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How to Keep Cellular Data Active While Connected to a Local Hotspot for File Transfer?
Hi all, I’m developing a companion iOS app that connects to a device-created Wi-Fi hotspot to transfer videos or other files WebSocket. The challenge is: once the iPhone connects to this hotspot, it loses internet access because iOS routes all traffic through Wi-Fi. However, I’d like to keep the iPhone’s cellular data active and usable while staying connected to the local hotspot — so the app can access cloud APIs, or the user can continue using other apps that require internet access. I understand that iOS prioritizes Wi-Fi over cellular, but are there any supported workarounds or patterns (e.g., MFi programs, local-only Wi-Fi access, NEHotspotConfiguration behavior, etc.) that : • Using Wi-Fi only for local communication; • cellular to remain active for internet access. Any insights or Apple-recommended best practices would be greatly appreciated — especially any official references regarding MFi Accessory setup or NEHotspotConfiguration behavior in this context. Thanks in !
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154
Jun ’25
HealthKit returns different values depending on the OS the request is made on
Hi, I've had trouble for a while now with HealthKit giving me different values if I make the request on iOS and WatchOS. I am using the exact same method on both with the same parameters but I get vast differences in the results. The code I am using to call HealthKit on both devices is: let dateRange = HKQuery.predicateForSamples(withStart: Date().removeMonths(numberOfMonths: 1), end: Date().endOfDay()) let predicate: NSPredicate predicate = NSCompoundPredicate(type: .and, subpredicates: [dateRange]) let query = HKStatisticsQuery(quantityType: HKQuantityType(.stepCount), quantitySamplePredicate: predicate, options: .cumulativeSum) { _, result, error in if error != nil { //print("Error fetching step count, or there is no data: \(error.localizedDescription), \(startDate) -> \(endDate)") onComplete(0) return } if let result, let sum = result.sumQuantity() { let stepCount = sum.doubleValue(for: HKUnit.count()) DispatchQueue.main.async { onComplete(Int(stepCount)) } } } healthStore.execute(query) }
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1.3k
Jun ’25
Called endBackgroundTask but not working
When my app enter to background, I start a background task, and when Expiration happens, I end my background task. The code likes below: backgroundTask = [[UIApplication sharedApplication] beginBackgroundTaskWithExpirationHandler:^{ dispatch_async(dispatch_get_main_queue(), ^{ if (backgroundTask != UIBackgroundTaskInvalid) { [[UIApplication sharedApplication] endBackgroundTask:backgroundTask]; backgroundTask = UIBackgroundTaskInvalid; [self cancel]; } }); }]; When the breakpoint is triggered at the endBackgroundTask line, I also get the following log: [BackgroundTask] Background task still not ended after expiration handlers were called: <UIBackgroundTaskInfo: 0x282d7ab40>: taskID = 36, taskName = Called by MyApp, from MyMethod, creationTime = 892832 (elapsed = 26). This app will likely be terminated by the system. Call UIApplication.endBackgroundTask(:) to avoid this. The log don't appear every time, so why is that? Is there something wrong with my code?
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3.2k
Jun ’25
Unable to do disable sandbox apple wallet
Despite signing out of my sandbox Apple ID and disabling Developer Mode, my Wallet still appears to be in sandbox mode, and I’m unable to add any real payment cards. I have already tried the following steps: Signed out of all sandbox and developer accounts Turned off Developer Mode Restarted the device Reset all settings Updated to the latest iOS version Removed any configuration profiles Unfortunately, none of these actions helped. The Wallet interface still displays “sandbox” and rejects real cards.
