I'm currently exploring ways to update a widget's display independently of the timeline mechanism. While researching, I came across this thread and started experimenting with the approach: https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/720640 As part of the implementation, I'm attempting to render a 00:00-style time string using a single custom font glyph via .timer. However, I noticed that the colon character used in .timer doesn't appear to be the standard Unicode 0x003A (colon). It seems to be a different character entirely. Does anyone happen to know exactly which character this colon is? Any insights would be appreciated.

Spatial widget is a new feature of visionos 26. I notice The system’s Photo app can add a Spatial Image in the widget. I wonder if third apps can use spatial image or any 3D content in it's widget? I try to use RealityView in widget and it run with a crash. So does spatial Image in widget only supported by the system Photo app, and not available to developers now?

Is there any size guidance for the new WidgetKit integration on visionOS? The Widget HIG provides dimensions for all the widget size classes on iOS, iPadOS and watchOS, but has not been updated for visionOS. https://developer.apple.com/design/human-interface-guidelines/widgets My potential widget use case is image based, so I'm looking to better understand the optimal size, resolution etc I would need, particularly for the new visionOS specific extra large widget size.

Hi all, I'm currently implementing Live Activities using ActivityKit and facing a real-world limitation that I hope the community (or Apple) can clarify. 🔹 I can successfully start a Live Activity via APNs push (event: "start") even when the app is terminated — the Live Activity appears as expected on the Lock Screen and Dynamic Island. However, I need to update that Live Activity using the name I assigned in the push payload (e.g., match-123). This requires calling: Airship.channel.trackLiveActivity(activity, name: activity.attributes.matchID) …or equivalent code in native implementations to associate the activity with its push token. ❓The problem: If the user has never launched the app, or hasn't opened it after the Live Activity was started via push, then there’s no chance for the app to run this tracking code. So: ✅ Live Activity starts fine via APNs ❌ I can't track the activity and register it for future push updates (by name) until the app is launched ❌ Therefore, I can't update the Live Activity without knowing the token-name mapping 🔍 My question: Is there any way to programmatically track or associate a Live Activity (started via push) with a name for APNs updates, without requiring the app to launch? Or put differently: Can the system automatically track the name → token mapping if the activity is started via push? Is there any way (via entitlement, plist config, or system event) to allow registering the activity in the background (without user launch)? 💡 Notes: I already use pushType: .token and NSSupportsLiveActivitiesFrequentUpdates Live Activity content is fine; only the ability to send future updates is blocked without initial app launch Using Airship SDK for push + activity tracking, but the question is general to iOS + ActivityKit behavior Any insight on how apps like FotMob, Uber, or sports apps handle this situation would be really helpful! Thanks in advance.

I am trying to feature flag widgets in my Widget extension. This feature flag value is stored remotely, read by my main app, and written to UserDefaults, then read from UserDefaults in my widget target. I understand that providing an empty array of WidgetFamilys will not show my app when the user goes to add a widget. However, even when this flag flips to true, hard-closing and reopening my app will not show my app in the list of apps you can add a widget for. But I notice that if I recompile my app from Xcode (running the app's scheme, not the widget scheme), then my app will show when you search for an app to add a widget for, making me think that these Widget objects are only created by the system once when the app is initially installed/updated. My concern is that I will not be able to flip this flag from false to true after the user has installed my app to do a rollout of my widget. Is this expected? Or is there an alternative or otherwise recommended way of doing this? struct MyWidget: Widget { let kind = "MyWidget" var supportedFamilies: [WidgetFamily] { let manager = ExtensionManager() if manager.widgetsEnabled { return [.systemSmall, .systemMedium, .systemLarge] } else { return [] } } var body: some WidgetConfiguration { IntentConfiguration( kind: kind, intent: MyWidgetIntent.self, provider: MyWidgetProvider() ) { entry in MyWidgetView(entry: entry) } .configurationDisplayName("My Widget") .description("Install my widget!") .supportedFamilies(supportedFamilies) } }

Hi, I’m using SwiftData with an @Observable DatabaseManager class that is shared between my app and a widget. This class is located inside a Swift package and looks roughly like this: public final class DatabaseManager { public static let shared = DatabaseManager() private init() { let groupID = "group.com.yourcompany.myApp" let config = ModelConfiguration(groupContainer: .identifier(groupID)) let c = try! ModelContainer(for: MyModel.self, configurations: config) self.container = c self.modelContext = c.mainContext } public private(set) var container: ModelContainer public private(set) var modelContext: ModelContext } In the main app, I inject the container and context like this: struct MyApp: App { var body: some Scene { WindowGroup { ContentView() .modelContainer(DatabaseManager.shared.container) .modelContext(DatabaseManager.shared.modelContext) } } } Both the widget and the main app import the same package, and both use DatabaseManager.shared for reading and writing objects. The problem: When the widget updates an object using an AppIntent, the change is not reflected in the main app unless I fully terminate and relaunch it. If I just bring the app back to the foreground, it still shows stale data. Is there a recommended way to make the main app observe or reload SwiftData changes that were made in the widget (via the same shared app group and container)? I’m already using .modelContainer(...) and .modelContext(...) in the app, and everything else works fine — it’s just the syncing that doesn’t happen unless I force-relaunch the app. Thanks!

