PhotoKit | Apple Developer Forums
Apple Developer
Apple Developer
Forums
Local Nav Open Menu
Local Nav Close Menu
Forums
WWDC26
Search
Post
PhotoKit
RSS for tag
Work with image and video assets managed by the Photos app, including those from iCloud Photos and Live Photos, using PhotoKit.
PhotoKit Documentation
Posts under PhotoKit tag
200 Posts
Post
Replies
Boosts
Views
Activity
Xcode 16.3 not showing any PhotoKit documentation  for Objective-C but it does for Swift.
Has Objective-C been deprecated?
Topic:
Media Technologies
SubTopic:
Photos & Camera
Tags:
Xcode
macOS
PhotoKit
2
0
196
Apr ’25
When getting the PHPickerResult from user selecting media in the Photos app, how to check file extension?
when I get results from  picker: PHPickerViewController, didFinishPicking results: [PHPickerResult])
and I load the image using itemProvider             .loadFileRepresentation (the itemProvider is the NSItemProvider provided by the PHPickerResult)
will the url that's returned by this method be guaranteed to have the file extension ie, "file://image.jpeg" not "file://image"
I want to know if i need to just check the extension to know its file type.
(FYI in case this makes a difference, im only interested in user screenshots and screenrecordings)
Topic:
Media Technologies
SubTopic:
Photos & Camera
Tags:
APFS
PhotoKit
7
0
331
Apr ’25
Background access to Photos
If new photo is added to library and app is not running in foreground or was not opened after the new photo was added but the app is having full access to gallery, can it access, read the new photo - If the app is not specifically a cloud syncing app, can it have this attached function, suppose it is a game app or beauty camera app?
Topic:
Media Technologies
SubTopic:
Photos & Camera
Tags:
Privacy
PhotoKit
Background Tasks
Background Assets
2
0
206
Mar ’25
Unable to Fetch Videos from Recently Deleted Album Using Photos Framework in iOS 18.3.1
Hello everyone,
I’m working on an iOS app that fetches videos from the "Recently Deleted" album using the Photos framework in Swift. However, I’m unable to fetch any videos, even though the "Recently Deleted" album contains 233 items (including videos), as seen in the Photos app.
Environment:
iOS Version: 18.3.1
Xcode Version: 16.2
Swift Version: Swift 5
Device: iPhone (simulator and physical device both tested)
Photo Library Permission: "All Photos" access granted
Recently Deleted Lock: Face ID/Passcode is disabled for "Recently Deleted"
Topic:
Media Technologies
SubTopic:
Photos & Camera
Tags:
Photos and Imaging
PhotoKit
2
0
188
Mar ’25
Create live photo throw Optional(Error Domain=PHPhotosErrorDomain Code=-1 "(null)")
I want to create a Live Photo. The project includes a .jpg image and a .mov video (2 seconds). I am sure they are correct.
Two permissions in xcode have been added:
Privacy - Photo Library Usage Description
Privacy - Photo Library Additions Usage Description Simulate: iphone 16, ios 18.3
The codes in ContentView.swift :
private func saveLivePhoto(imageURL: URL, videoURL: URL, completion: @escaping (Bool, Error?) -> Void) {
PHPhotoLibrary.shared().performChanges {
let creationRequest = PHAssetCreationRequest.forAsset()
let options = PHAssetResourceCreationOptions()
options.shouldMoveFile = false
creationRequest.addResource(with: .photo, fileURL: imageURL, options: options)
creationRequest.addResource(with: .pairedVideo, fileURL: videoURL, options: options)
} completionHandler: { success, error in
DispatchQueue.main.async {
print(error)
completion(success, error)
}
}
}
guard let imageURL = Bundle.main.url(forResource: "livephoto", withExtension: "jpeg"),
let videoURL = Bundle.main.url(forResource: "livephoto", withExtension: "mov") else {
showAlertMessage(title: "error", message: "cant find Live Photo ")
return
}
print("imageURL: \(imageURL)")
print("videoURL: \(videoURL)")
saveLivePhoto(imageURL: imageURL, videoURL: videoURL) { success, error in
if success {
xxxxx
} else {
xxxxx
}
}
Really need help, thanks
Topic:
Media Technologies
SubTopic:
Photos & Camera
Tags:
Photos and Imaging
PhotoKit
1
1
407
Mar ’25
Create live photo error
I want to create a Live Photo. The project includes a .jpg image and a .mov video (2 seconds).
Two permissions in xcode have been added:
Privacy - Photo Library Usage Description
Privacy - Photo Library Additions Usage Description
Simulate: iphone 16, ios 18.3
The codes in ContentView.swift :
private func saveLivePhoto(imageURL: URL, videoURL: URL, completion: @escaping (Bool, Error?) -> Void) {
PHPhotoLibrary.shared().performChanges {
let creationRequest = PHAssetCreationRequest.forAsset()
let options = PHAssetResourceCreationOptions()
options.shouldMoveFile = false
creationRequest.addResource(with: .photo, fileURL: imageURL, options: options)
creationRequest.addResource(with: .pairedVideo, fileURL: videoURL, options: options)
} completionHandler: { success, error in
DispatchQueue.main.async {
print(error)
completion(success, error)
}
}
}
guard let imageURL = Bundle.main.url(forResource: "livephoto", withExtension: "jpeg"),
let videoURL = Bundle.main.url(forResource: "livephoto", withExtension: "mov") else {
showAlertMessage(title: "error", message: "cant find Live Photo ")
return
}
print("imageURL: \(imageURL)")
print("videoURL: \(videoURL)")
saveLivePhoto(imageURL: imageURL, videoURL: videoURL) { success, error in
if success {
xxxxx
} else {
xxxxx
}
}
Really need help, thanks
Topic:
Media Technologies
SubTopic:
Photos & Camera
Tags:
Photos and Imaging
PhotoKit
0
0
296
Mar ’25
Photo permission dialog not shown when iOS app runs on Mac
According to the docs:
The first time your app performs an operation that requires [photo library] authorization, the system automatically and asynchronously prompts the user for it.