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389
Jun ’25
HCE issues
This post contains sensitive language. Please revise it in order to continue.Hello, We are working on digital key style application using custom communication with HCE (Host Card Emulation). We have a working solution but there is one issue - if our application is not selected as default NFC application our users may see Wallet popup when there's no active presentment intent in our application. I didn't find in documentation any information how to stop Wallet from activating. I found there's requestAutomaticPassPresentationSuppression method in PassKit, it requires special permission, however I am not sure if it can be used in this situation, as there's no information how it will impact HCE communication in our application. I'll be greatful for any advice. Regards, Valdemar
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530
Jun ’25
JSONDecoder enum-keyed dictionary bug
Hello everyone, I think I've discovered a bug in JSONDecoder and I'd like to get a quick sanity-check on this, as well as hopefully some ideas to work around the issue. When attempting to decode a Decodable struct from JSON using JSONDecoder, the decoder throws an error when it encounters a dictionary that is keyed by an enum and somehow seems to think that the enum is an Array<Any>. Here's a minimal reproducible example: let jsonString = """ { "variations": { "plural": "tests", "singular": "test" } } """ struct Json: Codable { let variations: [VariationKind: String] } enum VariationKind: String, Codable, Hashable { case plural = "plural" case singular = "singular" } and then the actual decoding: let json = try JSONDecoder().decode( Json.self, from: jsonString.data(using: .utf8)! ) print(json) The expected result would of course be the following: Json( variations: [ VariationKind.plural: "tests", VariationKind.singular: "test" ] ) But the actual result is an error: Swift.DecodingError.typeMismatch( Swift.Array<Any>, Swift.DecodingError.Context( codingPath: [ CodingKeys(stringValue: "variations", intValue: nil) ], debugDescription: "Expected to decode Array<Any> but found a dictionary instead.", underlyingError: nil ) ) So basically, the JSONDecoder tries to decode Swift.Array<Any> but encounters a dictionary (duh), and I have no idea why this is happening. There are literally no arrays anywhere, neither in the actual JSON string, nor in any of the Codable structs. Curiously, if I change the dictionary from [VariationKind: String] to [String: String], everything works perfectly. So something about the enum seems to cause confusion in JSONDecoder. I've tried to fix this by implementing Decodable myself for VariationKind and using a singleValueContainer, but that causes exactly the same error. Am I crazy, or is that a bug?
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Jun ’25
Apple wallet push notifications have stopped working.
I've been using Apple's push service for pass notifications for years (since 2012) and everything has been working fine until recently. With no code changes, the push service has stopped working. Passes can still be installed on the device and pull to refresh does get the updates and highlights changes properly, so the pass signing is working properly, it's just the push notices don't seem to be getting to the device. I am getting log messages back from the APNS, and fwrite is returning the number of bytes written so I don't think there are any authentication issues. I'm using PHP on my own web server in case that's relevant. I also disabled rate limiting in the developer settings on my device to make sure that isn't the issue. I've also verified there are no outstanding messages in the feedback service (which also works fine without any errors). In fact, there are no errors and acting like everything is working which is why it is frustrating to troubleshoot since the problem seems to be between Apple and the device. I don't know if this may be related, but I know I saw this post from apple about a certificate change: https://developer.apple.com/news/?id=09za8wzy I have checked that the server has the new certificate per the instructions in this post: https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/772665 Still no push updates work, however the Lock Screen location messages do appear and pass update notifications do appear on the Lock Screen correctly but only after pulling to refresh on the back of the pass. Does anyone have any ideas on how to fix or even start troubleshooting why the pushes aren't being delivered to the phone?
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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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Jun ’25
Can FamilyControls ApplicationToken or CategoryToken expire? If yes, how to detect and handle it?