Hi, In my apps, the recent iOS 16.0 beta 7 (20A5356a) broke the .timer DateStyle property of the Text view, in a SwiftUI widget. In previous OS and beta, Text(Date(), style: .timer) was correctly displaying an increasing counter. In iOS 6.0 beta 7, Text(Date(), style: .timer) does not update anymore, (and is offset to the left). The other DateStyle (like .offset, .relative, ...) seems to update correctly. Anyone noticed that (very specific) problem ?

I am trying to update a widget with a push notification. After completing all the settings, I sent a push notification via command line and got the following error: Connection #0 to host api.sandbox.push.apple.com left intact {"reason":"DeviceTokenNotForTopic"} The platform is VisionOS.

Is this not possible? I have a simple text view that shows the time, but it doesn't stay in sync with the time. I've tried to use a timer like I do inside the app, but that didn't work. I tried TimelineView with it set to every minute, and that didn't work. I tried to use the dynamic date using Text(date, style: ) and that didn't work. I looked it up and apparently it's a limitation to WidgetKit, however, I don't understand how the Apple Clock widget can have a moving second hand that updates properly. Do I just need to add a bunch of entries in the TimelineProvider? Right now, it's just the default that gets loaded when you create a Widget extension. func timeline(for configuration: SingleClockIntent, in context: Context) async -> Timeline<SingleClockEntry> { var entries: [SingleClockEntry] = [] // Generate a timeline consisting of five entries an hour apart, starting from the current date. let currentDate = Date() for hourOffset in 0 ..< 5 { let entryDate = Calendar.current.date(byAdding: .hour, value: hourOffset, to: currentDate)! let entry = SingleClockEntry(date: entryDate, configuration: configuration) entries.append(entry) } return Timeline(entries: entries, policy: .atEnd) } EDIT: This code below seems to be working. Can someone confirm if it will continue to work, or will it eventually stop updating? func timeline(for configuration: SingleClockIntent, in context: Context) async -> Timeline<SingleClockEntry> { var entries: [SingleClockEntry] = [] let calendar = Calendar.current let current = Date() // Get the next minute let secondEntryDate = calendar.nextDate(after: current, matching: DateComponents(second: 0), matchingPolicy: .strict, direction: .forward)! entries.append(SingleClockEntry(date: current, configuration: configuration)) // Adds current time entries.append(SingleClockEntry(date: secondEntryDate, configuration: configuration)) // Adds next minute after current time // Add an entry every min for the next 30 minutes for offset in 0..<30 { let entryDate = Calendar.current.date(byAdding: .minute, value: offset, to: secondEntryDate)! let entry = SingleClockEntry(date: entryDate, configuration: configuration) entries.append(entry) } return Timeline(entries: entries, policy: .atEnd) }

Hi everyone and Apple support, I’ve built an app that continuously runs and receives temperature data from a sensor. When a threshold is reached, I use Live Activities with the push notification flow to display alerts on the Dynamic Island. The Live Activity and push notification flow work fine in foreground and background states. However, I’m trying to support push-triggered Live Activities when the app is in the terminated state. Since my app rarely terminates, I can’t confirm if the Live Activity push token is generated in that state. It seems like it isn’t, which blocks the Live Activity from starting via push. I tried with both pushtostarttoken and pushtostarttokenupdates. None of them worked. Has anyone dealt with this or found a workaround to ensure the push token is available even when the app is terminated?

I have an app that uses NSPersistentCloudKitContainer stored in a shared location via App Groups so my widget can fetch data to display. It works. But if you reset your iPhone and restore it from a backup, an error occurs: The file "Name.sqlite" couldn't be opened. I suspect this happens because the widget is created before the app's data is restored. Restarting the iPhone is the only way to fix it though, opening the app and reloading timelines does not. Anything I can do to fix that to not require turning it off and on again?

Hi Everyone. I wanna run the live activity in terminated state. I have implemented the push notification flow which is working fine in foreground and background state. In the terminated state, the push to start token is not getting generated. How to make it work?