(https://developer.apple.com/documentation/photokit/delivering-an-enhanced-privacy-experience-in-your-photos-app)
I.e. it's not necessary for the app to call PHPhotoLibrary.requestAuthorization.
This does seem to be what happens when my app runs on an iPhone or iPad; the prompt is shown. But when it runs on a Mac in "designed for iPad" mode, the permission dialog is not presented. Instead the code continues to see status == .notDetermined.
That's today, on macOS 15.3. It may have worked in the past.
Is anyone else seeing issues with this? Should I call requestAuthorization explicitly? (Would that actually work?)
Topic:
Media Technologies
SubTopic:
Photos & Camera
Tags:
Privacy
Media
Photos and Imaging
PhotoKit
1
0
625
Mar ’25
Crash in Photos framework
Hi
This is one of our top crashes. It does not contain any of our code in the stacktrace and we can't reproduce it. Those points make this crash very hard to understand and fix. We know that most of the crashes are happening on iPhone 13 with iOS 18.x.x. Also we see that a lot of cases happen when app goes into background (stacktrace contains -[UIApplication _applicationDidEnterBackground]).
2025-03-04_16-06-00.3670_-0500-6a273c7d5da97f098b5cc24898bb9761dc45208e.crash
2025-03-04_20-21-08.6609_-0500-2c08f640900f8a62c4f8a4f6f2a61feb052e66dd.crash
2025-03-04_20-46-27.7138_+0000-4d7ea89b1b564eda22ca63e708f7ad3909c7b768.crash
Topic:
Media Technologies
SubTopic:
Photos & Camera
Tags:
PhotoKit
2
0
573
Mar ’25
SwiftUI PhotosPicker accessibility issue
iOS 18.3.1, iPhone 16 Pro.
I pick photos using connected physical keyboard from the user's photo library using:
.photosPicker(isPresented: $viewModel.isImagePickerPresented, selection: $viewModel.selectedImageItem, matching: .images)
When picker appears, accessibility focus is moved to "dynamic Island" instead of cancel button. There is no possibility to navigate by keyboard in photos picker view without tapping on this view and move focus to this view manually . I noticed the same behavior in Notes app.
Topic:
Accessibility & Inclusion
SubTopic:
General
Tags:
Accessibility
SwiftUI
PhotoKit
1
0
610
Mar ’25
Issue: FPS Drops to 30 After Trimming Video in Photos App
Hi,
I am recording a video at 240 FPS within my application and saving it to the Photos app. The recorded video retains 240 FPS in the Photos app. However, after trimming the video using the Photos app and importing it back into my app, the FPS is reduced to 30 FPS.
Steps to Reproduce:
Record a video inside the application at 240 FPS.
Save the recorded video to the Photos app.
Verify that the video retains 240 FPS in the Photos app.
Trim the video using the built-in Photos app editor.
Import the trimmed video back into the application.
The FPS of the imported video is now reduced to 30 FPS.
Code Used for Importing Video:
I am using the following code to fetch the video from the Photos app:
let options: PHVideoRequestOptions = PHVideoRequestOptions()
options.version = .current  // Using `.original` preserves FPS, but I need `.current` for other changes
options.deliveryMode = .highQualityFormat
options.isNetworkAccessAllowed = true
PHImageManager.default().requestAVAsset(forVideo: self, options: options) { (avAsset, audioMix, info) in
if let urlAsset = avAsset as? AVURLAsset {
completionHandler(urlAsset.url, self)
} else {
self.askForOriginal(completionHandler: completionHandler)
}
}
Observations:
The original video retains 240 FPS until it is trimmed in the Photos app.
After trimming, the FPS automatically drops to 30 FPS when imported back into the app.
If I use options.version = .original, the FPS is preserved, but I need .current to apply other modifications.
Questions:
Is this an expected behavior of PHImageManager when requesting a video with options.version = .current?
Is there a way to preserve the original FPS while still using .current?
Are there any workarounds to extract the trimmed video without FPS reduction?
Any insights or solutions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!
Topic:
Media Technologies
SubTopic:
Video
Tags:
PhotoKit
1
0
411
Mar ’25
PHPhotoLibrary.shared().performChanges raised error 3303
I want to modify the photo's exif information, which means putting the original image in through CGImageDestinationAddImageFromSource, and then adding the modified exif information to a place called properties.
Here is the complete process:
static func setImageMetadata(asset: PHAsset, exif: [String: Any]) {
let options = PHContentEditingInputRequestOptions()
options.canHandleAdjustmentData = { (adjustmentData) -> Bool in
return true
}
asset.requestContentEditingInput(with: options, completionHandler: { input, map in
guard let inputNN = input else {
return
}
guard let url = inputNN.fullSizeImageURL else {
return
}
let output = PHContentEditingOutput(contentEditingInput: inputNN)
let adjustmentData = PHAdjustmentData(formatIdentifier: AppInfo.appBundleId(), formatVersion: AppInfo.appVersion(), data: Data())
output.adjustmentData = adjustmentData
let outputURL = output.renderedContentURL
guard let source = CGImageSourceCreateWithURL(url as CFURL, nil) else {
return
}
guard let dest = CGImageDestinationCreateWithURL(outputURL as CFURL, UTType.jpeg.identifier as CFString, 1, nil) else {
return
}
CGImageDestinationAddImageFromSource(dest, source, 0, exif as CFDictionary)
let d = CGImageDestinationFinalize(dest)
// d is true, and I checked the content of outputURL, image has been write correctly, it could be convert to UIImage and image is ok.