How to programmatically check if ApplicationToken or ActivityCategoryToken is expired in FamilyActivityPicker? I'm building a Screen Time-based parental control app using FamilyControls and ManagedSettings. We use FamilyActivityPicker to allow the user to select apps and categories to restrict, and we apply the shield using: store.shield.applications = .specific(selection.applicationTokens) store.shield.applicationCategories = .specific(selection.categoryTokens) Sometimes, we observe that the shield silently fails to apply — no error is thrown, but the restrictions aren't enforced. I suspect this may be due to expired or invalid tokens, possibly if the app was removed or the selection became stale. My Questions: Can ApplicationToken or ActivityCategoryToken expire or become invalid over time? If yes, is there a supported or recommended way to detect whether a token is still valid before applying it to the shield? Is comparing the current shield values (store.shield.applications and store.shield.applicationCategories) after applying them a reliable validation method? What's the best practice to handle expired tokens (e.g. re-prompt the FamilyActivityPicker, or show a fallback)? What Is the Expiration Duration of Tokens from FamilyActivityPicker? Any guidance or insight from the Screen Time/FamilyControls team would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!
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Jun ’25
Extend Family Control permission to app's extensions
I have tried multiple time through multiple channels and you have yet to respond to my request. I am developing an App on xcode APP Bundle ID: garymdmd.MediaPace Apple ID: 6740823496 Apple has granted me distribution use of the Family Control/Screentime module for my main app. According to your engineer's post here: https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/764919 That permission should be extended to your extensions that are part of the app. When you try to setup the extension identifiers they do not show the "added capabilities" column that sow sup when getting permission for the main app so you are not able to endow the extension with these permissions which seem to be needed to work with the app. I am trying to add these bundle identifier extensions: garymdmd.MediaPace.ScreenTimeMonitorDuo garymdmd.MediaPace.DeviceActivityReport Can you please tell me how to get this to work or to add permissions to these extensions. I have sent in the request form multiple times (here - https://developer.apple.com/contact/request/family-controls-distribution) and Apple simply writes back that I have permission after a few weeks but nothing changes for the extension capabilities.
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Jun ’25
How to switch between Core Data Persistent Stores?
What is the best way to switch between Core Data Persistent Stores? My use case is that I have a multi-user app that stores thousands of data items unique to each user. To me, having Persistent Stores for each user seems like the best design to keep their data separate and private. (If anyone believes that storing the data for all users in one Persistent Store is a better design, I'd appreciate hearing from them.) Customers might switch users 5 to 10 times a day. Switching users must be fast, say a second or two at most.
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Jun ’25
Add App Group to Existing SwiftData App
I have an existing app that uses SwiftData and now want to add widgets. I added the widget extension, created an App Group to use for the main app target and widget targets and successfully created the widget. However, when testing the updates I often experience data loss - as though the including the widget extension is creating a new instance of modelContainer. Am I missing something to ensure there won't be any data loss when adding the App Group and widget extension? For additional context: I’ve followed the Backyard Birds example code except that it uses a separate app package. My app does not use an external app package, but I am using some elements of the DataGeneration file. My files containing the SwiftData models have Target Memberships for both the main app target and widget extension target. In the TimelineProvider for my widgets, I'm doing the following: let modelContext = ModelContext(DataGeneration.container) init() { DataGeneration.generateAllData(modelContext: modelContext) } My DataGeneration file (simplified) is as follows. When adding the widget target, I sometimes see the log for "Creating instance of DataGeneration". import Foundation import SwiftData @Model class DataGeneration { var requiresInitialization: Bool = true init(requiresInitialization: Bool = true) { self.requiresInitialization = requiresInitialization } private func generateInitialData(modelContext: ModelContext) { if requiresInitialization { let budget = Budget() modelContext.insert(budget) requiresInitialization = false } } private static func instance(with modelContext: ModelContext) -> DataGeneration { if let result = try! modelContext.fetch(FetchDescriptor<DataGeneration>()).first { logger.info("Found instance of DataGeneration") return result } else { logger.info("Creating instance of DataGeneration") let instance = DataGeneration() modelContext.insert(instance) return instance } } static func generateAllData(modelContext: ModelContext) { let instance = instance(with: modelContext) instance.generateInitialData(modelContext: modelContext) } } extension DataGeneration { static let container = try! ModelContainer(for: schema, configurations: [.init(isStoredInMemoryOnly: DataGenerationOptions.inMemoryPersistence)]) static let schema = SwiftData.Schema([ DataGeneration.self, Budget.self ]) }
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Jun ’25
No notification sound when CarPlay is connected
We're building a taxi driver app. Our goal is simple: Play a notification sound when a new ride request arrives — even if the iPhone is connected to CarPlay. We use Firebase push with "sound": "default" and "interruption-level": "time-sensitive". The app requests .carPlay and uses a category with .allowInCarPlay. Everything works when CarPlay is disconnected — we get sound and banner. But when connected to CarPlay: the push is delivered silently, no sound is played (even on the phone), Siri Announce is enabled, but nothing is spoken. Questions: Is notification sound blocked when CarPlay is active, unless the app has CarPlay entitlement? Is Siri Announce the only way to notify the driver audibly in this case? Would getting a CarPlay entitlement (e.g. CarPlay.communication) fix this without building a full CarPlay UI? Thanks — all we need is a reliable sound alert when a new ride comes in.
