activity Monitor: com.balthazar.sobre.deviceactivitymonitor Shield Configuration: com.balthazar.sobre.shieldconfiguration Shield Action: com.balthazar.sobre.shieldaction On the Apple Developer portal: Family Controls (Distribution) is enabled for: the main app ID com.balthazar.sobre and all 3 extension App IDs above. App Groups are also configured for the app and the extensions. New App Store provisioning profiles have been generated for the app and all 3 extensions and are used in the latest build. When I submit the build through App Store Connect (via Fastlane / EAS), validation fails only for the Shield Action extension with this error: Invalid Info.plist value. The value of the NSExtensionPointIdentifier key, com.apple.ManagedSettingsUI.shield-action-service, in the Info.plist of “Sobre.app/PlugIns/ShieldActionExtension.appex” is invalid. DeviceActivityMonitorExtension and ShieldConfigurationExtension are accepted without any issue. My questions: What is the correct expected value for NSExtensionPointIdentifier for a Shield Action extension using the Screen Time / ManagedSettings APIs? Are there any additional entitlements or capabilities (for example, related to Managed Settings) that must be explicitly enabled for the app or the Shield Action extension in order for this extension point to be accepted by App Store Connect? Given that Family Controls (Distribution) is already granted for the main app and all extensions, is there anything else that needs to be requested or configured on my account or App IDs to use a Shield Action extension? My goal is to use Screen Time / Family Controls properly to block distracting apps and present a custom Shield UI + actions for my users, while respecting all Apple policies. Thank you in advance for your help and guidance

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.

Hi, Once I try to reset security question, it says: "Your request could not be completed. This action could not be completed due to an error. Please try again later." So I am unable to access account. Please help! Best Regards,

We are currently working on a SCEP server implementation that operates in FIPS-approved mode. In this mode, RSA PKCS#1 v1.5 encryption is disallowed due to compliance requirements, and only FIPS-approved padding schemes such as RSA-OAEP are permitted. However, we have observed that the SCEP client functionality on Apple devices currently does not support RSA-OAEP for CMS EnvelopedData decryption. This creates a challenge for us in ensuring FIPS compliance while maintaining compatibility with Apple devices during certificate enrollment through SCEP. We would appreciate your guidance on the following: Are there any alternative FIPS-approved encryption algorithms or configurations supported by Apple devices for SCEP CMS EnvelopedData decryption? Is there any plan or timeline for future support of RSA-OAEP on Apple platforms for this use case? Feedback raised along with sysdiagnose logs as well : FB17655410

Hi DTS / Apple engineers, We’re attempting to extending our screen time app target to Mac Catalyst. On iOS, FamilyControls works as expected (AuthorizationCenter + FamilyActivityPicker, then ManagedSettings shields + DeviceActivity monitoring/reporting). On Mac Catalyst: The project builds with FamilyControls/DeviceActivity/ManagedSettings capabilities enabled. But attempting to request FamilyControls authorization (or present FamilyActivityPicker) fails at runtime. We see errors similar to: Failed to get service proxy: The connection to service named com.apple.FamilyControlsAgent was invalidated: failed at lookup with error 159 - Sandbox restriction. And our app stays authorizationStatus == .notDetermined, with the request failing. We saw an Apple engineer suggestion to “disable App Sandbox”, but Mac Catalyst apps appear to always be sandboxed, so we can’t disable it. Questions: Is FamilyControls authorization supported on Mac Catalyst today? If so, what entitlement/capability is required specifically for Catalyst/macOS? If FamilyControls auth cannot succeed on Catalyst, does that mean ManagedSettings shields and DeviceActivity monitoring/reporting are effectively unusable on Catalyst (since they depend on that authorization)? Is there an Apple‑recommended approach for a Catalyst “portal” app that mirrors an iOS child device’s restrictions, or is local enforcement on Catalyst intentionally unsupported? Any guidance (and any official docs that clarify current platform support) would be hugely appreciated.

Hi, Submitted Family Controls entitlement requests yesterday for a digital wellness app (main app + 3 extensions). For those who've been through this: How long did approval take? Did Apple ask for more info? Any tips? Thanks!