PHPhotoLibrary.shared().performChanges {
let changeReq = PHAssetChangeRequest(for: asset)
changeReq.contentEditingOutput = output
} completionHandler: { succ, err in
if !succ {
print(err) // 3303 here, always!
}
}
})
}
Topic:
Media Technologies
SubTopic:
Photos & Camera
Tags:
Photos and Imaging
PhotoKit
1
0
452
Feb ’25
PHPickerViewController update preselectedAssetIdentifiers
I am trying to recreate the iOS Messages app photo selection UI, where a PHPickerViewController is displayed half screen, with the message text field and a scrolling photo viewer on top. I have that UI mostly working, but cannot figure out how to allow a user to remove an image from my scrolling photo viewer (just like in the iOS Messages app).
When the picker is initially displayed, I can show selected images using the preselectedAssetIdentifiers. However, if the user taps the "x" to remove an image from the scrolling photo viewer, there is no way that I have found to update that selection in the picker.
I can dismiss/show a new picker with the animated property set to false, but that creates a very apparent bounce in the screen. Are there any ways I am missing to accomplish this?
Here is what I have so far:
Topic:
Media Technologies
SubTopic:
Photos & Camera
Tags:
Photos and Imaging
PhotoKit
1
0
487
Feb ’25
How to show only Spatial video using UIDocumentPickerViewController
Is there a suitable
UTType type to satisfy the need to pick up only SpatialVideo in UIDocumentPickerViewController?
I already know that PHPickerFilter in PHPickerViewController can do this, but not in UIDocumentPickerViewController.
Our app needs to adapt both of these ways to pick spatial videos
So is there anything that I can try in UIDocumentPickerViewController to fulfill such picker functionality?
Topic:
Spatial Computing
SubTopic:
General
Tags:
Files and Storage
Photos and Imaging
PhotoKit
visionOS
1
0
573
Feb ’25
How to implement Notes-style attachments in TextEditor with movable/deletable images?
I'm trying to create a Notes-like experience in my SwiftUI app where users can:
Add photos as inline attachments within a TextEditor
Move these attachments around within the text (like they were text characters)
Delete attachments
Preview attachments in full screen
Have the attachments persist with the text content
Similar to how Apple Notes handles attachments, where images become part of the text flow and can be manipulated like text characters.
Current approach:
I've tried using a custom TextEditor with a separate array of attachments, but I'm struggling to make the attachments behave as inline elements that can be moved within the text.
RichTextEditor:
struct RichTextEditor: View {
@State var content: String = ""
@State private var isGalleryPresented = false
@State var pickedImage: PhotosPickerItem?
@State private var selectedImage: UIImage?
var body: some View {
TextEditor(text: $content)
.toolbar {
ToolbarItemGroup(placement: .keyboard) {
Button {
isGalleryPresented = true
} label: {
Label("Attached", systemImage: "paperclip")
}
}
}
.photosPicker(isPresented: $isGalleryPresented, selection: $pickedImage)
.onChange(of: pickedImage) { oldItem, newItem in
Task {
if let pickedImage = pickedImage,
let data = try? await pickedImage.loadTransferable(type: Data.self),
let loadedImage = UIImage(data: data) {
if let imageData = loadedImage.jpegData(compressionQuality: 0.7) {
Task {
await addPhoto(imageData)
}
}
}
}
}
}
private func addPhoto(_ imageData: Data) async {
await MainActor.run {
let photo = PhotoData(imageData: imageData)
content += "\n[image:\(photo.id)]"
}
}
}
Topic:
UI Frameworks
SubTopic:
SwiftUI
Tags:
SwiftUI
PhotoKit
2
0
749
Feb ’25
Does PHAsset localIdentifier change after device transfer?
Hi, I’m working on a photo backup app.
I track the PHAsset localIdentifier to determine which photos have been backed up and which haven’t.
Recently, I’ve noticed that two users seem to have experienced the localIdentifier changes after transferring data to a new iPhone using Quick Start.
Additionally, others on StackOverflow have mentioned that the localIdentifier sometimes changes after updating the iOS version.
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/40094728/phobject-localidentifier-reliability
I’d like to confirm the reliability of the localIdentifier after an iOS version upgrade or device transfer.
Can I continue using these locally stored localIdentifiers?
Or is there another recommended approach, such as using PHCloudIdentifier?
Topic:
Media Technologies
SubTopic:
Photos & Camera
Tags:
PhotoKit
2
0
442
Feb ’25
writeImageAtIndex:1012: ⭕️ ERROR: 'App' is trying to save an opaque image (5712x4284) with 'AlphaLast'.
I have an app that edits photos in your library. When I call
try CIContext().writeHEIFRepresentation(of: editedImage, to: fileURL, format: .RGBA8, colorSpace: originalImage.colorSpace!)
The following is logged to the console:
writeImageAtIndex:1012: ⭕️ ERROR: 'App' is trying to save an opaque image (5712x4284) with 'AlphaLast'. This would unnecessarily increase the file size and will double (!!!) the required memory when decoding the image --> ignoring alpha.
What does that mean and how can I resolve it?
Xcode Version 16.0 (16A242d)
iOS 18.1 (22B82)
Topic:
Media Technologies
SubTopic:
Photos & Camera
Tags:
PhotoKit
Photos and Imaging
Core Image
5
9
3.2k
Jan ’25
App crashes after requesting PhotoLibrary limited access
My visionOS requires access to users' personal photos. The trigger mechanism is: when user firstly opens a FooView, a task attached to that FooView and calling let status = PHPhotoLibrary.authorizationStatus(for: .readWrite), if the status is .notDetermined, then calling PHPhotoLibrary.requestAuthorization(for: .readWrite, handler: authCompletionHandler) to let visionOS pop out a window to request Photo access.