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Jun ’25
iOS App udp and local network permission
Recently, my application was having trouble sending udp messages after it was reinstalled. The cause of the problem was initially that I did not grant local network permissions when I reinstalled, I was aware of the problem, so udp worked fine after I granted permissions. However, the next time I repeat the previous operation, I also do not grant local network permissions, and then turn it back on in the Settings, and udp does not work properly (no messages can be sent, the system version and code have not changed). Fortunately, udp worked after rebooting the phone, and more importantly, I was able to repeat the problem many times. So I want to know if the process between when I re-uninstall the app and deny local network permissions, and when I turn it back on in Settings, is that permissions have been granted normally, and not fake, and not required a reboot to reset something for udp to take effect. I'm not sure if it's the system, or if it's a similar situation as described here, hopefully that will help me find out
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Jun ’25
Extracting IP with swift on visionOS
Hey everyone, I’m developing an app for visionOS where I need to display the Apple Vision Pro’s current IP address. For this I’m using the following code, which works for iOS, macOS, and visionOS in the simulator. Only on a real Apple Vision Pro it’s unable to extract an IP. Could it be that visionOS currently doesn’t allow this? Have any of you had the same experience and found a workaround? var address: String = "no ip" var ifaddr: UnsafeMutablePointer<ifaddrs>? = nil if getifaddrs(&ifaddr) == 0 { var ptr = ifaddr while ptr != nil { defer { ptr = ptr?.pointee.ifa_next } let interface = ptr?.pointee let addrFamily = interface?.ifa_addr.pointee.sa_family if addrFamily == UInt8(AF_INET) { if let name: Optional<String> = String(cString: (interface?.ifa_name)!), name == "en0" { var hostname = [CChar](repeating: 0, count: Int(NI_MAXHOST)) getnameinfo(interface?.ifa_addr, socklen_t((interface?.ifa_addr.pointee.sa_len)!), &hostname, socklen_t(hostname.count), nil, socklen_t(0), NI_NUMERICHOST) address = String(cString: hostname) } } } freeifaddrs(ifaddr) } return address } Thanks in advance for any insights or tips! Best Regards, David
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Jun ’25
How to Keep Cellular Data Active While Connected to a Local Hotspot for File Transfer?
Hi all, I’m developing a companion iOS app that connects to a device-created Wi-Fi hotspot to transfer videos or other files WebSocket. The challenge is: once the iPhone connects to this hotspot, it loses internet access because iOS routes all traffic through Wi-Fi. However, I’d like to keep the iPhone’s cellular data active and usable while staying connected to the local hotspot — so the app can access cloud APIs, or the user can continue using other apps that require internet access. I understand that iOS prioritizes Wi-Fi over cellular, but are there any supported workarounds or patterns (e.g., MFi programs, local-only Wi-Fi access, NEHotspotConfiguration behavior, etc.) that : • Using Wi-Fi only for local communication; • cellular to remain active for internet access. Any insights or Apple-recommended best practices would be greatly appreciated — especially any official references regarding MFi Accessory setup or NEHotspotConfiguration behavior in this context. Thanks in !
