Widgets & Live Activities

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Discuss how to manage and implement Widgets & Live Activities.

WidgetKit Documentation

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Today Widgets (old widgets) disappear after EVERY app update.
We had "Today widgets" that worked perfect for a long time. After introducing the new Widgets Extension we added a Widgets Bundle to our app. Now after every app update the old widgets disappear from "Today view" and can be bring back ONLY by rebooting the iPhone. Sometime when they disappear, in today view appears the first widget from the Widgets Bundle. I've tested other apps too and it happens every time to apps that support old and new widgets (Xiaomi Home app for example). Does anyone have a clue how to fix that?
2
1
2.4k
Apr ’26
Optional Parameter using WidgetConfigurationIntent
Hi there, I'm adding a new widget using the new WidgetConfigurationIntent which takes a number of parameters, including one which conforms to AppEntity. It is defined as an optional. When the user is configuring the widget, after one of the suggested entities is chosen, there is no way to return to a state where this value is nil. Is this possible? I'd like the user to be able to select "None" for this parameter. For now, I'm using a bool to determine whether the AppEntity parameter is used. Thanks!
2
0
1.4k
Oct ’25
SendProcessControlEvent:toPid: encountered an error
iPhone 16.0 16.0.2 系统上运行小组件出现问题, 其他系统没有问题 SendProcessControlEvent:toPid: encountered an error: Error Domain=com.apple.dt.deviceprocesscontrolservice Code=8 "Failed to show Widget 'com.jiduauto.iphone.jdcomiphoneWidget' error: Error Domain=FBSOpenApplicationServiceErrorDomain Code=5 "The request to open "com.apple.springboard" failed." UserInfo={NSLocalizedDescription=The request to open "com.apple.springboard" failed., NSLocalizedFailureReason=Unexpected error type., NSUnderlyingError=0x600002bbd7a0 {Error Domain=BSServiceConnectionErrorDomain Code=3 "XPC error received on message reply handler" UserInfo={BSErrorCodeDescription=OperationFailed, NSLocalizedFailureReason=XPC error received on message reply handler}}, BSErrorCodeDescription=InvalidResponse}." UserInfo={NSLocalizedDescription=Failed to show Widget 'com.jiduauto.iphone.jdcomiphoneWidget' error: Error Domain=FBSOpenApplicationServiceErrorDomain Code=5 "The request to open "com.apple.springboard" failed." UserInfo={NSLocalizedDescription=The request to open "com.apple.springboard" failed., NSLocalizedFailureReason=Unexpected error type., NSUnderlyingError=0x600002bbd7a0 {Error Domain=BSServiceConnectionErrorDomain Code=3 "XPC error received on message reply handler" UserInfo={BSErrorCodeDescription=OperationFailed, NSLocalizedFailureReason=XPC error received on message reply handler}}, BSErrorCodeDescription=InvalidResponse}., NSUnderlyingError=0x600002bbd5f0 {Error Domain=FBSOpenApplicationServiceErrorDomain Code=5 "The request to open "com.apple.springboard" failed." UserInfo={NSLocalizedDescription=The request to open "com.apple.springboard" failed., NSLocalizedFailureReason=Unexpected error type., NSUnderlyingError=0x600002bbd7a0 {Error Domain=BSServiceConnectionErrorDomain Code=3 "XPC error received on message reply handler" UserInfo={BSErrorCodeDescription=OperationFailed, NSLocalizedFailureReason=XPC error received on message reply handler}}, BSErrorCodeDescription=InvalidResponse}}} Domain: DTXMessage Code: 1 User Info: { DVTErrorCreationDateKey = "2024-02-19 08:02:14 +0000"; } System Information macOS Version 13.5.2 (Build 22G91) Xcode 15.0 (22265) (Build 15A240d) Timestamp: 2024-02-19T16:02:14+08:00
3
0
2.0k
Nov ’25
App widget not appearing in widget list (intermittent)
There seems to be a long running issue with WidgetKit where some users don't see the widget when trying to add to their Home Screen. (even after opening the app for the first time). I have been able to reproduce myself intermittently, and typically restarting the phone or re-installing the app fixes the problem. However, some of my users have encountered this and end up requesting refunds because they think the app is broken. Has anybody else experienced this issue? Would be great to get this bug resolved as it's frustrating for users.
