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.

Posts under General subtopic

Post

Replies

Boosts

Views

Activity

Siri can’t place calls while device is locked
Hello, I’m developing a third-party VoIP app called Heyno and trying to support Siri-initiated calls so they behave like WhatsApp / FaceTime, especially from the lock screen. Target behavior From the locked device, the user says: “Hey Siri, call <contact> using Heyno” Expected result: • System CallKit audio-call UI appears. • No “continue in ” sheet, no forced unlock or foregrounding. • Our app handles the VoIP leg in the background via CXProviderDelegate. WhatsApp already does this with: “Hey Siri, call <contact> on WhatsApp” I’m trying to reproduce that behavior for Heyno using public APIs. I have followed the SiriKit + CallKit VoIP docs but cannot get a clean Siri → CallKit → app flow from the lock screen without either: Being forced into .continueInApp (unlock + foreground), or Hitting CallKit transaction errors when starting the call from the app in response to the intent. Current implementation Intents extension (INStartCallIntentHandling) • resolveContacts(for:with:) normalizes to E.164 and returns INPersonResolutionResult.success. • resolveDestinationType → .success(.normal). • resolveCallCapability → .success(.audioCall). Confirm / handle currently: func confirm(intent: INStartCallIntent, completion: @escaping (INStartCallIntentResponse) -> Void) { completion(INStartCallIntentResponse(code: .ready, userActivity: nil)) } func handle(intent: INStartCallIntent, completion: @escaping (INStartCallIntentResponse) -> Void) { completion(INStartCallIntentResponse(code: .ready, userActivity: nil)) } Earlier, I used .continueInApp with an NSUserActivity carrying the normalized number and metadata, but that always produced a “Continue in Heyno” sheet that requires unlock and foreground, which breaks the lock-screen Siri flow. App target – CallKit provider In the app I have CXProvider + CXProviderDelegate, which work correctly when calls are initiated from inside the app: func provider(_ provider: CXProvider, perform action: CXStartCallAction) { let handle = action.handle.value // Start VoIP / WebRTC / LiveKit / Asterisk call here provider.reportOutgoingCall(with: action.callUUID, startedConnectingAt: Date()) provider.reportOutgoingCall(with: action.callUUID, connectedAt: Date()) action.fulfill() } If I construct a CXStartCallAction and submit it via CXCallController.request(...) from the app, CallKit UI appears and our pipeline runs correctly. What I tried and what fails Starting CallKit from the Intents extension Calling CXCallController.request(...) directly from handle(intent:completion:) in the extension always yields: com.apple.CallKit.error.requesttransaction error 1 (unentitled) The extension does not have the CallKit entitlement, and the docs say not to initiate calls from the extension, so this path seems unsupported. Using .continueInApp + NSUserActivity Pattern: • handle(intent:) builds NSUserActivity (activityType = NSStringFromClass(INStartCallIntent.self), title = "Heyno Start Call", userInfo with E.164 handle, etc.). • Returns INStartCallIntentResponse(code: .continueInApp, userActivity: activity). • App receives the activity, then starts CallKit + VoIP. Functionally this works, but iOS always requires unlock + foreground (“Continue in Heyno”), which is not acceptable for a Siri lock-screen call. App group + Darwin notification (extension → app → CallKit) Experiment: • Extension writes the normalized number into an app-group UserDefaults. • Extension posts a Darwin notification. • App (if running) listens, reads the number, and initiates CXStartCallAction + VoIP. Observed: • Works only when the app is already running in the background; a killed app is not woken. • In some states I see CXErrorCodeRequestTransactionError.invalidAction (error 6) if I try to issue a CXStartCallAction while CallKit is already doing something as part of the Siri flow. • Siri sometimes replies “There was a problem with the app,” likely because CallKit rejects the transaction or sees duplicate/conflicting actions. My understanding so far • The Intents extension should resolve/confirm the intent but not start the call. • The source of truth for starting a call should be: Siri → CallKit → app’s CXProviderDelegate.provider(_:perform: CXStartCallAction) • The app then starts the VoIP leg, reports started/connected, and fulfills. Where I am stuck What is not clear is how Siri is supposed to route an INStartCallIntent into CallKit for a third-party VoIP app on a locked device without using .continueInApp. If my extension simply: • resolves the contact, • confirm → .ready, • handle → .ready (no NSUserActivity, no CallKit), I do not see a documented mechanism that causes: “Hey Siri, call <contact> using Heyno” on the lock screen to: • Present a CallKit audio call bound to Heyno, and • Deliver CXStartCallAction to my CXProviderDelegate while the app stays in the background. Questions For third-party VoIP apps today, is it recommended to implement INStartCallIntentHandling at all, or should we rely only on CallKit registration and Siri’s built-in support for “Call with ” (no SiriKit extension)? If an INStartCallIntentHandling extension is still the intended pattern: • Should confirm/handle simply return .ready and never start CallKit or set NSUserActivity? • In that case, is Siri expected to invoke CallKit on our behalf and create a CXStartCallAction targeting our provider, even