Replies
1
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0
Views
154
Activity
Jun ’25
HealthKit returns different values depending on the OS the request is made on
Hi, I've had trouble for a while now with HealthKit giving me different values if I make the request on iOS and WatchOS. I am using the exact same method on both with the same parameters but I get vast differences in the results. The code I am using to call HealthKit on both devices is: let dateRange = HKQuery.predicateForSamples(withStart: Date().removeMonths(numberOfMonths: 1), end: Date().endOfDay()) let predicate: NSPredicate predicate = NSCompoundPredicate(type: .and, subpredicates: [dateRange]) let query = HKStatisticsQuery(quantityType: HKQuantityType(.stepCount), quantitySamplePredicate: predicate, options: .cumulativeSum) { _, result, error in if error != nil { //print("Error fetching step count, or there is no data: \(error.localizedDescription), \(startDate) -> \(endDate)") onComplete(0) return } if let result, let sum = result.sumQuantity() { let stepCount = sum.doubleValue(for: HKUnit.count()) DispatchQueue.main.async { onComplete(Int(stepCount)) } } } healthStore.execute(query) }
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4
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0
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1.3k
Activity
Jun ’25
The iOS 26 simulator crashed due to NWPathMonitor
Simulator: iPhone 16 pro (iOS 26) Minimum Deployments: iOS 16.0+, not iOS 17. Here is the demo: import SwiftUI import NetworkExtension struct ContentView: View { private var monitor = NWPathMonitor() var body: some View { VStack { Text("Hello, world!") } .task { let _ = URLSession.shared } } }
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1
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1
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367
Activity
Jun ’25
Called endBackgroundTask but not working
When my app enter to background, I start a background task, and when Expiration happens, I end my background task. The code likes below: backgroundTask = [[UIApplication sharedApplication] beginBackgroundTaskWithExpirationHandler:^{ dispatch_async(dispatch_get_main_queue(), ^{ if (backgroundTask != UIBackgroundTaskInvalid) { [[UIApplication sharedApplication] endBackgroundTask:backgroundTask]; backgroundTask = UIBackgroundTaskInvalid; [self cancel]; } }); }]; When the breakpoint is triggered at the endBackgroundTask line, I also get the following log: [BackgroundTask] Background task still not ended after expiration handlers were called: <UIBackgroundTaskInfo: 0x282d7ab40>: taskID = 36, taskName = Called by MyApp, from MyMethod, creationTime = 892832 (elapsed = 26). This app will likely be terminated by the system. Call UIApplication.endBackgroundTask(:) to avoid this. The log don't appear every time, so why is that? Is there something wrong with my code?
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3
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0
Views
3.2k
Activity
Jun ’25
Unable to do disable sandbox apple wallet
Despite signing out of my sandbox Apple ID and disabling Developer Mode, my Wallet still appears to be in sandbox mode, and I’m unable to add any real payment cards. I have already tried the following steps: Signed out of all sandbox and developer accounts Turned off Developer Mode Restarted the device Reset all settings Updated to the latest iOS version Removed any configuration profiles Unfortunately, none of these actions helped. The Wallet interface still displays “sandbox” and rejects real cards.
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0
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0
Views
389
Activity
Jun ’25
HCE issues
This post contains sensitive language. Please revise it in order to continue.Hello, We are working on digital key style application using custom communication with HCE (Host Card Emulation). We have a working solution but there is one issue - if our application is not selected as default NFC application our users may see Wallet popup when there's no active presentment intent in our application. I didn't find in documentation any information how to stop Wallet from activating. I found there's requestAutomaticPassPresentationSuppression method in PassKit, it requires special permission, however I am not sure if it can be used in this situation, as there's no information how it will impact HCE communication in our application. I'll be greatful for any advice. Regards, Valdemar
Replies
0
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0
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530
Activity
Jun ’25
IAP Product display incorrect currency price
I has sandbox account with Japanese local. When i build app directly to check, price is displayed in Japanese Currency. But when I install app from the Test Flight, price is always displayed in USD Currency. the issue is appear in iOS 18.5 How can i fix this issue ?
