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