Hi, Is there any way to force orientation = portrait when opening another shielded app? Thanks!

I've been working with the Screen Time API for almost 6 months now. I found out it's completely unreliable, testing on iOS 17.4, the DeviceActivityReport is not showing, the DeviceActivityMonitor more often than not does not fire intervalDidStart. It's very frustrating. Has anyone found out a workaround? We all know there has to be something we're doing wrong, since apps like Opal and Jono does not present those types of issues. Let's please unite our forces and find a solution. How to use this API should not be a secret!

Using the DeviceActivity framework we are able to display data based on a user's screentime and device usage. With the DeviceActivityFilter property, you can specify the date interval to collect data between. In testing, it seems that data only becomes accessible once the extension has been installed (so the extension isn't reading the screentime data already collected on device). However, once installed, I'm curious how far back you can query data from in the data interval? Opal which uses the Screentime API appears to have a lifetime Screentime metric, so hypothetically it should possible to query data as far back as collection starts. Unless they are getting around the sandbox environment and storing the data somehow. Side note on Opal -- They seem to have a community average of Screentime among people in the same age group. Does anyone know how they are collecting the data for this average? Is it actually using live Screentime data or just aggregating data from other studies?

Our app uses DeviceActivityReport to display the user’s screen time. The performance of DeviceActivityReport is often very poor. These issue occur commonly: Screen time is reported as 0 minutes DeviceActivityReport View appears completely blank The host app loses connection with the DeviceActivityReport altogether I have implemented several workarounds which only slightly improve the performance, to varying degrees depending on the device iOS: Inside the DeviceActivityReport code - retry fetching screen time data until it returns a non-zero result Implement a “refresh” button which reloads the DeviceActivityReport view from the host app However, due to the sandboxed nature of DeviceActivityReport, there is no way for the host application to tell if the DeviceActivityReport extension is experiencing these performance issues. It results in a really bad user experience. I am building the app with Xcode 14 due to another issue where DeviceActivityReport fails to load for all iOS 16 devices when built with Xcode 15 (this is a know issue, here’s a link to a discussion on the developer forums: https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/735915). However, when testing on iOS 17 devices with Xcode 15 builds, the above issues still occur. I have received no crash reports from DeviceActivityReport. These issues are known bugs and have been discussed on the developer forums, but I haven't yet seen a solution. Other screen time apps exist that use the DeviceActivityReport seemingly flawlessly, so I know that there is a way to improve the performance of DeviceActivityReport in my app. Please help! I have been dealing with this poor performance for a long time now with almost no improvement!

I'm looking to make an app using the ScreenTime API and the Managed Settings Framework. I'm experimenting with the FamilyActivityPicker, but when i open it from the simulator i see only categories with no applications. Without being able to select applications, i cannot test properly the app. I can't install it on a real device to test it because i do not have a paid Apple Developer account and therefore can't access the capability if i select my Free Developer Account in order to install it on my iPhone.

I am currently trying to build a prototype parental control app using the ScreenTime API. I was just wondering if I needed to create a separate parent and child app?

Hi, we are facing issues with the FamilyActivityPicker. I have 2 devices in the same family, one successfully authorised as child device using AuthorizationCenter.shared.requestAuthorization(for: .child), the other one is used as parent device. When I invoke FamilyActivityPicker on the children's device it works as expected but when invoked on the parent's device it only shows list of categories but not a single app. This behavior doesn't occur every time, on some devices it sometime works as it should. It's very odd and I can't find any reason why it is happening. I would appreciate any tips. Tested on app built with Xcode 15.3 an run on iOS 17.4.1 and iOS 16.7.2

I am building an app that manages ScreenTime and I would like to persist the tokens of which apps are frequently limited to CoreData locally. I attempted to do so by converting to a string but was unable to find a way to initialize an ActivityCategoryToken with a string. Is this possible? Am I going about it the wrong way? Thanks.

I currently have an app that is a companion app alongside the iOS app. I wonder if it is possible for me to make this app both a standalone and a companion app. Essentially if someone does not have an iphone they can still use the app. Is this possible?

Hi ! We are super exited to switch to Xcode 15 when it will be released, but we have a major issue : Apps built with Xcode 15 beta fail to show DeviceActivityReport base view on iOS 16. The following message shows in the console : ] [default] LaunchServices: store (null) or url (null) was nil: Error Domain=NSOSStatusErrorDomain Code=-54 "process may not map database" UserInfo={NSDebugDescription=process may not map database, _LSLine=66, _LSFunction=_LSServer_GetServerStoreForConnectionWithCompletionHandler} 2023-07-31 14:54:12.568332+0200 Opal[57940:4651501] [default] Attempt to map database failed: permission was denied. This attempt will not be retried. 2023-07-31 14:54:12.568420+0200 Opal[57940:4651501] [db] Failed to initialize client context with error Error Domain=NSOSStatusErrorDomain Code=-54 "process may not map database" UserInfo={NSDebugDescription=process may not map database, _LSLine=66, _LSFunction=_LSServer_GetServerStoreForConnectionWithCompletionHandler} We Opened a bug report at the end of june but got no answer from Apple (FB12416769). It's 100% reproductible with a very simple sample project If you guys could report the issue as well, it would be nice !