1
2
716
Sep ’25
Adding a custom widget to the Capture group in Control Center
I noticed that with iOS 18, when adding a widget to the Control Center, there is now some "grouping system". I'm interested in the Capture group, which contains native widgets from Apple as well as third party apps like Instagram and Blackmagic cam, widgets in this group open the camera. My widget also opens the camera in my app, how can I add it to this group?
2
1
508
Oct ’25
Push-to-Start Live Activity Background Task Issue After App Termination
Desired Behavior I want the app to be able to handle multiple Push-to-Start notifications even when it is completely terminated. Each Live Activity should: Be successfully displayed upon receiving a Push-to-Start notification. Trigger background tasks to send its update token to the server, regardless of the time interval between notifications. Problem I am facing an issue with iOS Live Activities when using Push-to-Start notifications to trigger Live Activities in an app that has been completely terminated. Here’s the detailed scenario: When the app is completely terminated and I send the first Push-to-Start notification: The Live Activity is successfully displayed. didFinishLaunchingWithOptions` is triggered, and background tasks execute correctly, including sending the update token to the server. When I send consecutive Push-to-Start notifications in quick succession (e.g., within a few seconds or minutes): Both notifications successfully display their respective Live Activities. Background tasks are executed correctly for both notifications. However, when there is a longer interval (e.g., 10 minutes) between two Push-to-Start notifications: The first notification works perfectly—it displays the Live Activity, triggers didFinishLaunchingWithOptions, and executes background tasks. The second notification successfully displays the Live Activity but fails to execute any background tasks, such as sending the update token to the server. My HypothesisI suspect that iOS might impose a restriction where background runtime for Push-to-Start notifications can only be granted once within a certain time frame after the app has been terminated. Any insights into why this issue might be occurring or how to ensure consistent background task execution for multiple Push-to-Start notifications would be greatly appreciated!
3
0
767
Feb ’26
Live Activity Update Not Working Consistently in the Background
Hi everyone, I’m working on implementing Live Activities in my app, and I’ve encountered an issue where the Live Activity updates work intermittently when the app is in the background. Sometimes they update correctly, but at other times, they don’t update at all, even though they should be running in the background. However, when the app is brought to the foreground, the updates happen correctly. A few things I’ve checked: The app is using ActivityKit to update the Live Activity with Activity.update(). I’ve enabled the necessary background modes in the Capabilities section. Is there a possibility that I’m hitting the system budget limit while experiencing this issue? If this is a limitation, how can I avoid it or manage this situation? Has anyone else faced this issue? Any advice or potential solutions would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!
4
0
908
Aug ’25
Why does a Live Activity get .dismissed by the system even when all conditions seem normal?
Hello, I'm working with Live Activities and noticed that sometimes an activity transitions to .dismissed, even though the user hasn't manually swiped it away and system conditions appear to be completely normal — such as: The activity is still within its intended 8-hour lifetime The battery level is high The app is active or recently active The activity is lightweight (not using frequent updates) According to the ActivityKit documentation: /// The Live Activity ended and is no longer visible because a person or the system removed it. case dismissed This doesn’t clarify why the system would dismiss an activity when all conditions seem fine. Additional context: When reviewing system logs via Console.app, we’re seeing messages such as: liveactivitiesd Removing activity from replicator: 381F3DDC-585B-4021-B075-548606F543DA for relationship IDs: [C7AB9C2A-49DD-43FC-BB58-D768ECF9D354] This suggests that the system is actively removing the activity, but there’s no API or reason provided that helps us understand why this is happening. Questions: What are the system-level triggers that could cause a Live Activity to be dismissed under normal conditions? Is there a known set of heuristics (e.g., memory pressure, resource constraints) that might apply? Is there a way to distinguish between system-triggered dismissal and user-initiated swipe-to-dismiss? Any best practices to reduce the likelihood of unexpected system removal? This is especially important for our use case, where users rely on Live Activities to view real-time flight and boarding information — and losing the activity unexpectedly negatively affects user experience. Thanks in advance for any insight!