when the device is locked and the app is not foreground? Is there any supported way for a Siri-triggered third-party VoIP call to start from the lock screen via CallKit without: • using .continueInApp (unlock + foreground), and • starting CallKit directly from the Intents extension (unentitled)? Is there any additional configuration, entitlement, provisioning profile flag, or Info.plist key required so that Siri can map “Call using Heyno” directly to our CallKit provider and background VoIP implementation? Current options: • .continueInApp + NSUserActivity → works, but always requires unlock + app UI. • Start CallKit from the extension → fails with “unentitled” and appears unsupported. • Extension → app-group + notification → app → CallKit → VoIP → fragile, with intermittent CXErrorCodeRequestTransactionError.invalidAction. • Remove the extension and hope Siri/CallKit auto-routes to our provider → unclear if this is supported for third-party VoIP apps or reserved for privileged apps. I would appreciate guidance on the intended architecture for this scenario, and whether the “Siri from lock screen → CallKit UI → background VoIP call” flow is achievable for an App Store VoIP app like Heyno using public APIs only.
0
0
300
Nov ’25
Pencilkit custom pen
I want to create a brush similar to a fountain pen, with a three-dimensional feel to the strokes and a distinct tip. Alternatively, is it possible to achieve this by modifying the configuration parameters of a fountain pen brush?
0
0
87
Mar ’25
Associated domain not recognised
I have a public and accessible .well-known/apple-app-site-association file for both my domain.com and subdomain.domain.com with "paths": ["*"] . Both example.com and blog.example.com are added in Associated domains and any link that contains domain.com and domain.com/path normally deep links into my app. I used to have an *.example.com that successfully deep linked all my subdomains into my app but now I had to remove it as some subdomains will need to link to other apps, but some should still link to the same app. I removed * but left blog.example.com as that specific subdomain still needs to deep link into my app. But now blog.example.com is not even being recognized by my app and any link starting with blog.example.com just opens in safari. What am I missing? Why is this happening ?
0
0
118
Aug ’25
CSSearchableItemAttributeSet is missing recordingYear
I'd like to set the recordingYear in my Spotlight File Importer extension but the property is missing from CSSearchableItemAttributeSet e.g. in the resulting in mdls I'd like to see: kMDItemRecordingYear = 2008; This would allow me to search in Finder by the recording year criteria. There is a recordingDate property and I tried setting it to Date that only has a year but it didn't work. It just resulted in this: kMDItemRecordingDate = "2008-01-01 00:00:00 +0000";
0
0
91
Mar ’25
[iOS 26] [PushToTalk] Not receiving microphone PCM sample when Transmission Starts from System UI.
Steps To reproduce: Login to application and App has joined the PTC channel. Push the application to background and Lock the device. From the System UI press the talk button which will start transmit. Audio Session has been activated and Audio unit has been initialised properly. On terminator side no media is being played out. Issue observed consistently on specific models which has configured audio codec with Stereo type. More details are added : FB20281626
0
0
321
Oct ’25
Message Filter Extension Not Triggering on iPhone 12 Pro (iOS 16.7) but Works on iPhone 11 (iOS 16.6)
Hi Team, We’re encountering a device-specific issue with our SMS Message Filter extension. The extension works as expected on an iPhone 11 running iOS 16.6, but it does not trigger on an iPhone 12 Pro running iOS 16.7. Key Observations: The extension is implemented using ILMessageFilterExtension and calls messageFilterOffline(appGroupIdentifier:for:) from our shared library. The App Group is properly configured and accessible across the app and extension. The extension is enabled under Settings &gt; Messages &gt; Unknown &amp; Spam. There are no crashes or error logs reported on the affected device. The issue is consistently reproducible — it works on one device but not the other. We’re wondering if this could be a regression or a device-specific behavior change introduced in iOS 16.7. Has anyone encountered similar inconsistencies in Message Filter extensions across different iOS versions or device models? Any guidance or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!
0
0
152
Apr ’25
AgeRange Assurance Testing and Texas Law
AgeRangeService is the burning topic right now. Needless to say, Everything is so unclear. We got our app finally into the TestFlight for QA and the product to test. only to find out that AgeAssurance for sandbox testing does not work. There is no document confirming or denying whether and when age assurance for the App with the release configuration in test flight would work. There isn't any guidance from Apple on whether an app that sells physical goods, such as an e-commerce app, can continue doing business as usual. Also, there is no clarity that the Age assurance options are off, 13, unverified, 13 verified, and so on. How those should be used.
0
0
71
Dec ’25
Does Apple Screen Time API Allow Access to App Usage Data for Custom Rewards?