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2
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3
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144
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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291
Activity
Jun ’25
JSONDecoder enum-keyed dictionary bug
Hello everyone, I think I've discovered a bug in JSONDecoder and I'd like to get a quick sanity-check on this, as well as hopefully some ideas to work around the issue. When attempting to decode a Decodable struct from JSON using JSONDecoder, the decoder throws an error when it encounters a dictionary that is keyed by an enum and somehow seems to think that the enum is an Array<Any>. Here's a minimal reproducible example: let jsonString = """ { "variations": { "plural": "tests", "singular": "test" } } """ struct Json: Codable { let variations: [VariationKind: String] } enum VariationKind: String, Codable, Hashable { case plural = "plural" case singular = "singular" } and then the actual decoding: let json = try JSONDecoder().decode( Json.self, from: jsonString.data(using: .utf8)! ) print(json) The expected result would of course be the following: Json( variations: [ VariationKind.plural: "tests", VariationKind.singular: "test" ] ) But the actual result is an error: Swift.DecodingError.typeMismatch( Swift.Array<Any>, Swift.DecodingError.Context( codingPath: [ CodingKeys(stringValue: "variations", intValue: nil) ], debugDescription: "Expected to decode Array<Any> but found a dictionary instead.", underlyingError: nil ) ) So basically, the JSONDecoder tries to decode Swift.Array<Any> but encounters a dictionary (duh), and I have no idea why this is happening. There are literally no arrays anywhere, neither in the actual JSON string, nor in any of the Codable structs. Curiously, if I change the dictionary from [VariationKind: String] to [String: String], everything works perfectly. So something about the enum seems to cause confusion in JSONDecoder. I've tried to fix this by implementing Decodable myself for VariationKind and using a singleValueContainer, but that causes exactly the same error. Am I crazy, or is that a bug?
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1
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0
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155
Activity
Jun ’25
Apple wallet push notifications have stopped working.
I've been using Apple's push service for pass notifications for years (since 2012) and everything has been working fine until recently. With no code changes, the push service has stopped working. Passes can still be installed on the device and pull to refresh does get the updates and highlights changes properly, so the pass signing is working properly, it's just the push notices don't seem to be getting to the device. I am getting log messages back from the APNS, and fwrite is returning the number of bytes written so I don't think there are any authentication issues. I'm using PHP on my own web server in case that's relevant. I also disabled rate limiting in the developer settings on my device to make sure that isn't the issue. I've also verified there are no outstanding messages in the feedback service (which also works fine without any errors). In fact, there are no errors and acting like everything is working which is why it is frustrating to troubleshoot since the problem seems to be between Apple and the device. I don't know if this may be related, but I know I saw this post from apple about a certificate change: https://developer.apple.com/news/?id=09za8wzy I have checked that the server has the new certificate per the instructions in this post: https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/772665 Still no push updates work, however the Lock Screen location messages do appear and pass update notifications do appear on the Lock Screen correctly but only after pulling to refresh on the back of the pass. Does anyone have any ideas on how to fix or even start troubleshooting why the pushes aren't being delivered to the phone?
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1
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0
Views
608
Activity
Jun ’25
Shortcut and automations
Can someone please give me a clue who to go about creating an automation that will open an app click log in, close 2 pop up windows the select an item on screen spin a when collect my prize then log out of the app. I want it to do this once a hour.
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0
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0
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100
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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447
Activity
Jun ’25
Can FamilyControls ApplicationToken or CategoryToken expire? If yes, how to detect and handle it?