1
0
353
Jun ’25
Location streaming onto Live Activity
Hello forum, I want to keep my app running in the background after user swaps up, for the purpose of workout tracking. start up the task and continuously receipt GPS updates process the location data show the data on a live activity Two examples Strava paddlelogger Question: Does this mean, these two apps would just pause when the .backgroundTimeRemaining becomes 0? How does a workout app "work" in background mode, do I need to handle budget running out?
2
0
251
Jun ’25
Effective use of .disfavouredLocations API
I have a Health & Fitness widget that runs on iPhone and Apple Watch. As Health data access requires the device to be unlocked, the iPhone widget is already slightly limited in capability because of updates. With widgets further expanding to places like CarPlay, I know I can use the .disfavouredLocations{} API to try and prevent it being offered there. This is crucial as the widget functionality would be basically non-existent as your device is locked during CarPlay use. My problem is, on the Mac despite using the .disfavouredLocations{.iPhoneWidgetsOnMac} etc...., the widget can still be added in the "other unsupported section". And yet, in that section the Apple Fitness app widget is no where to be seen. Is there an API I am missing to completely remove a widget from the Mac widget gallery and hopefully CarPlay, Standby etc.... (all places where the device running the widget is usually locked -> No Health data)? Or does the Apple Fitness app have a private API to block it from these places where its function is not wanted and this isn't available to other apps?
1
0
231
Jun ’25
WidgetKit WidgetConfigurationIntent Parameter Icons
In WatchOS 26 you can now configure Apple Watch Widgets that use AppIntents instead of having a preconfigured option via AppIntentRecommendation. This is demonstrated in the Weather Details Widget. In that, the Intent has been set up such that the options have icons for each parameter. How can I update my Intent code to offer this? struct DataPointsWidgetIntent: AppIntent, WidgetConfigurationIntent { static var title: LocalizedStringResource = "Data Points Widget Configuration" static var description = IntentDescription("Configure the individual data point display for Widgets.") static var isDiscoverable: Bool { return false} init() {} func perform() async throws -> some IntentResult { print("DataPointsWidgetIntent perform") return .result() } @Parameter(title: "Show Individual Data Points", default: true) var showDataPoints: Bool? @Parameter(title: "Trend Timescale", default: .week) var timescale: TimescaleTypeAppEnum? static var parameterSummary: some ParameterSummary { Summary("Test Info") { \.$showDataPoints \.$timescale } } } 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" ] }
1
1
251
Jun ’25
reloadAllTimelines() is broken on watchOS 11.5
I am experiencing an issue with my watchOS app. My application updates a shared file, accessible by both the main app and the WidgetKit extension, during a WatchConnectivity background task. Following this update, I call reloadAllTimelines(). This functionality worked as expected on watchOS 10, even without Developer Mode enabled. However, after updating my device to watchOS 11.5, this API appears to be broken. My reasons for believing this API is broken are threefold: The functionality worked reliably on watchOS 10. On watchOS 11.5, enabling "WidgetKit Developer Mode" (found under Settings > Developer) resolves the issue, and my complications update correctly. When I enter watch face edit mode, the snapshot/preview displayed (which utilizes the same underlying logic as the timeline API) shows the correct data. This indicates that the data has been successfully received from the phone, and the widget is indeed reading the updated shared file. Despite this, the actual widget view during its resting phase never updates. It's worth noting that TimelineReloadPolicy functions as expected, but I cannot rely on this for my use case. My widget requires immediate updates upon receiving new data. Apple, please investigate this behavior.