I am developing a parental control app using Flutter and platform channels to integrate with the Screen Time API on iOS. The app has two interfaces - one for the parent and one for the child. I have set up Family Sharing correctly and installed the app on both the parent's and child's devices. However, I am encountering some issues with the Family Activity Selection feature. It's worth noting that I am a Flutter developer with limited knowledge of Swift and iOS development, so if my issues stem from a mistake I made, please forgive me. The problems I am facing are as follows: When calling the family activity selection, the list of apps shown in the apps sheet is from the parent's device, and no apps from the child's device are displayed. I have double-checked that Family Sharing and other necessary configurations are set up correctly, including the family control capability. Even if I select apps on the parent's device, the selected apps are not returned in the result. The returned array is empty. Additionally, there is no close or done button on the sheet, and drag-to-dismiss is not working either. This might be an issue with the way I have written the code (most of the native code was generated by AI assistants like Claude and GPT, as I am a Flutter developer with limited knowledge of Swift and iOS development). I have tested other parental control apps that use the Screen Time API and observed the same issue, where the parent's apps are shown on the parent's device instead of the child's apps. For more context, I have provided the relevant code snippet below: import Flutter import FamilyControls import ManagedSettings import SwiftUI class FamilyActivityHandler: NSObject, FlutterPlugin { // ... private func openFamilyActivityPicker(result: @escaping FlutterResult) { let store = ManagedSettingsStore() let selection = FamilyActivitySelection() // Adjusting for UIWindowScene for iOS 15 and later guard let windowScene = UIApplication.shared.connectedScenes.first as? UIWindowScene, let window = windowScene.windows.first else { result(FlutterError(code: "NO_WINDOW_SCENE", message: "No window scene found", details: nil)) return } let viewController = UIHostingController(rootView: FamilyActivityPicker(selection: .constant(selection))) viewController.modalPresentationStyle = .formSheet window.rootViewController?.present(viewController, animated: true, completion: nil) DispatchQueue.main.async { let applications = selection.applicationTokens let categories = selection.categoryTokens let webDomains = selection.webDomainTokens store.shield.applications = applications.isEmpty ? nil : applications store.shield.applicationCategories = ShieldSettings.ActivityCategoryPolicy.specific(categories, except: Set()) store.shield.webDomains = webDomains // Custom method to generate descriptive strings for tokens let applicationsDescription = applications.map { token in // Implement a custom description method or use an identifier property "\(token)" } let categoriesDescription = categories.map { token in // Implement a custom description method or use an identifier property "\(token)" } let webDomainsDescription = webDomains.map { token in // Implement a custom description method or use an identifier property "\(token)" } let resultDict: [String: Any] = [ "applications": applicationsDescription, "categories": categoriesDescription, "webDomains": webDomainsDescription ] result(resultDict) } } } I would greatly appreciate any guidance or insights from the community on how to resolve these issues and properly implement the Family Activity Selection feature using the Screen Time API in a Flutter app with platform channels. Thank you in advance for your help!

I am developing a parental control app using Flutter and platform channels to integrate with the Screen Time API on iOS. The app has two interfaces - one for the parent and one for the child. I have set up Family Sharing correctly and installed the app on both the parent's and child's devices. However, I am encountering some issues with the Family Activity Selection feature. It's worth noting that I am a Flutter developer with limited knowledge of Swift and iOS development, so if my issues stem from a mistake I made, please forgive me. The problems I am facing are as follows: When calling the family activity selection, the list of apps shown in the apps sheet is from the parent's device, and no apps from the child's device are displayed. I have double-checked that Family Sharing and other necessary configurations are set up correctly, including the family control capability. Even if I select apps on the parent's device, the selected apps are not returned in the result. The returned array is empty. Additionally, there is no close or done button on the sheet, and drag-to-dismiss is not working either. This might be an issue with the way I have written the code (most of the native code was generated by AI assistants like Claude and GPT, as I am a Flutter developer with limited knowledge of Swift and iOS development). I have tested other parental control apps that use the Screen Time API and observed the same issue, where the parent's apps are shown on the parent's device instead of the child's apps. For more context, I have provided the relevant code snippet below: import Flutter import FamilyControls import ManagedSettings import SwiftUI class FamilyActivityHandler: NSObject, FlutterPlugin { // ... private func openFamilyActivityPicker(result: @escaping FlutterResult) { let store = ManagedSettingsStore() let selection = FamilyActivitySelection() // Adjusting for UIWindowScene for iOS 15 and later guard let windowScene = UIApplication.shared.connectedScenes.first as? UIWindowScene, let window = windowScene.windows.first else { result(FlutterError(code: "NO_WINDOW_SCENE", message: "No window scene found", details: nil)) return } let viewController = UIHostingController(rootView: FamilyActivityPicker(selection: .constant(selection))) viewController.modalPresentationStyle = .formSheet window.rootViewController?.present(viewController, animated: true, completion: nil) DispatchQueue.main.async { let applications = selection.applicationTokens let categories = selection.categoryTokens let webDomains = selection.webDomainTokens store.shield.applications = applications.isEmpty ? nil : applications store.shield.applicationCategories = ShieldSettings.ActivityCategoryPolicy.specific(categories, except: Set()) store.shield.webDomains = webDomains // Custom method to generate descriptive strings for tokens let applicationsDescription = applications.map { token in // Implement a custom description method or use an identifier property "\(token)" } let categoriesDescription = categories.map { token in // Implement a custom description method or use an identifier property "\(token)" } let webDomainsDescription = webDomains.map { token in // Implement a custom description method or use an identifier property "\(token)" } let resultDict: [String: Any] = [ "applications": applicationsDescription, "categories": categoriesDescription, "webDomains": webDomainsDescription ] result(resultDict) } } } I would greatly appreciate any guidance or insights from the community on how to resolve these issues and properly implement the Family Activity Selection feature using the Screen Time API in a Flutter app with platform channels. Thank you in advance for your help!