I have an AppIntent that edits an object in my app. The intent accepts an app entity as a parameter, so if you run the intent it will ask which one do you want to edit, then you select one from the list and it shows a dialog that it was edited successfully. I use this same intent in my Home Screen widget initializing it with an objectEntity. The code needs to run in the app's process, not the widget extension process, so the file is added to both targets and it conforms to ForegroundContinuableIntent, and that is supposed to ensure it always runs in the app process. This works great when run from the Shortcuts app and when involved via a button in the Home Screen widget, exactly as expected. Here is that app intent: @available(iOS 17.0, *) struct EditObjectIntent: AppIntent { static let title: LocalizedStringResource = "Edit Object" @Parameter(title: "Object", requestValueDialog: "Which object do you want to edit?", inputConnectionBehavior: .connectToPreviousIntentResult) var objectEntity: ObjectEntity init() { print("INIT") } init(objectEntity: ObjectEntity) { self.objectEntity = objectEntity } @MainActor func perform() async throws -> some IntentResult & ReturnsValue<ObjectEntity> & ProvidesDialog { // Edit the object from objectEntity.id... return .result(value: objectEntity, dialog: "Done") } } @available(iOS 17.0, *) @available(iOSApplicationExtension, unavailable) extension EditObjectIntent: ForegroundContinuableIntent { } I now want to create a ControlButton that uses this intent: struct EditObjectControlWidget: ControlWidget { var body: some ControlWidgetConfiguration { StaticControlConfiguration(kind: "EditObjectControlWidget") { ControlWidgetButton(action: EditObjectIntent()) { Label("Edit Object", systemImage: "pencil") } } } } When I add the button to Control Center and tap it (on iOS 18), init is called 3x in the app process and 2x in the widget process, yet the perform function is not invoked in either process. No error appears in console logs for the app's process, but this appears for the widget process: LaunchServices: store <private> or url <private> was nil: Error Domain=NSOSStatusErrorDomain Code=-54 "process may not map database" UserInfo={NSDebugDescription=process may not map database, _LSLine=72, _LSFunction=_LSServer_GetServerStoreForConnectionWithCompletionHandler} Attempt to map database failed: permission was denied. This attempt will not be retried. Failed to initialize client context with error Error Domain=NSOSStatusErrorDomain Code=-54 "process may not map database" UserInfo={NSDebugDescription=process may not map database, _LSLine=72, _LSFunction=_LSServer_GetServerStoreForConnectionWithCompletionHandler} What am I doing wrong here? Thanks!

Hi. I need some help in starting the live activity in terminated state using push notification. I have developed an app which does not sleep and always run even in the background state. It is pressure calculator. From sensor, it will receive the pressure and display the values in the app. Whenever the pressure reaches a certain point, it should display the alert in the dynamic island. As of now, it is displaying live activity in the foreground state. Working partially fine in the background state. But not working in the terminated state. but in the documentation it have been mentioned we can start the live activity using push notification from any state. Please help me to find a solution.

I'm building a set of widgets that feature various emoji flags. However, when displayed in tinted mode, the emojis appear as solid white. Is there a way to control or override the rendering mode of emojis in this context? Any guidance would be very much appreciated. Thank you!

I have a widget that runs well on iOS 18. It is configurable and implements AppIntentTimelineProvider on the Provider. On iOS 17 it will call the placeholder method 7 times and not call the timeline method. The configuration intent implements WidgetConfigurationIntent. I've looked through the console logs and saw "ApplicationExtension record not found" but I'm not sure where to go from there. Why would the same widget work fine on iOS 18 and not 17? If I implement TimelineProvider and use a StaticConfiguration it works on iOS 17. Any help / guidance would be appreciated.

I have an iOS Widget that also can load on the Mac when the Use iPhone Widgets setting is turned on on the Mac in Desktop & Dock. I want to use a different url scheme to open video clips from the widget if it is being clicked on iOS or the Mac. I tried using ProcessInfo.processInfo.isiOSAppOnMac but it always thinks it is on iOS. I also tried looking for the user document path to see if it was /var/mobile/ or /Users/. but it always thinks it is /var/mobile. I assume this is as it is not really a catalyst app but a WidgetKit extension from the phone. Is there anyway I can figure out when the widget is running on the mac? Thanks!