1
2
673
Jun ’25
Data Race in Widgets?
I've turned on Swift 6 language mode and noticed that during runtime Xcode gives this warning for a new widget (iOS 17.2): warning: data race detected: @MainActor function at TestWidgetExtension/TestWidget.swift:240 was not called on the main thread struct TestWidget: Widget { let kind: String = "TestWidget" var body: some WidgetConfiguration { AppIntentConfiguration( kind: kind, intent: ConfigurationAppIntent.self, provider: Provider() ) { entry in // LINE 240 TestWidgetEntryView(entry: entry) .containerBackground(Color.white, for: .widget) } } } Is there any way to solve this on my side? Thank you!
1
0
127
Jun ’25
Widget Previews in visionOS 26 Beta (Xcode 26 Beta)
Hello, I'm currently developing for visionOS using Xcode's latest beta version. I have a question regarding Widget Previews for visionOS 26: When I create a new Widget Extension target directly from a visionOS project, the generated code does not include the #Preview macro. Following the documentation, I manually added the #Preview macro to a Widget created within a visionOS project, but Xcode then displays an error stating that "This platform does not support previewing widgets." My interpretation is that Widget Previews are currently not supported for Widgets created specifically for visionOS in this beta version. Is this understanding correct? Or am I missing a specific way to implement previews for visionOS Widgets, or is there a particular project setting I might have overlooked? Any clarification or guidance on this matter would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
1
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260
Jun ’25
Maximise background update on WatchOS
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?
3
1
427
Jun ’25
Migrate Widgets from StaticConfiguration to IntentConfiguration
New features in WatchOS 26 with configurable widgets make it more important than ever that apps adopt IntentConfiguration options where applicable. I develop an app with an Apple Watch complication/widget on many many user's Watch faces around the world. I've completed updating my code to support WidgetKit and remove ClockKit. However, I face huge issues adding support for users to configure their widget/complications. If I update a widget to go from StaticConfiguration to IntentConfiguration, even when keeping the "kind" string the same, the widget disappears from the Watch face. This is an unacceptable user experience meaning I can't proceed with the migration. The problem is users will expect me to offer configuration in the Watch face soon for their widget/complication. Currently this process is done in a sub-optimal way in the app itself. A similar issue exists on iOS where the widget will just "freeze" indefinitely is migrated. This issue still occurs on the iOS 26 and WatchOS 26 betas. So how to move this forward. This has been discussed previously here: https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/661247 I've mentioned it at WidgetKit labs I've filed feedback last year: FB13880020 I've filed feedback this year: FB18180368 It seems really important this gets fixed for developers to adopt these new features, is there any other migration route I'm missing or a workaround that would mitigate this seemingly big problem.
4
1
477
Sep ’25
Update Complications in WatchOS from iOS using WatchConnectivity?
I'm trying to update data displayed in my Watch Complications (WidgetKit). I have an iOS app that sends data to the Apple Watch using WCSession.default.transferUserInfo. However, the data only updates on the complications or widgets after I open the watchOS app manually. Ideally, I'd like the Watch widget/complication to reflect the updated data as soon as it's sent from the iPhone, without requiring the user to open the Watch app.
1
0
1k
Jun ’25
Today Widgets (old widgets) disappear after EVERY app update.
We had "Today widgets" that worked perfect for a long time. After introducing the new Widgets Extension we added a Widgets Bundle to our app. Now after every app update the old widgets disappear from "Today view" and can be bring back ONLY by rebooting the iPhone. Sometime when they disappear, in today view appears the first widget from the Widgets Bundle. I've tested other apps too and it happens every time to apps that support old and new widgets (Xiaomi Home app for example). Does anyone have a clue how to fix that?
