At WWDC25 we launched a new type of Lab event for the developer community - Group Labs. A Group Lab is a panel Q&A designed for a large audience of developers. Group Labs are a unique opportunity for the community to submit questions directly to a panel of Apple engineers and designers. Here are the highlights from the WWDC25 Group Lab for watchOS (part 2). 7. For widget (complication) update budgets, is there an overall budget or are scheduled update separate from APNS updates? For context I have a complication that is updated on a fixed schedule (every 20 min), but there can be times of the day that are more "interesting" where pushes make sense. Like timeline updates, the system budgets WidgetKit push notifications and delivers them opportunistically. You can use WidgetKit push notification updates as an addition to timeline updates. For more information, see Updating widgets with WidgetKit push notifications. 8. It seems like the new Control Center widgets can be sourced from either the iPhone or directly on the Watch. Can we control whether a control appears in the watch list, or will it always be a combination of all controls from both sources? iPhone controls will be automatically available on the companion Apple Watch, even if they don’t have an associated watchOS app. When an iPhone control is tapped on the Apple Watch, the action is performed on the iPhone. Controls whose actions foreground the iOS app will not appear on Apple Watch. If a watchOS app has controls, no controls will appear on Apple Watch from the companion iOS app. 9. From UI/UX perspective, what are the current practices for Designing watchOS apps that feels native. The WWDC23 session Design and build apps for WatchOS 10 covers the details of watchOS design principles and how to apply them in your app using SwiftUI. A lot of SwiftUI APIs, such as NavigationSplitView, vertical tab view, list view, and etc, already implement the look and feel native to watchOS. 10. When adopting the new design system on watchOS, it seems like the main place we will use the glass effect is for our buttons in toolbar? Standard buttons in system apps seem to continue to use a flat appearance and full width. We leave the choice to you – You can use the new GlassButtonStyle API or .buttonStyle(.glass) to apply the liquid glass material to buttons. Learn when to use the Liquid Glass styles in Get to know the new design system. 11. Is there any way to gracefully migrate extensions when their bundleIDs have to change? e.g., converting a multi-target watch app to single-target, which drops the .watchkitextension from both the app and WidgetKit ext bundleIDs Updating a watchOS app to single-target is covered in TechNote TN3157: Updating your watchOS project for SwiftUI and WidgetKit. Xcode provides a tool that can do the update automatically, and the technote describes the details about how to use it and how to clean up the project after the automatic update. If there's something that technote doesn't address, please reach out to us on the Developer Forums. 12. What is the status of WatchConnectivity? Is that still the preferred way for iOS + watchOS communications? The Watch Connectivity framework is still supported, and is appropriate for the communication between an watchOS app and its companion iOS app. The systems also provide other APIs for the apps to exchange data. For example, watchOS supports Apple Push Notification service (APNs). If data for your widget changes on your server, your widget can receive a WidgetKit push notification, and update accordingly. That’s the preferred mechanism for widget updates.

When the iPhone is set to 12-hour time format, obtaining a timestamp similar to "2025-07-18 16:29:00" fails

I just adding a way to donate my app's data to Core Spotlight using CSSearchableIndex, but I'm finding that spotlight is only searching for the title of the CSSearchableItem I create. I know the index is working, because it always finds the item through the title property, but nothing else. This is how I'm creating the CSSearchableItem: - (CSSearchableItem *) createSearchableItem { CSSearchableItemAttributeSet* attributeSet = [[CSSearchableItemAttributeSet alloc] initWithContentType: UTTypeText]; attributeSet.title = [self titleForIndex]; attributeSet.displayName = [self titleForIndex]; attributeSet.contentDescription = [self contentDescriptionForIndex]; attributeSet.thumbnailData = [self thumbnailDataForIndex]; attributeSet.textContent = [self contentDescriptionForIndex]; CSSearchableItem *item = [[CSSearchableItem alloc] initWithUniqueIdentifier: [self referenceURLString] domainIdentifier:@"com.cjournal.cjournal-Logs" attributeSet:attributeSet]; item.expirationDate = [NSDate distantFuture]; return item; } There's a lot of confusing tips around which say specifying the 'textContent' should work, and/or setting the displayName is essential, but none of these are working. Is there something I'm missing with my setup? Thanks.

