Supported API for managing an iPhone/iPad Home Screen from a sandboxed macOS app

Hello,

I’m developing a native macOS application intended for Mac App Store distribution, with App Sandbox enabled.

The intended feature is to let users connect their personal iPhone or iPad via USB, read the existing Home Screen layout, rearrange app icons and folders on the Mac, and apply the user-approved layout back to the device.

The target devices are ordinary, non-supervised consumer devices, without MDM enrollment.

Our current prototype detects the connected iPhone through public IOKit registry APIs. It does not access the Home Screen layout or modify the device.

I have reviewed USB access entitlements and the device-management HomeScreenLayout payload, but have not identified a public API for this consumer-device workflow.

Is there a public, supported API or documented integration mechanism for reading and updating these Home Screen layouts from a sandboxed macOS app?

If supported, which framework and entitlements should we use? We would also need to understand any limitations around preserving folders, Dock contents, widgets, and empty icon positions.

If this capability is not available through public APIs, could you clarify that limitation and the appropriate channel for submitting an enhancement request?

This is a question about technical API availability, rather than a request for advance App Review approval.

Thank you.

Answered by DTS Engineer in 911993022
Written by a13s in 853016021

The intended feature is to let users connect their personal iPhone or iPad via USB

There’s no supported API to do this, regardless of whether your app is sandboxed or not.

Written by a13s in 853016021

could you clarify … the appropriate channel for submitting an enhancement request?

See Bug Reporting: How and Why? for my advice on that front.

Please post your bug number, just for the record.

Share and Enjoy
—
Quinn “The Eskimo!” @ Developer Technical Support @ Apple
let myEmail = "eskimo" + "1" + "@" + "apple.com"

Written by a13s in 853016021

The intended feature is to let users connect their personal iPhone or iPad via USB

There’s no supported API to do this, regardless of whether your app is sandboxed or not.

Written by a13s in 853016021

could you clarify … the appropriate channel for submitting an enhancement request?

See Bug Reporting: How and Why? for my advice on that front.

Please post your bug number, just for the record.

Share and Enjoy
—
Quinn “The Eskimo!” @ Developer Technical Support @ Apple
let myEmail = "eskimo" + "1" + "@" + "apple.com"