Replies
2
Boosts
1
Views
2.4k
Activity
Apr ’26
Optional Parameter using WidgetConfigurationIntent
Hi there, I'm adding a new widget using the new WidgetConfigurationIntent which takes a number of parameters, including one which conforms to AppEntity. It is defined as an optional. When the user is configuring the widget, after one of the suggested entities is chosen, there is no way to return to a state where this value is nil. Is this possible? I'd like the user to be able to select "None" for this parameter. For now, I'm using a bool to determine whether the AppEntity parameter is used. Thanks!
Replies
2
Boosts
0
Views
1.4k
Activity
Oct ’25
SendProcessControlEvent:toPid: encountered an error
iPhone 16.0 16.0.2 系统上运行小组件出现问题, 其他系统没有问题 SendProcessControlEvent:toPid: encountered an error: Error Domain=com.apple.dt.deviceprocesscontrolservice Code=8 "Failed to show Widget 'com.jiduauto.iphone.jdcomiphoneWidget' error: Error Domain=FBSOpenApplicationServiceErrorDomain Code=5 "The request to open "com.apple.springboard" failed." UserInfo={NSLocalizedDescription=The request to open "com.apple.springboard" failed., NSLocalizedFailureReason=Unexpected error type., NSUnderlyingError=0x600002bbd7a0 {Error Domain=BSServiceConnectionErrorDomain Code=3 "XPC error received on message reply handler" UserInfo={BSErrorCodeDescription=OperationFailed, NSLocalizedFailureReason=XPC error received on message reply handler}}, BSErrorCodeDescription=InvalidResponse}." UserInfo={NSLocalizedDescription=Failed to show Widget 'com.jiduauto.iphone.jdcomiphoneWidget' error: Error Domain=FBSOpenApplicationServiceErrorDomain Code=5 "The request to open "com.apple.springboard" failed." UserInfo={NSLocalizedDescription=The request to open "com.apple.springboard" failed., NSLocalizedFailureReason=Unexpected error type., NSUnderlyingError=0x600002bbd7a0 {Error Domain=BSServiceConnectionErrorDomain Code=3 "XPC error received on message reply handler" UserInfo={BSErrorCodeDescription=OperationFailed, NSLocalizedFailureReason=XPC error received on message reply handler}}, BSErrorCodeDescription=InvalidResponse}., NSUnderlyingError=0x600002bbd5f0 {Error Domain=FBSOpenApplicationServiceErrorDomain Code=5 "The request to open "com.apple.springboard" failed." UserInfo={NSLocalizedDescription=The request to open "com.apple.springboard" failed., NSLocalizedFailureReason=Unexpected error type., NSUnderlyingError=0x600002bbd7a0 {Error Domain=BSServiceConnectionErrorDomain Code=3 "XPC error received on message reply handler" UserInfo={BSErrorCodeDescription=OperationFailed, NSLocalizedFailureReason=XPC error received on message reply handler}}, BSErrorCodeDescription=InvalidResponse}}} Domain: DTXMessage Code: 1 User Info: { DVTErrorCreationDateKey = "2024-02-19 08:02:14 +0000"; } System Information macOS Version 13.5.2 (Build 22G91) Xcode 15.0 (22265) (Build 15A240d) Timestamp: 2024-02-19T16:02:14+08:00
Replies
3
Boosts
0
Views
2.0k
Activity
Nov ’25
App widget not appearing in widget list (intermittent)
There seems to be a long running issue with WidgetKit where some users don't see the widget when trying to add to their Home Screen. (even after opening the app for the first time). I have been able to reproduce myself intermittently, and typically restarting the phone or re-installing the app fixes the problem. However, some of my users have encountered this and end up requesting refunds because they think the app is broken. Has anybody else experienced this issue? Would be great to get this bug resolved as it's frustrating for users.
Replies
1
Boosts
2
Views
716
Activity
Sep ’25
Live Activity doesn't open watchOS app
Our watchOS App isn't opened when tapping on a Live Activity. Added the following to our Info.plist and still get the Open on iPhone option. <key>WKSupportsLiveActivityLaunchAttributeTypes</key> <array/> Is there something else we need to configure?
