Delve into the world of built-in app and system services available to developers. Discuss leveraging these services to enhance your app's functionality and user experience.

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Permission error occurs when I use setDefaultApplication(at:toOpen:completion:)
I'd like to set my macOS app written in Swift as default app when opening .mp4 file. I think I can do it with setDefaultApplication(at:toOpen:completion:). https://developer.apple.com/documentation/appkit/nsworkspace/3753002-setdefaultapplication However, permission error occurs when I use it. The error is: Error Domain=NSCocoaErrorDomain Code=256 "The file couldn’t be opened." UserInfo={NSUnderlyingError=0x6000031d0150 {Error Domain=NSOSStatusErrorDomain Code=-54 "permErr: permissions error (on file open)"}} I tried to give my app full-disk access, but it didn't work. I also tried to use setDefaultApplication(at:toOpenFileAt:completion:), then it works with no error, but it effects on only one file. What I want to do is to set my app as default app of all .mp4 files. How do I achieve this? My code is like below: let bundleUrl = Bundle.main.bundleURL NSWorkspace.shared.setDefaultApplication(at: bundleUrl, toOpen: .mpeg4Movie) { error in print(error) } Thank you.
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Dec ’25
Is testing of Age Range API available in xcode simulator?
From https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/803945?answerId=862153022#862153022, the testing of Age Range API was not available through xcode simulator back in Oct 2025. Is this available now? In particular: Is requestAgeRange testing available through simulator? Is requestAgeRange testing with sandbox account available through simulator? Is isEligibleForAgeFeatures available through simulator? Is isEligibleForAgeFeatures testing with sandbox account available through simulator? If the answer is "yes" to any of the above, which version of the xcode and ios version should I use? So far I didn't get any of the above working on the simulator, and I can't find any documentation on the answers above. Thank you!
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174
Dec ’25
Question about including all project classes in ofClasses parameter when using NSKeyedUnarchiver.unarchivedObject(ofClasses:from:)
Hello, I have a question about data deserialization using NSKeyedUnarchiver in iOS SDK development. Current Situation: Previously, we were using the NSKeyedUnarchiver.unarchiveObject(with: Data) function We have changed to using the NSKeyedUnarchiver.unarchivedObject(ofClasses:from:) method to deserialize complex objects stored in UserDefaults We need to include all types in the ofClasses parameter, including Swift primitive types as well as various custom classes and structs within the project Questions: Implementation Approach: Is it correct pattern to include all classes defined in the project in the ofClasses array? Is this approach recommended? Runtime Stability: When using this approach, is there a possibility of runtime crashes? Are there any performance issues? Alternative Methods: If the current approach is not the correct pattern, what alternatives should we consider? Current Code Structure: All model classes conform to the NSSecureCoding protocol We use the requiringSecureCoding: true parameter We use a whitelist approach, explicitly listing only allowed classes I would like to know if this structure is appropriate, or if we should consider a different approach. Thank you.
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Oct ’25
Interactive Live Activity Bug in iOS 18 - perform not called
In iOS 18 (beta 1-4) when you set openAppWhenRun = false in your AppIntent of your live activity the perform function never gets called. In iOS 16 and 17 my live activities work. I have downloaded other apps and in their live activities any button tab which doesn´t open the app is also doing nothing in iOS 18. Has anyone got this working? Any comments from an Apple engineer on this?
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1.4k
Apr ’25
How to debug Quick Look Preview Extension
When I launch the Quick Look Preview Extension target in Xcode, an app called Quick Look Simulator opens with an almost empty window: Online I read that the Terminal command qlmanage allows to test Quick Look plugins (which I think were an older format for creating Quick Look extensions), but running qlmanage -p /path/to/previewed/file -c public.text -g /path/to/QuickLookPreviewExtension.appex (where QuickLookPreviewExtension.appex is generated by the Xcode build and is located in the DerivedData folder) gives an error Can't get generator at QuickLookPreviewExtension.appex How can I debug a Quick Look Preview Extension?