Both follow the same pattern: show the image that is being shared along with a CTA button about doing something with it in their app. When you tap the button, their app opens. Is there some kind of magic conditions that tapping the button creates that makes extensionContext.open(_ URL: URL, completionHandler: ((Bool) -> Void)?) accept a URL for opening the app? Or are they just using the "walk the responder chain" hack and using the user's intent to do something in their app as sufficient justification for using it? I've tried opening a registered URL scheme for my app synchronously with the button tap, but it still is refusing to open (callback returns false).

Hey folks! I'm working on a macOS app which has a Finder Quick Action extension. It's all working fine, but I'm hitting a weird struggle with getting the icon rendering how I would like, and the docs haven't been able to help me. I want to re-use a custom SF Symbol from my app, so I've copied that from the main app's xcassets bundle to the one in the extension, and configured it for Template rendering. The icon renders in the right click menu in Finder, the Finder preview pane and the Extensions section of System Settings, but all of them render with the wrong colour in dark mode. In light mode they look fine, but in dark mode I would expect a templated icon to be rendered in white, not black. I've attached a variety of screenshots of the icons in the UI and how things are set up in Xcode (both for the symbol in the xcassets bundle, and the Info.plist) I tried reading the docs, searching Google, searching GitHub and even asking the dreaded AI, but it seems like there's not really very much information available about doing icons for Finder extensions, especially ones using a custom SF Symbol, so I would love to know if anyone here has been able to solve this in the past! Finder preview pane in light mode: Finder preview pane in dark mode: Finder quick action context menu: System Settings extension preferences: The custom symbol in my .xcassets bundle: The finder extension's Info.plist:

Hello, I am developing a messaging filtering app (F-Secre) that includes a Message Filter Extension. The extension correctly identifies and filters spam SMS/iMessage. In iOS 18, when a message was filtered into the Junk folder, the Messages app would correctly display a label beneath it indicating it was filtered by our product, e.g., “Junk filtered by F-Secre”. After updating to the iOS 26 beta (26.0 (23A5330a)), the filtering functionality itself still works—messages are correctly moved to the Junk folder. However, the branding attribution ("filtered by F-Secre") is now missing. The message appears in the Junk folder with no indication of which extension filtered it. This is a regression in user experience, as it removes visibility and credit for our app's work and might confuse users about whether the filtering system is active.

Environment: macOS 15.2 (24C101) with Xcode 16.2 (16C5032a) Goal: I am trying to build a simple IMKInputController-based input method. Problem: My .app bundle registers successfully and I can select it as an input source. When selected, it blocks keyboard input, but my handle method does not seem to execute or produce output. I have placed NSLog statements in my controller's init and handle methods. Code for the controller: import InputMethodKit // The IMKTextInput protocol is provided by the framework. // We don't need to define our own bridging protocol for this test. public class HelloWorldController: IMKInputController { public override init!(server: IMKServer!, delegate: Any!, client inputClient: Any!) { super.init(server: server, delegate: delegate, client: inputClient) NSLog("HelloWorldIME: Controller has been initialized.") } public override func handle(_ event: NSEvent!, client sender: Any!) -> Bool { NSLog("HelloWorldIME: handle() method was called.") // ================== FINAL FIX APPLIED HERE ================== // 1. First, we ensure the client is a fundamental Objective-C object. guard let clientObject = sender as? NSObject else { NSLog("HelloWorldIME: Error - client object is not an NSObject.") return false } NSLog("HelloWorldIME: Successfully cast client to NSObject.") // 2. Now that we have an NSObject, we can safely check if it responds to the selector. let selector = #selector(IMKTextInput.insertText(_:replacementRange:)) if !clientObject.responds(to: selector) { NSLog("HelloWorldIME: Error - client object does not respond to the insertText selector.") return false } NSLog("HelloWorldIME: Client responds to insertText. Preparing to insert text.") // 3. Since we've confirmed it responds, we can now safely treat it as an IMKTextInput // and call the method. let client = clientObject as! IMKTextInput let stringToInsert = "A" let replacementRange = NSRange(location: NSNotFound, length: 0) client.insertText(stringToInsert, replacementRange: replacementRange) NSLog("HelloWorldIME: Called insertText with string '\(stringToInsert)'. Action complete.") // ======================================================== return true } }