Replies
5
Boosts
1
Views
1.6k
Activity
Mar ’26
Adding a custom widget to the Capture group in Control Center
I noticed that with iOS 18, when adding a widget to the Control Center, there is now some "grouping system". I'm interested in the Capture group, which contains native widgets from Apple as well as third party apps like Instagram and Blackmagic cam, widgets in this group open the camera. My widget also opens the camera in my app, how can I add it to this group?
Replies
2
Boosts
1
Views
508
Activity
Oct ’25
Push-to-Start Live Activity Background Task Issue After App Termination
Desired Behavior I want the app to be able to handle multiple Push-to-Start notifications even when it is completely terminated. Each Live Activity should: Be successfully displayed upon receiving a Push-to-Start notification. Trigger background tasks to send its update token to the server, regardless of the time interval between notifications. Problem I am facing an issue with iOS Live Activities when using Push-to-Start notifications to trigger Live Activities in an app that has been completely terminated. Here’s the detailed scenario: When the app is completely terminated and I send the first Push-to-Start notification: The Live Activity is successfully displayed. didFinishLaunchingWithOptions` is triggered, and background tasks execute correctly, including sending the update token to the server. When I send consecutive Push-to-Start notifications in quick succession (e.g., within a few seconds or minutes): Both notifications successfully display their respective Live Activities. Background tasks are executed correctly for both notifications. However, when there is a longer interval (e.g., 10 minutes) between two Push-to-Start notifications: The first notification works perfectly—it displays the Live Activity, triggers didFinishLaunchingWithOptions, and executes background tasks. The second notification successfully displays the Live Activity but fails to execute any background tasks, such as sending the update token to the server. My HypothesisI suspect that iOS might impose a restriction where background runtime for Push-to-Start notifications can only be granted once within a certain time frame after the app has been terminated. Any insights into why this issue might be occurring or how to ensure consistent background task execution for multiple Push-to-Start notifications would be greatly appreciated!
Replies
3
Boosts
0
Views
767
Activity
Feb ’26
Live Activity Update Not Working Consistently in the Background
Hi everyone, I’m working on implementing Live Activities in my app, and I’ve encountered an issue where the Live Activity updates work intermittently when the app is in the background. Sometimes they update correctly, but at other times, they don’t update at all, even though they should be running in the background. However, when the app is brought to the foreground, the updates happen correctly. A few things I’ve checked: The app is using ActivityKit to update the Live Activity with Activity.update(). I’ve enabled the necessary background modes in the Capabilities section. Is there a possibility that I’m hitting the system budget limit while experiencing this issue? If this is a limitation, how can I avoid it or manage this situation? Has anyone else faced this issue? Any advice or potential solutions would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!
Replies
4
Boosts
0
Views
908
Activity
Aug ’25
Why does a Live Activity get .dismissed by the system even when all conditions seem normal?
Hello, I'm working with Live Activities and noticed that sometimes an activity transitions to .dismissed, even though the user hasn't manually swiped it away and system conditions appear to be completely normal — such as: The activity is still within its intended 8-hour lifetime The battery level is high The app is active or recently active The activity is lightweight (not using frequent updates) According to the ActivityKit documentation: /// The Live Activity ended and is no longer visible because a person or the system removed it. case dismissed This doesn’t clarify why the system would dismiss an activity when all conditions seem fine. Additional context: When reviewing system logs via Console.app, we’re seeing messages such as: liveactivitiesd Removing activity from replicator: 381F3DDC-585B-4021-B075-548606F543DA for relationship IDs: [C7AB9C2A-49DD-43FC-BB58-D768ECF9D354] This suggests that the system is actively removing the activity, but there’s no API or reason provided that helps us understand why this is happening. Questions: What are the system-level triggers that could cause a Live Activity to be dismissed under normal conditions? Is there a known set of heuristics (e.g., memory pressure, resource constraints) that might apply? Is there a way to distinguish between system-triggered dismissal and user-initiated swipe-to-dismiss? Any best practices to reduce the likelihood of unexpected system removal? This is especially important for our use case, where users rely on Live Activities to view real-time flight and boarding information — and losing the activity unexpectedly negatively affects user experience. Thanks in advance for any insight!
