Why is my iOS app not showing up in other apps' "Open in" dialog?

Question

I am trying to implement the registering process that allows my iOS app to show up in the "Open in" list of other applications (as described in Apple's Document Interaction Programming Topics). I want my app to be able to handle audio from any app that will provide a standard audio file format (MP3, AIFF, WAV, etc.).

As I understand it, all I should need to do is add the CFBundleDocumentTypes key, with relevant subdata, to my app's Info.plist. This is what I put in (via Xcode 4's Document Types editor):

<key>CFBundleDocumentTypes</key>
<array>
    <dict>
        <key>CFBundleTypeIconFiles</key>
        <array>
            <string>scrubbulator-icon</string>
        </array>
        <key>CFBundleTypeName</key>
        <string>Audio</string>
        <key>LSHandlerRank</key>
        <string>Alternative</string>
        <key>LSItemContentTypes</key>
        <array>
        <string>public.mp3</string>
        </array>
    </dict>
</array>

The addition of this code is not displaying my app in apps' "Open in" menu (I am testing on an iPhone, using an MP3 in Dropbox as the file source. The apps AudioMemos and Evernote are both displayed for an MP3 file in Dropbox, so I know the format is supported). Is there something obvious I'm doing wrong, or is there something else I need to implement?

(Note: I have not set up a UTExportedTypeDeclarations item in my Info.plist, as I understand these to be necessary only for custom UTIs. As I'm using System UTIs I believe it shouldn't be necessary, but please correct me if I am wrong.)

EDIT

I've added the following Exported Type UTI, with no success:

<key>UTExportedTypeDeclarations</key>
<array>
    <dict>
        <key>UTTypeConformsTo</key>
        <array>
        <string>kUTTypeMP3</string>
        </array>
        <key>UTTypeDescription</key>
        <string>Audio file</string>
        <key>UTTypeIdentifier</key>
        <string>kUTTypeMP3</string>
        <key>UTTypeTagSpecification</key>
        <dict>
        <key>public.filename-extension</key>
        <array>
            <string>mp3</string>
        </array>
        </dict>
    </dict>
</array>

score 68 · Accepted Answer · edited Jul 27 '12 at 18:08

For all standard file format:

<key>CFBundleDocumentTypes</key>
<array>
    <dict>
        <key>CFBundleTypeName</key>
        <string>Unknown File</string>
        <key>LSHandlerRank</key>
        <string>Alternate</string>
        <key>LSItemContentTypes</key>
        <array>
            <string>public.calendar-event</string>
            <string>public.database</string>
            <string>public.executable</string>
            <string>public.data</string>
            <string>public.content </string>
            <string>public.item</string>
        </array>
    </dict>
    <dict>
        <key>CFBundleTypeName</key>
        <string>Video</string>
        <key>LSHandlerRank</key>
        <string>Alternate</string>
        <key>LSItemContentTypes</key>
        <array>
            <string>public.video</string>
        </array>
    </dict>
    <dict>
        <key>CFBundleTypeName</key>
        <string>Image</string>
        <key>LSHandlerRank</key>
        <string>Alternate</string>
        <key>LSItemContentTypes</key>
        <array>
            <string>public.image</string>
        </array>
    </dict>
    <dict>
        <key>CFBundleTypeName</key>
        <string>Web Archive</string>
        <key>LSHandlerRank</key>
        <string>Alternate</string>
        <key>LSItemContentTypes</key>
        <array>
            <string>com.apple.webarchive</string>
        </array>
    </dict>
    <dict>
        <key>CFBundleTypeName</key>
        <string>iWork Keynote</string>
        <key>LSHandlerRank</key>
        <string>Alternate</string>
        <key>LSItemContentTypes</key>
        <array>
            <string>com.apple.keynote.key</string>
            <string>com.apple.iwork.keynote.key</string>
            <string>com.apple.iwork.keynote.kth</string>
        </array>
    </dict>
    <dict>
        <key>CFBundleTypeName</key>
        <string>iWork Numbers</string>
        <key>LSHandlerRank</key>
        <string>Alternate</string>
        <key>LSItemContentTypes</key>
        <array>
            <string>com.apple.numbers.numbers</string>
            <string>com.apple.iwork.numbers.numbers</string>
            <string>com.apple.iwork.numbers.template</string>
        </array>
    </dict>
    <dict>
        <key>CFBundleTypeName</key>
        <string>iWork Pages</string>
        <key>LSHandlerRank</key>
        <string>Alternate</string>
        <key>LSItemContentTypes</key>
        <array>
            <string>com.apple.page.pages</string>
            <string>com.apple.iwork.pages.pages</string>
            <string>com.apple.iwork.pages.template</string>
        </array>
    </dict>
    <dict>
        <key>CFBundleTypeName</key>
        <string>OpenDocument Spreadsheet</string>
        <key>LSHandlerRank</key>
        <string>Alternate</string>
        <key>LSItemContentTypes</key>
        <array>
            <string>org.oasis.opendocument.spreadsheet</string>
        </array>
    </dict>
    <dict>
        <key>CFBundleTypeName</key>
        <string>OpenDocument Presentation</string>
        <key>LSHandlerRank</key>
        <string>Alternate</string>
        <key>LSItemContentTypes</key>
        <array>
            <string>org.oasis.opendocument.presentation</string>
        </array>
    </dict>
    <dict>
        <key>CFBundleTypeName</key>
        <string>OpenDocument Text</string>
        <key>LSHandlerRank</key>
        <string>Alternate</string>
        <key>LSItemContentTypes</key>
        <array>
            <string>org.oasis.opendocument.text</string>
        </array>
    </dict>
    <dict>
        <key>CFBundleTypeName</key>
        <string>Folder</string>
        <key>LSHandlerRank</key>
        <string>Alternate</string>
        <key>LSItemContentTypes</key>
        <array>
            <string>public.folder</string>
        </array>
    </dict>