Hi, Submitted Family Controls entitlement requests yesterday for a digital wellness app (main app + 3 extensions). For those who've been through this: How long did approval take? Did Apple ask for more info? Any tips? Thanks!

Hi everyone, I'm hoping someone can share their experience or offer advice on entitlement request timelines. I previously had two bundle IDs approved for an app I'm testing via TestFlight - both were approved within a few days. I recently submitted a request for a third bundle ID (JMSHRM8W5J), and after realizing I may not have included enough detail, I submitted a follow-up request (XS2QYC59UU) with more context. It's now been almost three weeks, which is significantly longer than my earlier approvals - though I recognize some of that time included the holidays. A few questions for the community: Has anyone experienced longer wait times for additional entitlements on an existing project (with approved entitlements)? Did submitting a second request help or potentially slow things down? Is there anything I should include in a request to improve chances of quick approval? Any insight would be appreciated. Thanks!

Hello, I'm experiencing a significant delay getting the Family Controls entitlement approved for my Shield Configuration Extension, and I'm hoping someone here can help or has experienced something similar. Background: I'm developing an app that uses the Screen Time API with Family Controls. My main app bundle (lukedev.Bloka) was approved for Family Controls (Distribution) and works perfectly. The Problem My Shield Configuration Extension (lukedev.Bloka.Shield) has been stuck waiting for approval for over 2 weeks: Request ID: 6C8LD22UVM Submitted: November 20, 2025 Status: Still "Submitted" Current State: Only shows "Family Controls (Development)" in capabilities What I've Tried ✅ Submitted entitlement request via the proper channels ✅ Contacted Apple Developer Support (case #102762028251) ✅ Verified the main app has full Family Controls approval ✅ Deleted and regenerated all provisioning profiles multiple times ✅ Confirmed the App ID configuration is correct in the Developer Portal The Issue Without Family Controls (Distribution) approval for the Shield extension, I cannot: Test the complete app functionality on physical devices Submit the app to App Store Connect Move forward with development The error I'm getting during provisioning: Provisioning profile failed qualification Profile doesn't include the com.apple.developer.family-controls entitlement Questions Has anyone experienced multi-week delays for Shield extension entitlements? Is this normal? Should Shield extensions automatically inherit entitlements from the main app, or do they really require separate approval? The documentation isn't clear on this. Are there any known workarounds to test Shield Configuration Extensions during development while waiting for distribution approval? How can I escalate this request? Developer Support initially told me I already had approval (for the main app) but didn't address the extension's separate bundle ID. Technical Details Xcode: 16.2 Target: iOS 18+ Main App: Family Controls (Distribution) ✅ Approved Shield Extension: Family Controls (Development only) ❌ Stuck Why This Matters The Shield Configuration Extension is a core component of Screen Time API apps - it's not optional. Without it, the app cannot properly display blocking interfaces. The fact that it requires a separate 2+ week approval process (after the main app was already approved) seems like a significant oversight in Apple's review process. Has anyone successfully navigated this situation or found a way to expedite the review? Any help or insights would be greatly appreciated! Thanks, Luca

We're building a parental control app using FamilyControls (.child authorization). Our architecture: Parent sends pause command → Firestore + FCM Child receives push → NotificationService Extension triggers main app Main app sets ManagedSettings Shields Problem: If child disables Notifications in Settings and force-quits the app, we cannot enforce Shields. What we've tried: Firestore Realtime Listener (works only when app is running) DeviceActivityMonitor (intervalDidStart/End only triggers at schedule boundaries, eventDidReachThreshold requires explicit app selection via FamilyActivityPicker) Question: Is there a recommended approach for parental control apps to reliably enforce Shields when the child has disabled notifications? Or is this a known limitation?

Is there any way to use blockedApplications to hide all apps in a category? Currently, I use blockedApplications to hide individual apps, but it doesn’t work when I select an entire category. I thought the only solution would be to use shield, which doesn’t hide the apps but creates a blocking shield. However, I found an app on the App Store called Fokus, and it’s able to select a category and block all the apps in it. Does anyone know how this could be possible?