I'm trying to create two widgets, widget A and B. Currently A and B are very similar so they share the same Intent and Intent Timeline Provider. I use the Intent Configuration interface to set a parameter, in this example lets say its the background tint. On one of the widgets, widget A, I want to also set another String enum parameter (for a timescale), but I don't want this option to be there for widget B as it's not relevant. I'm aware of some of the options for configuring the ParameterSummary, but none that let me pass in or inject the "kind" string (or widget ID) of the widget that's being modified. I'll try to provide some code for examples. My Widget Definition (targeting >= iOS 17) struct WidgetA: Widget { // I'd like to access this parameter within the intent let kind: String = "WidgetA" var body: some WidgetConfiguration { AppIntentConfiguration(kind: kind, intent: WidgetIntent.self, provider: IntentTimelineProvider()) { entry in WidgetView(data: entry) } .configurationDisplayName("Widget A") .description("A widget.") .supportedFamilies([.systemMedium, .systemLarge]) } } struct WidgetB: Widget { let kind: String = "WidgetB" var body: some WidgetConfiguration { AppIntentConfiguration(kind: kind, intent: WidgetIntent.self, provider: IntentTimelineProvider()) { entry in WidgetView(data: entry) } .configurationDisplayName("Widget B") .description("B widget.") .supportedFamilies([.systemMedium, .systemLarge]) } } struct IntentTimelineProvider: AppIntentTimelineProvider { typealias Entry = WidgetIntentTimelineEntry typealias Intent = WidgetIntent ........ } struct WidgetIntent: AppIntent, WidgetConfigurationIntent { // This intent allows configuration of the widget background // This intent also allows for the widget to display interactive buttons for changing the Trend Type static var title: LocalizedStringResource = "Widget Configuration" static var description = IntentDescription("Description.") static var isDiscoverable: Bool { return false} init() {} init(trend:String) { self.trend = trend } // Used for implementing interactive Widget func perform() async throws -> some IntentResult { print("WidgetIntent perform \(trend)") #if os(iOS) WidgetState.setState(type: trend) #endif return .result() } @Parameter(title: "Trend Type", default: "Trend") var trend:String // I only want to show this parameter for Widget A and not Widget B @Parameter(title: "Trend Timescale", default: .week) var timescale: TimescaleTypeAppEnum? @Parameter(title: "Background Tint", default: BackgroundTintTypeAppEnum.none) var backgroundTint: BackgroundTintTypeAppEnum? static var parameterSummary: some ParameterSummary { // Summary("Test Info") { // \.$timescale // \.$backgroundTint // } // An example of a configurable widget parameter summary, but not based of kind/ID string When(\.$backgroundTint, .equalTo, BackgroundTintTypeAppEnum.none) { Summary("Test Info") { \.$timescale \.$backgroundTint } } otherwise : { Summary("Test Info") { \.$backgroundTint } } } } enum TimescaleTypeAppEnum: String, AppEnum { case week case fortnight static var typeDisplayRepresentation = TypeDisplayRepresentation(name: "Trend Timescale") static var caseDisplayRepresentations: [Self: DisplayRepresentation] = [ .week: "Past Week", .fortnight: "Past Fortnight" ] } enum BackgroundTintTypeAppEnum: String, AppEnum { case blue case none static var typeDisplayRepresentation = TypeDisplayRepresentation(name: "Background Tint") static var caseDisplayRepresentations: [Self: DisplayRepresentation] = [ .none: "None (Default)", .blue: "Blue" ] } I know I could achieve what I'm after by having a separate Intent and separate IntentTimelineProvider for each widget. But this all seems unnessecary for just a simple optional parameter based on what widget its configuring.... unless I'm missing the point about Intents, Widgets or something! I've done a fair bit of other searching but can't find an answer to this overall scenario. Many thanks for any help.

I'm looking to maximise my Watch app's widget to be as up to date as possible. If we imagined the app was a simple step counter, and we wanted to display the users count as up to date as possible. We can conclude: We don't care about widget timelines beyond the current entry as we can't predict the future! We need to refresh the count as often as possible The refresh should be very quick with a straightforward HealthKit query, no networking or heavy work needed. We will assume the user has the complication/widget on their active Watch face. With the standard WidgetKit APIs we can expire the timeline after 15 minutes and in my experimentation a Watch app can usually update its widget timeline at that frequency if it's on the Watch face. I'm experimenting with two methods to try and improve refreshes further A user's step count might not have recently changed when the timeline update is called. I was therefore looking into the HealthKit enableBackgroundDelivery API (which requires the HealthKit Background Delivery entitlement to be enabled) to get updates limited to once an hour from a HKObserverQuery, I can then call the WidgetCenter.shared.reloadAllTimelines() from there. WatchOS also support the BGAppRefreshTaskRequest(identifier:"") and .backgroundTask(.appRefresh) APIs. I can request updates once every 15 minutes here too and then call the WidgetCenter.shared.reloadAllTimelines(). With option 1, this update opportunity is great as it will specifically update when there's new steps so even once an hour this would be helpful (A real shame to be limited to once an hour even if this used up WidgetKit standard reload budgets: FB13879817, FB11677132, FB10016177). But I can't determine if this update takes away one of the standard timeline expiration updates that already run 4 times an hour? Could I observe additional Health types to get additional updates? Do I need the Background Modes Capability as well as the HealthKit Background Delivery for this in Xcode or just the HealthKit one? With option 2, I can't find a suitable option in the (short) list of supported background modes in Xcode. Does not selecting any mean my app will get 0 refreshes from this route and so should not be implemented in my use case?

Is there any way to remove the hightlight on top and bottom of desktop widgets on iOS 26 ?