Replies
1
Boosts
0
Views
353
Activity
Jun ’25
Location streaming onto Live Activity
Hello forum, I want to keep my app running in the background after user swaps up, for the purpose of workout tracking. start up the task and continuously receipt GPS updates process the location data show the data on a live activity Two examples Strava paddlelogger Question: Does this mean, these two apps would just pause when the .backgroundTimeRemaining becomes 0? How does a workout app "work" in background mode, do I need to handle budget running out?
Replies
2
Boosts
0
Views
251
Activity
Jun ’25
Clock
See the image there the clock is stopped but on right on the top time is different
Replies
1
Boosts
0
Views
93
Activity
Jun ’25
Effective use of .disfavouredLocations API
I have a Health & Fitness widget that runs on iPhone and Apple Watch. As Health data access requires the device to be unlocked, the iPhone widget is already slightly limited in capability because of updates. With widgets further expanding to places like CarPlay, I know I can use the .disfavouredLocations{} API to try and prevent it being offered there. This is crucial as the widget functionality would be basically non-existent as your device is locked during CarPlay use. My problem is, on the Mac despite using the .disfavouredLocations{.iPhoneWidgetsOnMac} etc...., the widget can still be added in the "other unsupported section". And yet, in that section the Apple Fitness app widget is no where to be seen. Is there an API I am missing to completely remove a widget from the Mac widget gallery and hopefully CarPlay, Standby etc.... (all places where the device running the widget is usually locked -> No Health data)? Or does the Apple Fitness app have a private API to block it from these places where its function is not wanted and this isn't available to other apps?
Replies
1
Boosts
0
Views
231
Activity
Jun ’25
WidgetKit WidgetConfigurationIntent Parameter Icons
In WatchOS 26 you can now configure Apple Watch Widgets that use AppIntents instead of having a preconfigured option via AppIntentRecommendation. This is demonstrated in the Weather Details Widget. In that, the Intent has been set up such that the options have icons for each parameter. How can I update my Intent code to offer this? struct DataPointsWidgetIntent: AppIntent, WidgetConfigurationIntent { static var title: LocalizedStringResource = "Data Points Widget Configuration" static var description = IntentDescription("Configure the individual data point display for Widgets.") static var isDiscoverable: Bool { return false} init() {} func perform() async throws -> some IntentResult { print("DataPointsWidgetIntent perform") return .result() } @Parameter(title: "Show Individual Data Points", default: true) var showDataPoints: Bool? @Parameter(title: "Trend Timescale", default: .week) var timescale: TimescaleTypeAppEnum? static var parameterSummary: some ParameterSummary { Summary("Test Info") { \.$showDataPoints \.$timescale } } } 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" ] }
Replies
1
Boosts
1
Views
251
Activity
Jun ’25
reloadAllTimelines() is broken on watchOS 11.5
I am experiencing an issue with my watchOS app. My application updates a shared file, accessible by both the main app and the WidgetKit extension, during a WatchConnectivity background task. Following this update, I call reloadAllTimelines(). This functionality worked as expected on watchOS 10, even without Developer Mode enabled. However, after updating my device to watchOS 11.5, this API appears to be broken. My reasons for believing this API is broken are threefold: The functionality worked reliably on watchOS 10. On watchOS 11.5, enabling "WidgetKit Developer Mode" (found under Settings > Developer) resolves the issue, and my complications update correctly. When I enter watch face edit mode, the snapshot/preview displayed (which utilizes the same underlying logic as the timeline API) shows the correct data. This indicates that the data has been successfully received from the phone, and the widget is indeed reading the updated shared file. Despite this, the actual widget view during its resting phase never updates. It's worth noting that TimelineReloadPolicy functions as expected, but I cannot rely on this for my use case. My widget requires immediate updates upon receiving new data. Apple, please investigate this behavior.