Weatherkit stopped again providing next hour rain data for United kingdom and ireland

I just launched my watch app with alarms using WKExtendedRuntimeSession, as an api I wish it was possible to: set a small title/message on the alarm ui itself, right now all it displays is the "Alarm from < app name >" with the app icon, but it would be nice to be able to set a short 1~2 line message below it as well! be able to read the current scheduled date, right now it's only possible to know it's scheduled.

Hello, I noticed the new entitlement in iOS 26 under LiveCommunicationKit: Preparing your app to be the default dialer app. My question is about eligibility: If a developer account is registered in the EU, can any app add the Default Dialer capability, or is it restricted only to apps that provide real calling/communication functionality (e.g., WhatsApp, Telegram, Skype)? If granted, does this capability allow the app to make/receive cellular calls and access call history, or is it limited only to VoIP-style scenarios through CallKit integration? What are the minimum functionalities required to support this feature (e.g., having a dial pad, call history screen, etc.)? Why must the developer account be registered in the EU to use this entitlement? Thanks in advance for the clarification!

Is there a way to increase the frequency of UWB background ranging?

We've observed an issue where the video button on the CallKit UI is disabled during Video VoIP calls. This issue appears to be specific to notch devices running SDK 26 and iOS 26 beta 7, specifically on iPhone 11. We have not seen this behavior on devices with Dynamic Island or on older iOS versions. For further details, please refer to the attached video and sysdiagnose file. : FB19827793 Our experimentation suggests this issue is exclusively present on non-Dynamic Island devices with iOS 26 beta.

Hello, I have a question about the default UI in an App Clip. I know that when App Clip launches, a system banner appears at the top for a few seconds, prompting the user to download the full app from the App Store. I'd like to confirm if this is the standard, default behavior for all App Clips. More importantly, is there any way to disable or hide this banner? We would prefer to manage the prompt to download the full app within our own UI. Thanks in advance for your help!

I need to post an app so how do you do it

Observed few times that providerDidBegin(_:) delegate never called for the complete app session after app init(as part of this CXProvider registered) which was built with SDK 26 and running on iOS 26. This issue observed multiple times with our testing. Since there is no providerDidBegin:, client is marking CallKit as not ready and never report any calls for VoIP APNS and ended up in app crash due to "[PKPushRegistry _terminateAppIfThereAreUnhandledVoIPPushes]" Please refer for sysdiagnose logs : FB19778306