However, the app crashes every time when user selects Limited Access and the system try to pop out a photo library picker. And btw, I have set Prevent limited photos access alert to Yes, but it shouldn't affect the behavior here I guess.
There was a debugger message here:
*** Terminating app due to uncaught exception 'NSInternalInconsistencyException', reason: 'Presentations are not permitted within volumetric window scenes.'
However, the window this view belongs to is a .plain style window (though there were 3D object appearing in the other view of same windowgroup)
This is my code snippet if this helps:
checkAndUpdatePhotoAuthorization is just a wrapper of PHPhotoLibrary.authorizationStatus(for: .readWrite)
private func checkAndUpdatePhotoAuthorization() -> PHAuthorizationStatus {
let currentStatus = PHPhotoLibrary.authorizationStatus(for: .readWrite)
switch currentStatus {
case .authorized:
print("Photo library access authorized.")
isPhotoGalleryAuthorized = true
isPhotoGalleryLimited = false
isPhotoGalleryAccessRestricted = false
isPhotoGalleryDetermined = true
case .limited:
print("Photo library access limited.")
isPhotoGalleryLimited = true
isPhotoGalleryAuthorized = false
isPhotoGalleryAccessRestricted = false
isPhotoGalleryDetermined = true
case .notDetermined:
isPhotoGalleryDetermined = false
print("Photo library access not determined.")
case .denied:
print("Photo library access denied.")
isPhotoGalleryAuthorized = false
isPhotoGalleryLimited = false
isPhotoGalleryAccessRestricted = false
showSettingsAlert = true
isPhotoGalleryDetermined = true
case .restricted:
print("Photo library access restricted.")
isPhotoGalleryAuthorized = false
isPhotoGalleryLimited = false
isPhotoGalleryAccessRestricted = true
showPhotoAuthExplainationAlert = true
isPhotoGalleryDetermined = true
@unknown default:
print("Photo library Unknown authorization status.")
isPhotoGalleryAuthorized = false
isPhotoGalleryLimited = false
isPhotoGalleryAccessRestricted = false
isPhotoGalleryDetermined = true
}
return currentStatus
}
And then FooView attaches task to fire up checkAndUpdatePhotoAuthorization()
var body: some View {
EmptyView()
}
.task {
try? await Task.sleep(for: .seconds(1.0))
let status = self.checkAndUpdatePhotoAuthorization()
if status == .notDetermined {
DispatchQueue.main.async {
PHPhotoLibrary.requestAuthorization(for: .readWrite, handler: authCompletionHandler)
}
}
Another thing worth to mention is that SOMETIMES it won't crash when running on a debug build. But it crashes when it comes to TF.
Any other idea? Big thanks in advance
XCode version: 16.2 beta 3
VisionOS version: 2.2
Topic:
Spatial Computing
SubTopic:
General
Tags:
SwiftUI
Photos and Imaging
PhotoKit
visionOS
1
0
765
Jan ’25
Preselect PhotoPickerItems from Image when reopening PhotosPicker
I'm using the PhotosPicker in my SwiftUI project, like it is provided in the sample code (https://developer.apple.com/documentation/photokit/bringing-photos-picker-to-your-swiftui-app).
Currently it is set up like that:
the app loads the images and stores them in CoreData to MyEntity as binary data. However, when a user wants to update the photos there seems to be no possibility to check if the already stored image is already part of the current MyEntity. This means, there seems to be no possibility to preselect already existing images that were selected in a previous session.
Trying to use localIdentifier didn't work either, as it is always nil.
Now I'm wondering, if anyone has an idea on how to solve the given issue, or if there is no option to do so. Any information is appreciated. Thanks!
Topic:
Developer Tools & Services
SubTopic:
Xcode
Tags:
SwiftUI
PhotoKit
Core Data
2
0
636
Jan ’25
Is there a way to filter PHPickerViewController by the creation date of the assets?
Our app filters the photo library to a certain date range for ease of picking photos. However, to do this, we have to require full permissions to the photo library. We would like to use the PHPickerViewController and have it filter the results by the assets creation date? This would allow us to use it.
I see other filter options, but not this one. And if it isn't there, is this something that is being thought about or on a roadmap?
Topic:
Media Technologies
SubTopic:
Photos & Camera
Tags:
Media
PhotoKit
1
0
616
Jan ’25
is forKey:fileSize considered accessing non-public API?
is forKey:fileSize considered accessing non-public API?
has your app been rejected at review stage due to this?
let resources = PHAssetResource.assetResources(for: asset)
if let resource = resources.first {
if let fileSize = resource.value(forKey: "fileSize") as? Int {
return fileSize
}
}
Topic:
Media Technologies
SubTopic:
Photos & Camera
Tags:
Foundation
PhotoKit
2
0
671
Jan ’25
Xcode 16.3 not showing any PhotoKit documentation  for Objective-C but it does for Swift.
Has Objective-C been deprecated?
Topic:
Media Technologies
SubTopic:
Photos & Camera
Tags:
Xcode
macOS
PhotoKit
Replies
2
Boosts
0
Views
196
Activity
Apr ’25
When getting the PHPickerResult from user selecting media in the Photos app, how to check file extension?
when I get results from  picker: PHPickerViewController, didFinishPicking results: [PHPickerResult])
and I load the image using itemProvider             .loadFileRepresentation (the itemProvider is the NSItemProvider provided by the PHPickerResult)
will the url that's returned by this method be guaranteed to have the file extension ie, "file://image.jpeg" not "file://image"
I want to know if i need to just check the extension to know its file type.
(FYI in case this makes a difference, im only interested in user screenshots and screenrecordings)
Topic:
Media Technologies
SubTopic:
Photos & Camera
Tags:
APFS
PhotoKit
Replies
7
Boosts
0
Views
331
Activity
Apr ’25
Background access to Photos
If new photo is added to library and app is not running in foreground or was not opened after the new photo was added but the app is having full access to gallery, can it access, read the new photo - If the app is not specifically a cloud syncing app, can it have this attached function, suppose it is a game app or beauty camera app?