Replies
1
Boosts
2
Views
673
Activity
Jun ’25
Data Race in Widgets?
I've turned on Swift 6 language mode and noticed that during runtime Xcode gives this warning for a new widget (iOS 17.2): warning: data race detected: @MainActor function at TestWidgetExtension/TestWidget.swift:240 was not called on the main thread struct TestWidget: Widget { let kind: String = "TestWidget" var body: some WidgetConfiguration { AppIntentConfiguration( kind: kind, intent: ConfigurationAppIntent.self, provider: Provider() ) { entry in // LINE 240 TestWidgetEntryView(entry: entry) .containerBackground(Color.white, for: .widget) } } } Is there any way to solve this on my side? Thank you!
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1
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127
Activity
Jun ’25
Is push-to-start token for Live Activity single use?
I'm currently seeing that OS gets a new push-to-start token immediately after receiving the first notification. Should my server immediately invalidate the push-to-start token upon usage? Or invalidating the push-to-start token should only be done if my iOS device gets a new one and then I have to send it back to my server.
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1
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0
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289
Activity
Jun ’25
Widget Previews in visionOS 26 Beta (Xcode 26 Beta)
Hello, I'm currently developing for visionOS using Xcode's latest beta version. I have a question regarding Widget Previews for visionOS 26: When I create a new Widget Extension target directly from a visionOS project, the generated code does not include the #Preview macro. Following the documentation, I manually added the #Preview macro to a Widget created within a visionOS project, but Xcode then displays an error stating that "This platform does not support previewing widgets." My interpretation is that Widget Previews are currently not supported for Widgets created specifically for visionOS in this beta version. Is this understanding correct? Or am I missing a specific way to implement previews for visionOS Widgets, or is there a particular project setting I might have overlooked? Any clarification or guidance on this matter would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
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1
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0
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260
Activity
Jun ’25
Maximise background update on WatchOS
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?
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3
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1
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427
Activity
Jun ’25
Migrate Widgets from StaticConfiguration to IntentConfiguration
New features in WatchOS 26 with configurable widgets make it more important than ever that apps adopt IntentConfiguration options where applicable. I develop an app with an Apple Watch complication/widget on many many user's Watch faces around the world. I've completed updating my code to support WidgetKit and remove ClockKit. However, I face huge issues adding support for users to configure their widget/complications. If I update a widget to go from StaticConfiguration to IntentConfiguration, even when keeping the "kind" string the same, the widget disappears from the Watch face. This is an unacceptable user experience meaning I can't proceed with the migration. The problem is users will expect me to offer configuration in the Watch face soon for their widget/complication. Currently this process is done in a sub-optimal way in the app itself. A similar issue exists on iOS where the widget will just "freeze" indefinitely is migrated. This issue still occurs on the iOS 26 and WatchOS 26 betas. So how to move this forward. This has been discussed previously here: https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/661247 I've mentioned it at WidgetKit labs I've filed feedback last year: FB13880020 I've filed feedback this year: FB18180368 It seems really important this gets fixed for developers to adopt these new features, is there any other migration route I'm missing or a workaround that would mitigate this seemingly big problem.
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4
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1
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477
Activity
Sep ’25
Update Complications in WatchOS from iOS using WatchConnectivity?
I'm trying to update data displayed in my Watch Complications (WidgetKit). I have an iOS app that sends data to the Apple Watch using WCSession.default.transferUserInfo. However, the data only updates on the complications or widgets after I open the watchOS app manually. Ideally, I'd like the Watch widget/complication to reflect the updated data as soon as it's sent from the iPhone, without requiring the user to open the Watch app.
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1
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1k
Activity
Jun ’25