Hello, I am trying to display basic screen time data on my main screen. On the initial load of the screen, the DeviceActivityReport renders correctly and visible, but after being in the background and coming back to the app, the whole view is just blank. I don't think I'm doing anything special. Is this a known bug? @main struct MyActivityReportExtension: DeviceActivityReportExtension { var body: some DeviceActivityReportScene { // Create a report for each DeviceActivityReport.Context that your app supports. TotalActivityReport { totalActivity in TotalActivityView(totalActivity: totalActivity) } // Add more reports here... } } extension DeviceActivityReport.Context { // If your app initializes a DeviceActivityReport with this context, then the system will use // your extension's corresponding DeviceActivityReportScene to render the contents of the // report. static let totalActivity = Self("Total Activity") } struct TotalActivityReport: DeviceActivityReportScene { // Define which context your scene will represent. let context: DeviceActivityReport.Context = .totalActivity // Define the custom configuration and the resulting view for this report. let content: (String) -> TotalActivityView func makeConfiguration(representing data: DeviceActivityResults<DeviceActivityData>) async -> String { // Reformat the data into a configuration that can be used to create // the report's view. let formatter = DateComponentsFormatter() formatter.allowedUnits = [.day, .hour, .minute] formatter.unitsStyle = .abbreviated formatter.zeroFormattingBehavior = .dropAll let totalActivityDuration = await data.flatMap { $0.activitySegments }.reduce(0, { $0 + $1.totalActivityDuration }) return formatter.string(from: totalActivityDuration) ?? "No activity data" } } struct TotalActivityView: View { let totalActivity: String var body: some View { VStack(alignment: .center, spacing: 4) { Text("Screen Time") .font(.system(size: 14, weight: .regular)) .foregroundColor(.secondary) .frame(maxWidth: .infinity, // stretch to the full cell width alignment: .center) Text(totalActivity) .font(.system(size: 18, weight: .medium)) .foregroundColor(.primary) } } } And I am using it in my main view: private var analyticsSection: some View { HStack(spacing: 24) { // Some View DeviceActivityReport(DeviceActivityReport.Context(rawValue: "Total Activity"), filter: DeviceActivityFilter( segment: .weekly( during: Calendar.current.dateInterval( of: .weekOfYear, for: .now )! ), users: .all, devices: .init([.iPhone, .iPad]), )) .frame(maxWidth: .infinity) // another view } .frame(maxWidth: .infinity, maxHeight: showAnalytics ? 58 : 0) .padding(.horizontal, showAnalytics ? 24 : 0) .opacity(showAnalytics ? 1.0 : 0.0) .clipped() }

I'm integrating Twilio Voice (v6.12.1) into my React Native app (using Swift bridging for iOS) and have implemented full VoIP, PushKit, and CallKit support for incoming calls. ✅ What works: Incoming calls trigger the VoIP push and display the full-screen CallKit interface (or fallback UI). Decline Call works as expected. Call logs and events print correctly. ❌ Problem: When I try to accept the call using the CallKit Accept button or React Native fallback UI, I consistently get: ❌ [TwilioVoiceModule] answerCall() callInvite is missing. I also noticed that the console logs for answerCall() are being printed three times in a row, even though the accept button is only pressed once. Additionally in the first time console, answerCall() CallInvite found, accepting... 🔍 Observations: The callInvite is properly received when the VoIP push arrives. But when answerCall() is triggered, callInvite becomes nil. This happens in CallKit accept, RN UI accept, and even notification banner accept. 📦 How it's set up (summarized): PushKit Registration – via PKPushRegistry in AppDelegate.swift VoIP push handling – forwards payload to TwilioVoiceModule.handleIncomingPush() CallKit integration – uses CXProviderDelegate to report and handle accept actions JS Bridge – emits acceptCallAction to JS React Native calls TwilioVoiceModule.answerCall(uuid, callSid) In answerCall() method: self.callInvite is nil – so call cannot be accepted. Attaching the link to view the relevant code: https://docs.google.com/document/d/15pNjKrfk954OaotpMIEh3xQUtst---1K45DBXoYctGM/edit?usp=sharing 💡 Call Accept Flow (iOS): VoIP Push → TwilioVoiceModule.handleIncomingPush() Twilio SDK creates callInvite reportNewIncomingCall() triggers CallKit UI On accept: CXAnswerCallAction → emits event to JS RN calls TwilioVoiceModule.answerCall(uuid, callSid) Problem: callInvite is already nil ❓ What I'm trying to understand: Why is callInvite becoming nil before answerCall() is called? Why are the logs showing the answerCall() call 3 times? Is there a race condition or multiple accept triggers? Should I ensure callInvite is accepted only once across all 3 accept paths? ** 💬 Any help would be appreciated.** 📱 Environment: React Native 0.78.x iOS 17+ Swift bridging with TwilioVoiceModule.swift Twilio Voice SDK 6.12.1 PushKit + CallKit + react-native-callkeep

Hello! I am a relatively new Apple developer and am almost done with my first app. I am implementing the Screen Time API to my app because the app is designed to help the user digitally detox and I am trying to make it so the user can select which apps they would like to monitor from a list of their apps on their phone so I am using the family activity picker but I just can't extract the data needed to track the apps. I am wondering how to do this. Thank you!