Topic:
Media Technologies
SubTopic:
Photos & Camera
Tags:
Privacy
PhotoKit
Background Tasks
Background Assets
Replies
2
Boosts
0
Views
206
Activity
Mar ’25
Unable to Fetch Videos from Recently Deleted Album Using Photos Framework in iOS 18.3.1
Hello everyone,
I’m working on an iOS app that fetches videos from the "Recently Deleted" album using the Photos framework in Swift. However, I’m unable to fetch any videos, even though the "Recently Deleted" album contains 233 items (including videos), as seen in the Photos app.
Environment:
iOS Version: 18.3.1
Xcode Version: 16.2
Swift Version: Swift 5
Device: iPhone (simulator and physical device both tested)
Photo Library Permission: "All Photos" access granted
Recently Deleted Lock: Face ID/Passcode is disabled for "Recently Deleted"
Topic:
Media Technologies
SubTopic:
Photos & Camera
Tags:
Photos and Imaging
PhotoKit
Replies
2
Boosts
0
Views
188
Activity
Mar ’25
Create live photo throw Optional(Error Domain=PHPhotosErrorDomain Code=-1 "(null)")
I want to create a Live Photo. The project includes a .jpg image and a .mov video (2 seconds). I am sure they are correct.
Two permissions in xcode have been added:
Privacy - Photo Library Usage Description
Privacy - Photo Library Additions Usage Description Simulate: iphone 16, ios 18.3
The codes in ContentView.swift :
private func saveLivePhoto(imageURL: URL, videoURL: URL, completion: @escaping (Bool, Error?) -> Void) {
PHPhotoLibrary.shared().performChanges {
let creationRequest = PHAssetCreationRequest.forAsset()
let options = PHAssetResourceCreationOptions()
options.shouldMoveFile = false
creationRequest.addResource(with: .photo, fileURL: imageURL, options: options)
creationRequest.addResource(with: .pairedVideo, fileURL: videoURL, options: options)
} completionHandler: { success, error in
DispatchQueue.main.async {
print(error)
completion(success, error)
}
}
}
guard let imageURL = Bundle.main.url(forResource: "livephoto", withExtension: "jpeg"),
let videoURL = Bundle.main.url(forResource: "livephoto", withExtension: "mov") else {
showAlertMessage(title: "error", message: "cant find Live Photo ")
return
}
print("imageURL: \(imageURL)")
print("videoURL: \(videoURL)")
saveLivePhoto(imageURL: imageURL, videoURL: videoURL) { success, error in
if success {
xxxxx
} else {
xxxxx
}
}
Really need help, thanks
Topic:
Media Technologies
SubTopic:
Photos & Camera
Tags:
Photos and Imaging
PhotoKit
Replies
1
Boosts
1
Views
407
Activity
Mar ’25
Create live photo error
I want to create a Live Photo. The project includes a .jpg image and a .mov video (2 seconds).
Two permissions in xcode have been added:
Privacy - Photo Library Usage Description
Privacy - Photo Library Additions Usage Description
Simulate: iphone 16, ios 18.3
The codes in ContentView.swift :
private func saveLivePhoto(imageURL: URL, videoURL: URL, completion: @escaping (Bool, Error?) -> Void) {
PHPhotoLibrary.shared().performChanges {
let creationRequest = PHAssetCreationRequest.forAsset()
let options = PHAssetResourceCreationOptions()
options.shouldMoveFile = false
creationRequest.addResource(with: .photo, fileURL: imageURL, options: options)
creationRequest.addResource(with: .pairedVideo, fileURL: videoURL, options: options)
} completionHandler: { success, error in
DispatchQueue.main.async {
print(error)
completion(success, error)
}
}
}
guard let imageURL = Bundle.main.url(forResource: "livephoto", withExtension: "jpeg"),
let videoURL = Bundle.main.url(forResource: "livephoto", withExtension: "mov") else {
showAlertMessage(title: "error", message: "cant find Live Photo ")
return
}
print("imageURL: \(imageURL)")
print("videoURL: \(videoURL)")
saveLivePhoto(imageURL: imageURL, videoURL: videoURL) { success, error in
if success {
xxxxx
} else {
xxxxx
}
}
Really need help, thanks
Topic:
Media Technologies
SubTopic:
Photos & Camera
Tags:
Photos and Imaging
PhotoKit
Replies
0
Boosts
0
Views
296
Activity
Mar ’25
Photo permission dialog not shown when iOS app runs on Mac
According to the docs:
The first time your app performs an operation that requires [photo library] authorization, the system automatically and asynchronously prompts the user for it.
(https://developer.apple.com/documentation/photokit/delivering-an-enhanced-privacy-experience-in-your-photos-app)
I.e. it's not necessary for the app to call PHPhotoLibrary.requestAuthorization.
This does seem to be what happens when my app runs on an iPhone or iPad; the prompt is shown. But when it runs on a Mac in "designed for iPad" mode, the permission dialog is not presented. Instead the code continues to see status == .notDetermined.
That's today, on macOS 15.3. It may have worked in the past.
Is anyone else seeing issues with this? Should I call requestAuthorization explicitly? (Would that actually work?)
Topic:
Media Technologies
SubTopic:
Photos & Camera
Tags:
Privacy
Media
Photos and Imaging
PhotoKit
Replies
1
Boosts
0
Views
625
Activity
Mar ’25
Crash in Photos framework
Hi
This is one of our top crashes. It does not contain any of our code in the stacktrace and we can't reproduce it. Those points make this crash very hard to understand and fix. We know that most of the crashes are happening on iPhone 13 with iOS 18.x.x. Also we see that a lot of cases happen when app goes into background (stacktrace contains -[UIApplication _applicationDidEnterBackground]).