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May ’25
How to use the declared age range API / Comply with Texas law
What are guidelines for apps being released in the US App Store in order to comply with The Texas App Store Accountability Act? I mean there's no way to differentiate an app downloaded in Texas from the other states and it would be ridiculous to add location awareness to an app to comply with this, so effectively it means any developer of any app for release in the US must comply with this in case it might be being used in Texas? This new Apple API has zero background, zero context, zero example of usage, zero guidelines about how to use it in practice: https://developer.apple.com/documentation/declaredagerange/
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Oct ’25
iOS 17 App clip link click
When we use the App Clip link to jump on an iOS17 device, the first click will not respond, and the App Clip pop-up window will not pop up until the second click. Proceed as follows: After the iPhone clicks the link for the first time, or clicks the ‘Clear Experience Cache’ button in setting-->Developer-->App Clips Testing On the Notes App on iPhone, click the link https://appclip.apple.com/id?p=com.example.naturelab.backyardbirds.Clip There is no response when clicking the link for the first time, and the window will not pop up until the second click. Is this an iPhone problem? Looking forward to your reply
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839
Feb ’25
Refresh Widget doesn't work from background push notification.
As stated in other posts like: https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/734488 https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/652946?answerId=823555022#823555022 Even though the recommended way from Apple documentation is to use push notifications to reload widgets timelines calling WidgetCenter.shared.reloadAllTimelines(), it is unreliable and I couldn't find a pattern of why it works 10% of times and not the other 90%. While the debugger is connected to the App it always works though. My widget needs to reflect updated information otherwise it becomes useless since it display smart home devices states such as the Apple Home widget does as well.
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364
Feb ’25
requestAgeRange always returns `notAvailable`
Hi everyone. I've downloaded the the 26.2 beta 2 and installed it on a device in the settings after i create a new sandbox test account i see the options in Age Assurance. The problem is i got the popup the first time i opened the application and decided to share, but after that i always get the following error: DeclaredAgeRange.AgeRangeService.Error.notAvailable I tried testing with different bundle id and different sandbox test account but still it doesn't work. How can i test the cases without erasing the device ?
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Nov ’25
iOS 26 beta 8 – AlarmKit – Custom sounds in Library/Sounds do not play
I put a test.mp3 (30 sec) file into the App Bundle. I scheduled an AlarmKit alarm with the file name test.mp3. The custom sound plays ✅ I copied the file from the App Bundle to Library/Sounds/test2.mp3. I scheduled an AlarmKit alarm with the file name test2.mp3. Instead of playing the custom sound, it falls back to the default sound ❌ According to the documentation, sounds placed in Library/Sounds should be playable: I filed report FB19779004 on August 20, but haven’t received any response yet. This functionality is critical for our use case, so could you please let me know whether this is expected to be fixed soon, or if I’m misunderstanding the intended behavior?
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Aug ’25
Allowing workaround for FamilyActivityPicker crash
As discussed and acknowledged here, there is a known bug with the FamilyActivityPicker. When a user expands a category that contains enough tokens to exceed the 50mb memory limit, the FamilyActivityPicker crashes. This happens quite frequently for heavy Safari users. An apple engineer mentioned on this thread that WebDomains shown in the picker are present based on the last 30 days of usage data as surfaced by WebKit. Is there any way a user can clear these WebDomains? Either programatically through our app or any other process we can guide them to as a workaround while this issue is getting fixed?
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533
Aug ’25
Array of Bool require NSNumber.self in NSKeyedArchiver decoding list of types
I decode an object with NSKeyedArchiver (SecureCoding): typealias BoolArray = Array<Array<Bool>> let val = decoder.decodeObject(of: NSArray.self, forKey: someKey) as? BoolArray I get the following log: *** -[NSKeyedUnarchiver validateAllowedClass:forKey:] allowed unarchiving safe plist type ''NSNumber' (0x204cdbeb8) [/System/Library/Frameworks/Foundation.framework]' for key 'NS.objects', even though it was not explicitly included in the client allowed classes set: '{( "'NSArray' (0x204cd5598) [/System/Library/Frameworks/CoreFoundation.framework]" )}'. This will be disallowed in the future. I changed by adding NSNumber.self in the list : let val = decoder.decodeObject(of: [NSArray.self, NSNumber.self], forKey: someKey) as? BoolArray No more warning in log. Is there a reason for this ?
