There doesn't seem to be a background mode that will allow an iPhone app to run in the background in order to communicate with its watch app, which is running in the foreground on the watch. Have I missed something? Related but not quite the same: say the iPhone app can run in the background to get location updates. But it only wants to do so when the watch app is running. Is there a way that the watch app can wake, or even start, the iPhone app, and for the iPhone app to then enable location updates? (I have previously implemented Bluetooth background modes - I think I could achieve both of the above if I had the watch and the iPhone communicate using my own BTLE protocol, rather than using Watch Connectivity. Is this true?)

Anyone else seeing this? I'm sometimes getting "too many redirects" errors from Safari when trying to view this forum: It goes away after a while, randomly. Also: this is hard to debug; the Network tab in the Safari Javascript Console only shows the final load of the error page, not the failure. Is there a way to see the actual redirect loop URLs?

I'm fed up with this. I write a detailed message and press Submit, and I get that. I press back, and my composition is gone. I think it happens most often when I've logged in only recently, i.e. I've read a few posts, decide to reply to one and log in. At that point, if I close everything and start again and find the thread I want to reply to then it works. But if I don't do that then I run the risk of being told I'm "unauthorized" and losing whatever I've written. This isn't rocket science! Why do we put up with it?

I have a simple Safari extension for iOS. In its popup, I want a button that will open the app via a universal link. I have this kind-of working, except that Safari opens the actual online destination of the link with a banner at the top saying "Open in the XXXX app" and an OPEN button. What do I have to do to go directly to the app? More generally, I know that if I copy-and-paste a universal link into the Safari address bar, Safari does the same thing - but it does go directly to the app from an <a href="...."> link. In my app extension JavaScript, I set window.location. Presumably this is too similar to pasting into the address bar. Is there some alternative to setting window.location that is more like clicking on a link and will go directly to the universal link's app? Thanks.

According to the docs: The first time your app performs an operation that requires [photo library] authorization, the system automatically and asynchronously prompts the user for it. (https://developer.apple.com/documentation/photokit/delivering-an-enhanced-privacy-experience-in-your-photos-app) I.e. it's not necessary for the app to call PHPhotoLibrary.requestAuthorization. This does seem to be what happens when my app runs on an iPhone or iPad; the prompt is shown. But when it runs on a Mac in "designed for iPad" mode, the permission dialog is not presented. Instead the code continues to see status == .notDetermined. That's today, on macOS 15.3. It may have worked in the past. Is anyone else seeing issues with this? Should I call requestAuthorization explicitly? (Would that actually work?)

I have a simple Safari extension which contains only Javascript and no native code. Currently I have the placeholder SafariWebExtensionHandler.swift that Xcode created when I added the extension. It's not doing anything useful, but simply deleting it doesn't seem to work. Can I have an extension that includes no native code?

Is this symbol, which Safari uses to the left of the address bar, in the public SF Symbols set? What's it called?

Dear Experts, What is the current best practice for build numbering? I ask because I am aware that when exporting an archived app for upload I am now asked if I want Xcode to manage the build number for me. In the past I have set a build number in the Info.plist, often based on the date, e.g. 2.4.20230218. Now, I am asked if I want that to be replaced by something like 2.4.7 (if I recall correctly). So far I've answered No. Previously I have searched for automatic build numbering and I've found web pages that suggest adding a script to the build process that automatically increments the build number in the info.plist, or similar. I've not tried to implement that myself. In some of my apps, I have code that needs to know the full version at compile time (e.g. app receipt validation). How would that interact with the new feature? Thanks, Phil.

Pseudo-code: PhaseAnimator([false,true], trigger: foo) { flash in ZStack { Capsule() .foregroundStyle(flash ? .red : .green) Canvas { context, size in context.draw(image: Image(name: "foo"), toFitRect: some_rectangle); context.draw(text: Text("foo"), toFitRect: another_rectangle); } .foregroundStyle(flash ? .black : .white) } } animation: { flash in return .linear(duration: 0.5); } The Capsule's colour animates, but the Canvas's doesn't. The Canvas drawing code is only ever called with flash==false. What do I have to do to the Canvas so that it redraws with the intermediate colours during the animation?

Dear Experts, If a user with an older device tries to download an app, and the current version of the app requires an iOS version which their device does not support, the App Store will offer them an older most-recent-compatible version instead. I've just had an enquiry from a user of my app for whom this has not worked. Specifically he has an iPad 2. He foolishly deleted my app from the device, and now the App Store will not let him re-install it. Does anyone know why this may be? Is it simply that this App Store feature does not work for devices as old as the iPad 2? Thanks.

Has anyone successfully completed DSA compliance phone number verification using the "receive a phone call" option? It seems that Apple first tries to send an SMS. You then have the option to resend another SMS, to receive a phone call, or to upload documents. When I choose to receive a phone call, it seems that the Apple system calls me but it hangs up without reading out a code. Has anyone got this to work?