2025-03-04_16-06-00.3670_-0500-6a273c7d5da97f098b5cc24898bb9761dc45208e.crash
2025-03-04_20-21-08.6609_-0500-2c08f640900f8a62c4f8a4f6f2a61feb052e66dd.crash
2025-03-04_20-46-27.7138_+0000-4d7ea89b1b564eda22ca63e708f7ad3909c7b768.crash
Topic:
Media Technologies
SubTopic:
Photos & Camera
Tags:
PhotoKit
Replies
2
Boosts
0
Views
573
Activity
Mar ’25
SwiftUI PhotosPicker accessibility issue
iOS 18.3.1, iPhone 16 Pro.
I pick photos using connected physical keyboard from the user's photo library using:
.photosPicker(isPresented: $viewModel.isImagePickerPresented, selection: $viewModel.selectedImageItem, matching: .images)
When picker appears, accessibility focus is moved to "dynamic Island" instead of cancel button. There is no possibility to navigate by keyboard in photos picker view without tapping on this view and move focus to this view manually . I noticed the same behavior in Notes app.
Topic:
Accessibility & Inclusion
SubTopic:
General
Tags:
Accessibility
SwiftUI
PhotoKit
Replies
1
Boosts
0
Views
610
Activity
Mar ’25
Issue: FPS Drops to 30 After Trimming Video in Photos App
Hi,
I am recording a video at 240 FPS within my application and saving it to the Photos app. The recorded video retains 240 FPS in the Photos app. However, after trimming the video using the Photos app and importing it back into my app, the FPS is reduced to 30 FPS.
Steps to Reproduce:
Record a video inside the application at 240 FPS.
Save the recorded video to the Photos app.
Verify that the video retains 240 FPS in the Photos app.
Trim the video using the built-in Photos app editor.
Import the trimmed video back into the application.
The FPS of the imported video is now reduced to 30 FPS.
Code Used for Importing Video:
I am using the following code to fetch the video from the Photos app:
let options: PHVideoRequestOptions = PHVideoRequestOptions()
options.version = .current  // Using `.original` preserves FPS, but I need `.current` for other changes
options.deliveryMode = .highQualityFormat
options.isNetworkAccessAllowed = true
PHImageManager.default().requestAVAsset(forVideo: self, options: options) { (avAsset, audioMix, info) in
if let urlAsset = avAsset as? AVURLAsset {
completionHandler(urlAsset.url, self)
} else {
self.askForOriginal(completionHandler: completionHandler)
}
}
Observations:
The original video retains 240 FPS until it is trimmed in the Photos app.
After trimming, the FPS automatically drops to 30 FPS when imported back into the app.
If I use options.version = .original, the FPS is preserved, but I need .current to apply other modifications.
Questions:
Is this an expected behavior of PHImageManager when requesting a video with options.version = .current?
Is there a way to preserve the original FPS while still using .current?
Are there any workarounds to extract the trimmed video without FPS reduction?
Any insights or solutions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!
Topic:
Media Technologies
SubTopic:
Video
Tags:
PhotoKit
Replies
1
Boosts
0
Views
411
Activity
Mar ’25
PHPhotoLibrary.shared().performChanges raised error 3303
I want to modify the photo's exif information, which means putting the original image in through CGImageDestinationAddImageFromSource, and then adding the modified exif information to a place called properties.
Here is the complete process:
static func setImageMetadata(asset: PHAsset, exif: [String: Any]) {
let options = PHContentEditingInputRequestOptions()
options.canHandleAdjustmentData = { (adjustmentData) -> Bool in
return true
}
asset.requestContentEditingInput(with: options, completionHandler: { input, map in
guard let inputNN = input else {
return
}
guard let url = inputNN.fullSizeImageURL else {
return
}
let output = PHContentEditingOutput(contentEditingInput: inputNN)
let adjustmentData = PHAdjustmentData(formatIdentifier: AppInfo.appBundleId(), formatVersion: AppInfo.appVersion(), data: Data())
output.adjustmentData = adjustmentData
let outputURL = output.renderedContentURL
guard let source = CGImageSourceCreateWithURL(url as CFURL, nil) else {
return
}
guard let dest = CGImageDestinationCreateWithURL(outputURL as CFURL, UTType.jpeg.identifier as CFString, 1, nil) else {
return
}
CGImageDestinationAddImageFromSource(dest, source, 0, exif as CFDictionary)
let d = CGImageDestinationFinalize(dest)
// d is true, and I checked the content of outputURL, image has been write correctly, it could be convert to UIImage and image is ok.
PHPhotoLibrary.shared().performChanges {
let changeReq = PHAssetChangeRequest(for: asset)
changeReq.contentEditingOutput = output
} completionHandler: { succ, err in
if !succ {
print(err) // 3303 here, always!
}
}
})
}
Topic:
Media Technologies
SubTopic:
Photos & Camera
Tags:
Photos and Imaging
PhotoKit
Replies
1
Boosts
0
Views
452
Activity
Feb ’25
PHPickerViewController update preselectedAssetIdentifiers
I am trying to recreate the iOS Messages app photo selection UI, where a PHPickerViewController is displayed half screen, with the message text field and a scrolling photo viewer on top. I have that UI mostly working, but cannot figure out how to allow a user to remove an image from my scrolling photo viewer (just like in the iOS Messages app).
When the picker is initially displayed, I can show selected images using the preselectedAssetIdentifiers. However, if the user taps the "x" to remove an image from the scrolling photo viewer, there is no way that I have found to update that selection in the picker.
I can dismiss/show a new picker with the animated property set to false, but that creates a very apparent bounce in the screen. Are there any ways I am missing to accomplish this?