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1w
IntentDonationManager not donating Shortcuts
if #available(iOS 16.0, *) {       print("donated")       let intent = BasicIntent()       IntentDonationManager.shared.donate(intent: intent)    } Trying to test if donations work with the new App Intents framework. Donating the shortcut once a user taps a button. The shortcut is not appearing on the lock screen. Everything else is working as expected. The Shortcut is appearing in the Shortcuts App and is working via Siri. In developer settings I have Display Recent Shortcuts -> On Display Donations on Lock Screen -> On Allow Any domain -> On Allow Unverified sources -> On Running iOS 16.2, iPhone 11.
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2.6k
Mar ’25
App Logout / Termination Behavior When Changing Bluetooth Settings With and Without Multitasking
I would like to share an issue observed during app development. When changing Bluetooth settings from the system Settings app without using multitasking, the app does not terminate but instead logs the user out. However, when changing Bluetooth settings while using multitasking, the app terminates completely. In this context, I would like to understand: Whether there is any system behavior that causes the app to refresh or restart when Bluetooth settings are changed And why the app behavior differs in a multitasking environment, particularly in terms of app lifecycle handling Any insights into these behaviors would be greatly appreciated.
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6d
Listing files of a background asset
Is there a way to enumerate all files within a folder of an asset pack or just all files in general? My application is using the Apple demo code to load a file from an Apple hosted asset pack: let descriptor = try AssetPackManager.shared.descriptor(for: "NAV/NavData.db3") defer { try descriptor.close() } if let path = path(for: descriptor) { self.database = try Database(path: path) } As my "Navigation Data" is updated each month with an updated asset pack I would like to have the name of the .db3 file reflect the current data cycle (e.g. NAV2601.db3, NAV2602.db3, ...) Ideally I would like to iterate over all files within the NAV folder of the current asset pack and pick the most recent one. Unfortunately, neither the AssetPackManager nor the AssetPack object seem to include an API for this. It would be cool to have something like: let files = try AssetPackManager.shared.files(for: "NAV/") for file in files { //Check and load }
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How to open up an extension point to a third-party app (extension)
According to the documentation, using Scope(restriction: .none) can expose the extension point to third-party app extensions. Below is my implementation, which ultimately results in an error. Code for declaring the extension point: @available(iOS 26.0, *) extension AppExtensionPoint { @Definition static var priceExtension: AppExtensionPoint { Name("priceExtension") UserInterface(false) Scope(restriction: .none) } } Code for locating the extension point: monitor = try await AppExtensionPoint.Monitor(appExtensionPoint: .priceExtension) When executing the code to locate the extension point, the following error occurs: However, in practice, I found that declaring the extension point in this way results in an error when trying to locate it: Error Domain=com.apple.extensionKit.errorDomain Code=19 "Failed to add observer" UserInfo={NSLocalizedDescription=Failed to add observer}
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Oct ’25
AlarmKit Not Playing Custom Sound or Named System Sounds - iOS 26 beta 4 (23A5297i)
I'm using the new AlarmKit framework to schedule and trigger alarms in my Swift app in iOS 26 beta 4 (23A5297i). I'm trying to customize the alarm sound using a sound file embedded in the app bundle or by referencing known system tones. Problem: No matter what I pass to .named("sound-2"), whether a file bundle url, .named("sound-2.caf"), tried .mp3, .caf & .aiff, or a known iOS system sound like .named("Radar") ("Chimes", etc.), the alarm always plays the default system alert tone. There's no error or warning, but the custom or specified sound is silently ignored. sound: .named("sound-2") Question: What is the correct method or approach to play custom sound / music when Alarm Triggers? What .named("...") expects file name, file Path URL or System sound name? Is there any specific audio file length accepted or specific format? Challenge: The alarm functionality feels incomplete without support for custom sounds. A single default alert tone is often not sufficient to wake up users effectively. Hope it will be fixed in the next iOS updates.
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Aug ’25
Contacts Provider Extension not removed from Contacts list after app uninstall on iOS 26
Hi, I’ve built an app that includes a Contacts Provider Extension (CPE). On iOS 18, I observed the expected behavior — when the main app is uninstalled, the corresponding CPE entry is also removed from the Contacts list. However, on iOS 26, this no longer happens. After uninstalling the app, the CPE remains visible and active in the Contacts list, even though the app is gone.
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