At WWDC25 we launched a new type of Lab event for the developer community - Group Labs. A Group Lab is a panel Q&A designed for a large audience of developers. Group Labs are a unique opportunity for the community to submit questions directly to a panel of Apple engineers and designers. Here are the highlights from the WWDC25 Group Lab for watchOS (part 1). 1. I'm really excited about the new design system on all platforms. Liquid Glass is super cool. What do developers need to keep in mind when building for watchOS 26? To adopt the new design system, start with updating your app for watchOS 10 – If you have done so, your app will be mostly ready for watchOS 26. For more information, see Design and build apps for WatchOS 10. You can then look into Liquid Glass specific APIs to fine tune your app. This topic is covered in Adopting Liquid Glass. If you have SwiftUI views using any custom style, make sure they are still legible and fit with the new design system. 2. Something that really stood out to me were updates to the Smart Stack, with the system prioritizing Widgets when they're most relevant. Tell me more about these new opportunities for apps. Workout apps that record workouts using HealthKit may be automatically suggested on the watch face and appear in the Smart Stack without adding a widget. Relevant widgets are a great way to present information related to a date, location, point-of-interest type, sleep schedule, or fitness condition in the Smart Stack when it is relevant. Relevant widgets don't need to display a empty state view when they are not relevant. They are only shown in the Smart Stack when relevant. The watchOS 26 Design ToolKit in the Apple Design Resources includes a set of templates that you can use to layout your widgets. 3. Is the Wrist Flick gesture available to developers in the same way as Double Tap is? The system uses Wrist Flick to dismiss notifications and incoming calls, silence timers and alarms, or return to the watch face. There is no separate API for the Wrist Flick gesture. Apps that are using XCUIAutomation to make sure their user interface behaves as intended can use the XCUIDeviceHandGesture.flick to automate tests that verify that their app responds appropriately to the Wrist Flick gesture. For apps using automated testing, the XCUIDeviceHandGesture.doubleTap can be also be used to automate testing of the app with the Double Tap gesture. See XCUIDevice.perform(handGesture:) 4. Can HRV measurements be triggered on demand via API in watchOS? Guidelines or processes for enabling energy-intensive biometric sampling on development devices for IRB-approved research? You don’t have direct control on the sampling rate in watchOS. You can use HealthKit (HKQuantityTypeIdentifierHeartRateVariabilitySDNN, to be specific) to query the HRV data, once the system has sampled and persisted the data to HealthKit. If that doesn’t help, we suggest that you file a feedback report with your concrete use case for us to investigate. Specific to IRB-approved research using Apple Watch or its companion iPhone, you might want to look at this FAQ and SensorKit to see if they can be of any help. 5. What is the best advice for someone who is new to making a watchOS app that’s been on iOS and iPadOS? You can start with exploring the system experience features on watchOS, such as notifications, controls, and widgets, and getting familiar with the system spaces, like Smart Stack, watch face, and control center. Knowing the watchOS app design principles and practices is important as well. Design and build apps for WatchOS 10 is a great resource for this topic. SwiftUI is an amazing across-platform framework, and you will use it to create your watchOS app. If you're already using it, great! Keep in mind some watch-only constraints. Comparing to iPhone or iPad, Apple Watch has a limited battery and smaller screen size, which significantly impacts how people use your app and how your app works. 6. Was there any extension this year to the 7 day limit on querying Apple Health data on the watch? There is no change on the limit this year. You can get this official limit at runtime using earliestPermittedSampleDate. There are some exceptions, and so don't be surprised if you see some data types are retained longer. The companion iPhone holds the full set of the health data. If you need to access the health data that has been purged from the Apple Watch, consider doing it with your iOS app, and then passing the result to your watchOS app.

Widgets on the widget is not responding to the touch properly. This issue is also affecting within the home screen widget in a way that the widget switches to light mode by itself even though I am in dark mode. Additionally, lock screen does not to respond once the lock screen widget has been edited. Is anyone else having this issue?