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FamilyControls App Blocking Not Working for External TestFlight Testers
Hi everyone, I'm following up on this post I made earlier about an issue I'm having with FamilyControls and the DeviceActivityMonitor extension not working for external TestFlight testers. To briefly recap: I have official Apple approval for the com.apple.developer.family-controls entitlement (distribution) The entitlement is added to both my main app and the DeviceActivityMonitor extension The App Group is correctly configured for both targets On internal TestFlight builds, everything works as expected: app blocking works, the extension runs, and selected apps are shielded. On external TestFlight builds, users get the Screen Time permission prompt, can select apps to block, but nothing is blocked. Since that post, I submitted a Code Level Support request, and Apple asked me to file a bug report via Feedback Assistant. I did that almost a month ago. The only reply I’ve received since is that they can’t give a timeframe or guarantee it will be resolved. I'm stuck in limbo with no updates and no fix. This feature is critical to my app and I cannot launch without it. I’ve reached out to other developers who use app blocking, and none of them have run into this issue. My setup seems correct, and Apple has not said otherwise. If anyone has experienced something similar, found a workaround, or knows how to get real movement on a bug report like this, I would really appreciate any help. It’s been weeks, and I just want to launch my app. Thanks so much.
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May ’25
FamilyControls Entitlement Not Working for External TestFlight Testers
Hi all, I’ve run into a frustrating issue with the FamilyControls and DeviceActivityMonitor APIs. I’ve received official approval from Apple to use the com.apple.developer.family-controls entitlement (distribution), and I’ve added the entitlement to both my main app and the DeviceActivityMonitor extension. I’ve also ensured the correct App Group is configured for both targets. Everything works perfectly when I install the app on my own device as an internal TestFlight tester. App blocking works, the DeviceActivityMonitor extension runs as expected, and the apps selected by the user are correctly shielded. However, for external TestFlight testers, while they do receive the Screen Time permission prompt, and can select apps to block, nothing actually gets blocked. It appears that the DeviceActivityMonitor extension is not being triggered at all on their devices. I’ve verified the following: The entitlement is approved and visible in App Store Connect The build is approved for external testing Testers are running iOS 16+ Shielding logic works properly on internal tester devices Clean installs have been tested on external devices Has anyone gotten FamilyControls + DeviceActivityMonitor working successfully for external testers via TestFlight? If this is a known limitation or if there are any additional steps required to enable extension execution for external users, I’d really appreciate any clarification. Thanks in advance for your help.
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Apr ’25