How to programmatically check if ApplicationToken or ActivityCategoryToken is expired in FamilyActivityPicker? I'm building a Screen Time-based parental control app using FamilyControls and ManagedSettings. We use FamilyActivityPicker to allow the user to select apps and categories to restrict, and we apply the shield using: store.shield.applications = .specific(selection.applicationTokens) store.shield.applicationCategories = .specific(selection.categoryTokens) Sometimes, we observe that the shield silently fails to apply — no error is thrown, but the restrictions aren't enforced. I suspect this may be due to expired or invalid tokens, possibly if the app was removed or the selection became stale. My Questions: Can ApplicationToken or ActivityCategoryToken expire or become invalid over time? If yes, is there a supported or recommended way to detect whether a token is still valid before applying it to the shield? Is comparing the current shield values (store.shield.applications and store.shield.applicationCategories) after applying them a reliable validation method? What's the best practice to handle expired tokens (e.g. re-prompt the FamilyActivityPicker, or show a fallback)? What Is the Expiration Duration of Tokens from FamilyActivityPicker? Any guidance or insight from the Screen Time/FamilyControls team would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!
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1
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2
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195
Activity
Jun ’25
How to link from shield
Hello, How do apps like App Lock implement app-opening from a shield? Is this supported for 3rd-party apps or limited to partners? https://apps.apple.com/us/app/app-lock/id6448239603
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1
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1
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99
Activity
Jun ’25
Extend Family Control permission to app's extensions
I have tried multiple time through multiple channels and you have yet to respond to my request. I am developing an App on xcode APP Bundle ID: garymdmd.MediaPace Apple ID: 6740823496 Apple has granted me distribution use of the Family Control/Screentime module for my main app. According to your engineer's post here: https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/764919 That permission should be extended to your extensions that are part of the app. When you try to setup the extension identifiers they do not show the "added capabilities" column that sow sup when getting permission for the main app so you are not able to endow the extension with these permissions which seem to be needed to work with the app. I am trying to add these bundle identifier extensions: garymdmd.MediaPace.ScreenTimeMonitorDuo garymdmd.MediaPace.DeviceActivityReport Can you please tell me how to get this to work or to add permissions to these extensions. I have sent in the request form multiple times (here - https://developer.apple.com/contact/request/family-controls-distribution) and Apple simply writes back that I have permission after a few weeks but nothing changes for the extension capabilities.
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2
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0
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184
Activity
Jun ’25
How to switch between Core Data Persistent Stores?
What is the best way to switch between Core Data Persistent Stores? My use case is that I have a multi-user app that stores thousands of data items unique to each user. To me, having Persistent Stores for each user seems like the best design to keep their data separate and private. (If anyone believes that storing the data for all users in one Persistent Store is a better design, I'd appreciate hearing from them.) Customers might switch users 5 to 10 times a day. Switching users must be fast, say a second or two at most.
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1
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0
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147
Activity
Jun ’25
Add App Group to Existing SwiftData App
I have an existing app that uses SwiftData and now want to add widgets. I added the widget extension, created an App Group to use for the main app target and widget targets and successfully created the widget. However, when testing the updates I often experience data loss - as though the including the widget extension is creating a new instance of modelContainer. Am I missing something to ensure there won't be any data loss when adding the App Group and widget extension? For additional context: I’ve followed the Backyard Birds example code except that it uses a separate app package. My app does not use an external app package, but I am using some elements of the DataGeneration file. My files containing the SwiftData models have Target Memberships for both the main app target and widget extension target. In the TimelineProvider for my widgets, I'm doing the following: let modelContext = ModelContext(DataGeneration.container) init() { DataGeneration.generateAllData(modelContext: modelContext) } My