Here is what I have so far:
Topic:
Media Technologies
SubTopic:
Photos & Camera
Tags:
Photos and Imaging
PhotoKit
Replies
1
Boosts
0
Views
487
Activity
Feb ’25
How to show only Spatial video using UIDocumentPickerViewController
Is there a suitable
UTType type to satisfy the need to pick up only SpatialVideo in UIDocumentPickerViewController?
I already know that PHPickerFilter in PHPickerViewController can do this, but not in UIDocumentPickerViewController.
Our app needs to adapt both of these ways to pick spatial videos
So is there anything that I can try in UIDocumentPickerViewController to fulfill such picker functionality?
Topic:
Spatial Computing
SubTopic:
General
Tags:
Files and Storage
Photos and Imaging
PhotoKit
visionOS
Replies
1
Boosts
0
Views
573
Activity
Feb ’25
How to implement Notes-style attachments in TextEditor with movable/deletable images?
I'm trying to create a Notes-like experience in my SwiftUI app where users can:
Add photos as inline attachments within a TextEditor
Move these attachments around within the text (like they were text characters)
Delete attachments
Preview attachments in full screen
Have the attachments persist with the text content
Similar to how Apple Notes handles attachments, where images become part of the text flow and can be manipulated like text characters.
Current approach:
I've tried using a custom TextEditor with a separate array of attachments, but I'm struggling to make the attachments behave as inline elements that can be moved within the text.
RichTextEditor:
struct RichTextEditor: View {
@State var content: String = ""
@State private var isGalleryPresented = false
@State var pickedImage: PhotosPickerItem?
@State private var selectedImage: UIImage?
var body: some View {
TextEditor(text: $content)
.toolbar {
ToolbarItemGroup(placement: .keyboard) {
Button {
isGalleryPresented = true
} label: {
Label("Attached", systemImage: "paperclip")
}
}
}
.photosPicker(isPresented: $isGalleryPresented, selection: $pickedImage)
.onChange(of: pickedImage) { oldItem, newItem in
Task {
if let pickedImage = pickedImage,
let data = try? await pickedImage.loadTransferable(type: Data.self),
let loadedImage = UIImage(data: data) {
if let imageData = loadedImage.jpegData(compressionQuality: 0.7) {
Task {
await addPhoto(imageData)
}
}
}
}
}
}
private func addPhoto(_ imageData: Data) async {
await MainActor.run {
let photo = PhotoData(imageData: imageData)
content += "\n[image:\(photo.id)]"
}
}
}
Topic:
UI Frameworks
SubTopic:
SwiftUI
Tags:
SwiftUI
PhotoKit
Replies
2
Boosts
0
Views
749
Activity
Feb ’25
Does PHAsset localIdentifier change after device transfer?
Hi, I’m working on a photo backup app.
I track the PHAsset localIdentifier to determine which photos have been backed up and which haven’t.
Recently, I’ve noticed that two users seem to have experienced the localIdentifier changes after transferring data to a new iPhone using Quick Start.
Additionally, others on StackOverflow have mentioned that the localIdentifier sometimes changes after updating the iOS version.
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/40094728/phobject-localidentifier-reliability
I’d like to confirm the reliability of the localIdentifier after an iOS version upgrade or device transfer.
Can I continue using these locally stored localIdentifiers?
Or is there another recommended approach, such as using PHCloudIdentifier?
Topic:
Media Technologies
SubTopic:
Photos & Camera
Tags:
PhotoKit
Replies
2
Boosts
0
Views
442
Activity
Feb ’25
writeImageAtIndex:1012: ⭕️ ERROR: 'App' is trying to save an opaque image (5712x4284) with 'AlphaLast'.
I have an app that edits photos in your library. When I call
try CIContext().writeHEIFRepresentation(of: editedImage, to: fileURL, format: .RGBA8, colorSpace: originalImage.colorSpace!)
The following is logged to the console:
writeImageAtIndex:1012: ⭕️ ERROR: 'App' is trying to save an opaque image (5712x4284) with 'AlphaLast'. This would unnecessarily increase the file size and will double (!!!) the required memory when decoding the image --> ignoring alpha.
What does that mean and how can I resolve it?
Xcode Version 16.0 (16A242d)
iOS 18.1 (22B82)
Topic:
Media Technologies
SubTopic:
Photos & Camera
Tags:
PhotoKit
Photos and Imaging
Core Image
Replies
5
Boosts
9
Views
3.2k
Activity
Jan ’25
App crashes after requesting PhotoLibrary limited access
My visionOS requires access to users' personal photos. The trigger mechanism is: when user firstly opens a FooView, a task attached to that FooView and calling let status = PHPhotoLibrary.authorizationStatus(for: .readWrite), if the status is .notDetermined, then calling PHPhotoLibrary.requestAuthorization(for: .readWrite, handler: authCompletionHandler) to let visionOS pop out a window to request Photo access.
However, the app crashes every time when user selects Limited Access and the system try to pop out a photo library picker. And btw, I have set Prevent limited photos access alert to Yes, but it shouldn't affect the behavior here I guess.
There was a debugger message here:
*** Terminating app due to uncaught exception 'NSInternalInconsistencyException', reason: 'Presentations are not permitted within volumetric window scenes.'