Hi everyone, I'm working on an app for parents and kids where parents can define screen time goals or restrict usage of certain app categories (like social media or games). If the kid follows those rules—for example, by using their device less or avoiding restricted categories—they would earn points or rewards in the app. I’ve been exploring if the Apple Screen Time API allows developers to access this kind of data (like total screen time, app usage by category, etc.) so that I can track the kid’s behavior and reward them accordingly. Is it possible to programmatically access this data and implement such a reward system within my app? If so, what’s the best way to get started or which APIs should I look into? Thanks in advance for your help!
0
0
94
Apr ’25
Presenter Overlay Not Showing When Recording a Single Window or Region with ScreenCaptureKit
Hi, I'm using ScreenCaptureKit on macOS 14+ to record a single window. I've noticed that the Presenter Overlay only appears when capturing the entire screen, but it does not appear when recording a specific window or a region. Is there a way to enable the Presenter Overlay while recording a single window or a defined region, similar to how it works with full-screen capture? Any guidance or clarification would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!
0
0
141
May ’25
How to stop today's instance of repeating alarms in AlarmKit without affecting future days?
I'm using the new AlarmKit framework to build a Swift app that lets users schedule multiple repeating alarms. The goal is to allow users to stop all alarms for today if they wake up early, but the alarms should still ring on their scheduled days in the future (for example, every Monday). What I tried: When the user chooses to stop alarms for today, I delete all alarms and re-add them. However, this doesn't work as expected. If today is Monday and I delete and re-add the alarm with .weekday = .monday, it still rings today. That means re-adding the alarm doesn't skip today's instance, even though it's repeating. What I want to achieve: Skip or suppress today's alarms when the user stops them manually Keep the same alarms active for their scheduled days in the future Questions: Is there a way in AlarmKit to prevent a repeating alarm from ringing today if it was just re-added or there are better alternatives to this problem? Is the only workaround to delay re-adding until after today’s alarms would have fired? What is the best approach to achieve this?
0
0
93
Aug ’25
How do I launch the Outlook Mail app from my development app?
I want to start the mail application from the development application, but the mail application made by Apple starts. It doesn't work even if I change the default email application to Outlook. When you delete the Apple Mail app, Outlook starts. I want to automatically attach the generated pdf file to the email, but that doesn't work either. Please tell me how to code.
0
0
104
Sep ’25
SensorKit - didFetchResult never get called.
We tried to fetch the recorded PPG data using SensorKit with the following code, however the didFetchResult callback method is never called. let ppgReader = SRSensorReader(sensor: .photoplethysmogram) let request = SRFetchRequest() let nowDate = Date() let toDate = nowDate.addingTimeInterval(-25 * 60 * 60) let fromDate = toDate.addingTimeInterval(-24 * 60 * 60) request.from = SRAbsoluteTime.fromCFAbsoluteTime(_cf: fromDate.timeIntervalSinceReferenceDate) request.to = SRAbsoluteTime.fromCFAbsoluteTime(_cf: toDate.timeIntervalSinceReferenceDate) ppgReader.delegate = self; ppgReader.fetch(request) The delegate called the didComplete successfully: func sensorReader(_ reader: SRSensorReader, didCompleteFetch fetchRequest: SRFetchRequest) But never called the didFetchResult func sensorReader(_ reader: SRSensorReader, fetching fetchRequest: SRFetchRequest, didFetchResult result: SRFetchResult<AnyObject>) -> Bool Any ideas why ? (I am wearing the watch for couple days and ensure it has the data for the time period I am querying) One thing I notice is when Apple granted us the entitlement, it uses Uppercase for ECG and PPG, however the document use Lowercases in the plist https://developer.apple.com/documentation/sensorkit/srsensor/photoplethysmogram Dose it matter ?
0
0
136
Jan ’26
DeviceCheck framework error
We integrated DeviceCheck framework into our app to prevent fraudulent call to our app service around one year ago. Recently, we received a few cases related to this function over Christmas Eve period. Based on the logs we have, it indicated both the following two functions returned errors. But we don't have the exactly errors logged and now we cannot replicate. DCAppAttestService.shared.attestKey() DCAppAttestService.shared.generateAssertion() The other finding we have is some users reporting this issue recently upgraded their devices from iOS 18 to iOS 26. So we are suspecting it's due to either the OS upgrading, or Apple's app attest service degrading. Anyone encountered the similar issues before, or have any idea regarding the root cause? Thanks!
0
2
171
Dec ’25
App clip card is still there
Hi everyone, I’ve removed my App Clip completely: Deleted all Advanced App Clip Experiences Removed the App Clip target from my build Removed App Clip references from my apple-app-site-association file Deleted the meta tag from my website: But when I scan the QR code, the App Clip card still appears with: "This App Clip is not currently available in your country or region." Does anyone know why this is still showing and how to fully remove it? we need to show our website when this QRCode is scanned. Thanks!
0
0
50
Dec ’25