DataGeneration file (simplified) is as follows. When adding the widget target, I sometimes see the log for "Creating instance of DataGeneration". import Foundation import SwiftData @Model class DataGeneration { var requiresInitialization: Bool = true init(requiresInitialization: Bool = true) { self.requiresInitialization = requiresInitialization } private func generateInitialData(modelContext: ModelContext) { if requiresInitialization { let budget = Budget() modelContext.insert(budget) requiresInitialization = false } } private static func instance(with modelContext: ModelContext) -> DataGeneration { if let result = try! modelContext.fetch(FetchDescriptor<DataGeneration>()).first { logger.info("Found instance of DataGeneration") return result } else { logger.info("Creating instance of DataGeneration") let instance = DataGeneration() modelContext.insert(instance) return instance } } static func generateAllData(modelContext: ModelContext) { let instance = instance(with: modelContext) instance.generateInitialData(modelContext: modelContext) } } extension DataGeneration { static let container = try! ModelContainer(for: schema, configurations: [.init(isStoredInMemoryOnly: DataGenerationOptions.inMemoryPersistence)]) static let schema = SwiftData.Schema([ DataGeneration.self, Budget.self ]) }
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4
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0
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374
Activity
Jun ’25
No notification sound when CarPlay is connected
We're building a taxi driver app. Our goal is simple: Play a notification sound when a new ride request arrives — even if the iPhone is connected to CarPlay. We use Firebase push with "sound": "default" and "interruption-level": "time-sensitive". The app requests .carPlay and uses a category with .allowInCarPlay. Everything works when CarPlay is disconnected — we get sound and banner. But when connected to CarPlay: the push is delivered silently, no sound is played (even on the phone), Siri Announce is enabled, but nothing is spoken. Questions: Is notification sound blocked when CarPlay is active, unless the app has CarPlay entitlement? Is Siri Announce the only way to notify the driver audibly in this case? Would getting a CarPlay entitlement (e.g. CarPlay.communication) fix this without building a full CarPlay UI? Thanks — all we need is a reliable sound alert when a new ride comes in.
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2
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0
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137
Activity
Jun ’25
iOS App udp and local network permission
Recently, my application was having trouble sending udp messages after it was reinstalled. The cause of the problem was initially that I did not grant local network permissions when I reinstalled, I was aware of the problem, so udp worked fine after I granted permissions. However, the next time I repeat the previous operation, I also do not grant local network permissions, and then turn it back on in the Settings, and udp does not work properly (no messages can be sent, the system version and code have not changed). Fortunately, udp worked after rebooting the phone, and more importantly, I was able to repeat the problem many times. So I want to know if the process between when I re-uninstall the app and deny local network permissions, and when I turn it back on in Settings, is that permissions have been granted normally, and not fake, and not required a reboot to reset something for udp to take effect. I'm not sure if it's the system, or if it's a similar situation as described here, hopefully that will help me find out
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5
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2
Views
1.4k
Activity
Jun ’25
Extracting IP with swift on visionOS
Hey everyone, I’m developing an app for visionOS where I need to display the Apple Vision Pro’s current IP address. For this I’m using the following code, which works for iOS, macOS, and visionOS in the simulator. Only on a real Apple Vision Pro it’s unable to extract an IP. Could it be that visionOS currently doesn’t allow this? Have any of you had the same experience and found a workaround? var address: String = "no ip" var ifaddr: UnsafeMutablePointer<ifaddrs>? = nil if getifaddrs(&ifaddr) == 0 { var ptr = ifaddr while ptr != nil { defer { ptr = ptr?.pointee.ifa_next } let interface = ptr?.pointee let addrFamily = interface?.ifa_addr.pointee.sa_family if addrFamily == UInt8(AF_INET) { if let name: Optional<String> = String(cString: (interface?.ifa_name)!), name == "en0" { var hostname = [CChar](repeating: 0, count: Int(NI_MAXHOST)) getnameinfo(interface?.ifa_addr, socklen_t((interface?.ifa_addr.pointee.sa_len)!), &hostname, socklen_t(hostname.count), nil, socklen_t(0), NI_NUMERICHOST) address = String(cString: hostname) } } } freeifaddrs(ifaddr) } return address } Thanks in advance for any insights or tips! Best Regards, David
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2
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1
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201
Activity
Jun ’25