However, the window this view belongs to is a .plain style window (though there were 3D object appearing in the other view of same windowgroup)
This is my code snippet if this helps:
checkAndUpdatePhotoAuthorization is just a wrapper of PHPhotoLibrary.authorizationStatus(for: .readWrite)
private func checkAndUpdatePhotoAuthorization() -> PHAuthorizationStatus {
let currentStatus = PHPhotoLibrary.authorizationStatus(for: .readWrite)
switch currentStatus {
case .authorized:
print("Photo library access authorized.")
isPhotoGalleryAuthorized = true
isPhotoGalleryLimited = false
isPhotoGalleryAccessRestricted = false
isPhotoGalleryDetermined = true
case .limited:
print("Photo library access limited.")
isPhotoGalleryLimited = true
isPhotoGalleryAuthorized = false
isPhotoGalleryAccessRestricted = false
isPhotoGalleryDetermined = true
case .notDetermined:
isPhotoGalleryDetermined = false
print("Photo library access not determined.")
case .denied:
print("Photo library access denied.")
isPhotoGalleryAuthorized = false
isPhotoGalleryLimited = false
isPhotoGalleryAccessRestricted = false
showSettingsAlert = true
isPhotoGalleryDetermined = true
case .restricted:
print("Photo library access restricted.")
isPhotoGalleryAuthorized = false
isPhotoGalleryLimited = false
isPhotoGalleryAccessRestricted = true
showPhotoAuthExplainationAlert = true
isPhotoGalleryDetermined = true
@unknown default:
print("Photo library Unknown authorization status.")
isPhotoGalleryAuthorized = false
isPhotoGalleryLimited = false
isPhotoGalleryAccessRestricted = false
isPhotoGalleryDetermined = true
}
return currentStatus
}
And then FooView attaches task to fire up checkAndUpdatePhotoAuthorization()
var body: some View {
EmptyView()
}
.task {
try? await Task.sleep(for: .seconds(1.0))
let status = self.checkAndUpdatePhotoAuthorization()
if status == .notDetermined {
DispatchQueue.main.async {
PHPhotoLibrary.requestAuthorization(for: .readWrite, handler: authCompletionHandler)
}
}
Another thing worth to mention is that SOMETIMES it won't crash when running on a debug build. But it crashes when it comes to TF.
Any other idea? Big thanks in advance
XCode version: 16.2 beta 3
VisionOS version: 2.2
Topic:
Spatial Computing
SubTopic:
General
Tags:
SwiftUI
Photos and Imaging
PhotoKit
visionOS
Replies
1
Boosts
0
Views
765
Activity
Jan ’25
Preselect PhotoPickerItems from Image when reopening PhotosPicker
I'm using the PhotosPicker in my SwiftUI project, like it is provided in the sample code (https://developer.apple.com/documentation/photokit/bringing-photos-picker-to-your-swiftui-app).
Currently it is set up like that:
the app loads the images and stores them in CoreData to MyEntity as binary data. However, when a user wants to update the photos there seems to be no possibility to check if the already stored image is already part of the current MyEntity. This means, there seems to be no possibility to preselect already existing images that were selected in a previous session.
Trying to use localIdentifier didn't work either, as it is always nil.
Now I'm wondering, if anyone has an idea on how to solve the given issue, or if there is no option to do so. Any information is appreciated. Thanks!
Topic:
Developer Tools & Services
SubTopic:
Xcode
Tags:
SwiftUI
PhotoKit
Core Data
Replies
2
Boosts
0
Views
636
Activity
Jan ’25
Is there a way to filter PHPickerViewController by the creation date of the assets?
Our app filters the photo library to a certain date range for ease of picking photos. However, to do this, we have to require full permissions to the photo library. We would like to use the PHPickerViewController and have it filter the results by the assets creation date? This would allow us to use it.
I see other filter options, but not this one. And if it isn't there, is this something that is being thought about or on a roadmap?
Topic:
Media Technologies
SubTopic:
Photos & Camera
Tags:
Media
PhotoKit
Replies
1
Boosts
0
Views
616
Activity
Jan ’25
is forKey:fileSize considered accessing non-public API?
is forKey:fileSize considered accessing non-public API?
has your app been rejected at review stage due to this?
let resources = PHAssetResource.assetResources(for: asset)
if let resource = resources.first {
if let fileSize = resource.value(forKey: "fileSize") as? Int {
return fileSize
}
}
Topic:
Media Technologies
SubTopic:
Photos & Camera
Tags:
Foundation
PhotoKit
Replies
2
Boosts
0
Views
671
Activity
Jan ’25
First
Page 4
Developer Footer
This site contains user submitted content, comments and opinions and is for informational purposes only. Apple disclaims any and all liability for the acts, omissions and conduct of any third parties in connection with or related to your use of the site. All postings and use of the content on this site are subject to the Apple Developer Forums Agreement and Apple provided code is subject to the Apple Sample Code License.
Platforms
Open Menu
Close Menu
iOS
iPadOS
macOS
tvOS
watchOS
visionOS
Tools
Open Menu
Close Menu
Swift
SwiftUI
SF Symbols
Swift Playground
TestFlight
Xcode
Xcode Cloud
Topics & Technologies
Open Menu
Close Menu
Accessibility
Accessories
App Extensions
App Store
Audio & Video
Augmented Reality
Design
Distribution
Education
Fonts
Games
Health & Fitness
In-App Purchase
Localization
Maps & Location
Machine Learning
Open Source
Security
Safari & Web
Resources
Open Menu
Close Menu
Documentation
Tutorials
Downloads
Forums
Videos
Support
Open Menu
Close Menu
Support Articles
Contact Us
Bug Reporting
System Status
Account
Open Menu
Close Menu
Apple Developer
App Store Connect
Certificates, IDs, & Profiles
Feedback Assistant
Programs
Open Menu
Close Menu
Apple Developer Program
Apple Developer Enterprise Program
App Store Small Business Program
MFi Program
News Partner Program
Video Partner Program
Security Bounty Program
Security Research Device Program
Events
Open Menu
Close Menu
Meet with Apple
Apple Developer Centers
App Store Awards
Apple Design Awards
Apple Developer Academies
WWDC
View the latest developer news.
Copyright ©  Apple Inc. All rights reserved.
Terms of Use
Privacy Policy
License Agreements