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.