Open parent app from ShieldAction extension in iOS

Question

Created Nov ’22

Replies 8

Boosts 7

Views 3.6k

Participants 11

When I tap on one of the buttons in the ShieldAction extension I want to close the shield and open the parent app instead of the shielded app. Is there any way of doing this using the Screen Time API?

class ShieldActionExtension: ShieldActionDelegate {
  
  override func handle(action: ShieldAction, for application: ApplicationToken, completionHandler: @escaping (ShieldActionResponse) -> Void) {
    // Handle the action as needed.
     
    let store = ManagedSettingsStore()
         
    switch action {
    case .primaryButtonPressed:
      //TODO - open parent app

      completionHandler(.defer)
    case .secondaryButtonPressed:
      //remove shield
      store.shield.applications?.remove(application)
      completionHandler(.defer)
   

    @unknown default:
      fatalError()
    }
  }  
}

Boost

Answer 1

Frameworks Engineer OP

Apple

Nov ’22

Launching your parent app from your Shield Action extension is not currently supported. Please use Feedback Assistant to request an enhancement to the API.

0

Answer 2

sadasdasrewrew OP

Jun ’23

Hello, Unfortunately, with the new iOS 17 and XCode 15 Beta this new feature is not supported.

0

Answer 3

thomas_maht OP

Jun ’23

Disappointed that this hasn't been added with iOS 17. Seems like a pretty simple and meaningful addition.

0

Answer 4

ds2606 OP

Jun ’23

Can we not just support opening a deep linked URL to our app from the shield extension?

1

Answer 5

Maximillian-Dev OP

Feb ’24

There should be a workaround, however I couldn't figure it out yet. The one-sec App for example is using exactly what is described here. It seems like the app launches itself through the shielding with a custom deeplink. I have tried opening my own app through the openURL property in the Environment and with NSExtensionContext. Here's what I've tried:

Opening through Environment

@Environment(\.openURL) var openURL
override func handle(action: ShieldAction, for application: ApplicationToken, completionHandler: @escaping (ShieldActionResponse) -> Void) {
    // Handle the action as needed.
    switch action {
    case .primaryButtonPressed:
      openURL.callAsFunction(YourAppDeeplink)
// other code
}

Opening with NSExtensionContext

private func openApp(with url: URL) {
    let context = NSExtensionContext()

    context.open(url, completionHandler: nil)
}

However, neither approach has been successful in launching the app as intended. The one-sec App using this feature implies, that there must be a workaround or alternative method that we're missing.

0

Answer 6

alasam OP

Apr ’24

@Maximillian-Dev Were you able to find a workaround for this? I am running into the same issue.

0

Answer 7

anismansuri63 OP

May ’24

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/app-lock/id6448239603 &

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/applocker-passcode-lock-apps/id1132845904

These apps are somehow doing, opening the parent app Shield Action.

Is there any way to do so? also when I lock app and click on app, Shield Config UI is not coming, default UI is coming.

4

Answer 8

JesusMG OP

Sep ’24

@Frameworks Engineer this means that those apps are breaking sandboxing? Is there any way to open the app without using private apis?

2