Update 1: Seems like app limits do work, but they don't account for time spent already in the day (only counts it since it first was scheduled? - but just guessing). This seems to be the change in behavior that is making it seem like broken. I have an app that uses individual FamilyControls / Screen Time authorization. I am still investigating but reporting ASAP. Will add feedback and more later. I am not sure what's going on, but so far: App limits generally work fine throughout the day(?) At around 9 PM they stop working if I clear ManagedSettingStore/DeviceActivityCenter (it might be unrelated to the time, but just clearing, but this is just what I know so far) I tried setting app limits from Apple's Setting app (so I could see if it's not just my app, and that system could have issues) and it crashes. The whole Settings app freezes and then crashes. (edit: after some freezing, including in the app picker, I was able to set a limit and it worked...did notice some odd behavior where 1 minute break did not work, but selecting 15 minute break did work) going to also update: FB13688616

Hello, I am working on a screen time manager that can block certain apps. I want this to work by allowing a certain number of 5-minute sessions per day. For each app the user selects, I would like to store the number of sessions remaining for that app in a dictionary. Currently, I am storing them in a dictionary of type <AppToken: Int>. However, I would like to store this dictionary to UserDefaults, and it doesn't seem like it is possible to store the type AppToken to UserDefaults. I was wondering how I could go about storing the AppTokenas a String and maybe saving to UserDefaults as a <String: Int> instead? Thanks.

Hi All, I submitted a Family Controls Request Form but haven't heard back. I didn't get any case id when I submitted the request, so how do you track it and know when It is approved? I'm currently developing an app that requires the main target and also the app extension to both use Family Controls. Does this mean I need to request forms for both app bundles separately or just the main app? This is really worrying for us as our project is almost ready and we are unable to launch it :( . Would appreciate any responses. Thanks,

I've heard family controls request forms can take up to weeks and even months... I'm currently developing an app that requires the main target and also the app extension to both use Family Controls. Does this mean I need to request forms for both app bundles separately or just the main app? If I have to wait weeks or even months for both then that's a bit painful tbh. Is there a way to distribute to testflight without getting approved for the family controls entitlement? Thanks

I am currently debugging an issue with DeviceActivityMonitor where the threshold is reached even though the target app (e.g. Instagram) is not being used actively. I noticed that the device with the unexpected behavior had the instagram.com website opened in the Safari web browser (among hundreds of other tabs). That tab was not actively used either (not in foreground, Safari app neither used). However, I was wondering if it can happen that this website is contributing towards the threshold as well even though it is in background and not used? Otherwise I cannot explain myself this strange behavior.

I've requested for family control via: https://developer.apple.com/contact/request/family-controls-distribution &amp; got approved. I've now created new provision files with family control being checked in the identifiers &amp; uploaded manually. Yet, still get: Provisioning profile "redoAppStore" doesn't support the Family Controls capability. Provisioning profile "redoAppStore" doesn't include the com.apple.developer.family-controls entitlement. The family control capability is added to my main target (IOS app) as well. What should I do to get it uploaded?

currently when I try to set several schedules to the same activity the latest schedule I set is the only one I understand I can have only 1 schedule for activity. ? I thought about setting a new schedule on the intervalDidEnd but, I get no interval did start if the current time is in the middle of the interval I set For example, now it is 15:00, and my previous interval started at 14:00 and ends at 16:00 but the user sets a new interval from 14:30 - 16:40 I call the deviceActivityCenter.stopMonitoring([someActivityName]) and get noIntervalDidEnd event Then I set the new interval successfully with deviceActivityCenter.startMonitoring(someActivityName, during: deviceActivitySchedule) and get no intervalDidStartEvent So how can I achieve several intervals? If I had gotten the events of the start and end it would be possible Thanks for the help