    <dict>
        <key>CFBundleTypeName</key>
        <string>Audio</string>
        <key>LSHandlerRank</key>
        <string>Alternate</string>
        <key>LSItemContentTypes</key>
        <array>
            <string>public.audio</string>
            <string>public.mp3</string>
            <string>public.mpeg-4-audio</string>
            <string>com.apple.protected-mpeg-4-audio</string>
            <string>public.aifc-audio</string>
            <string>com.apple.coreaudio-format</string>
            <string>public.aiff-audio</string>
        </array>
    </dict>

    <dict>
        <key>CFBundleTypeName</key>
        <string>Movie</string>
        <key>LSHandlerRank</key>
        <string>Alternate</string>
        <key>LSItemContentTypes</key>
        <array>
            <string>public.movie</string>
            <string>public.3gpp2</string>
            <string>public.3gpp</string>
            <string>public.mpeg</string>
            <string>com.apple.quicktime-movie</string>
            <string>public.mpeg-4</string>
        </array>
    </dict>
    <dict>
        <key>CFBundleTypeName</key>
        <string>GIF image</string>
        <key>LSHandlerRank</key>
        <string>Alternate</string>
        <key>LSItemContentTypes</key>
        <array>
            <string>com.compuserve.gif</string>
        </array>
    </dict>
    <dict>
        <key>CFBundleTypeName</key>
        <string>PNG image</string>
        <key>LSHandlerRank</key>
        <string>Alternate</string>
        <key>LSItemContentTypes</key>
        <array>
            <string>public.png</string>
        </array>
    </dict>
    <dict>
        <key>CFBundleTypeName</key>
        <string>TIFF image</string>
        <key>LSHandlerRank</key>
        <string>Alternate</string>
        <key>LSItemContentTypes</key>
        <array>
            <string>public.tiff</string>
        </array>
    </dict>
    <dict>
        <key>CFBundleTypeName</key>
        <string>JPEG image</string>
        <key>LSHandlerRank</key>
        <string>Alternate</string>
        <key>LSItemContentTypes</key>
        <array>
            <string>public.jpeg</string>
        </array>
    </dict>
    <dict>
        <key>CFBundleTypeName</key>
        <string>XML</string>
        <key>LSHandlerRank</key>
        <string>Alternate</string>
        <key>LSItemContentTypes</key>
        <array>
            <string>public.xml</string>
        </array>
    </dict>
    <dict>
        <key>CFBundleTypeName</key>
        <string>HTML</string>
        <key>LSHandlerRank</key>
        <string>Alternate</string>
        <key>LSItemContentTypes</key>
        <array>
            <string>public.html</string>
            <string>public.xhtml</string>
        </array>
    </dict>
    <dict>
        <key>CFBundleTypeName</key>
        <string>Rich Text</string>
        <key>LSHandlerRank</key>
        <string>Alternate</string>
        <key>LSItemContentTypes</key>
        <array>
            <string>public.rtf</string>
            <string>com.apple.rtfd</string>
            <string>com.apple.flat-rtfd</string>
        </array>
    </dict>
    <dict>
        <key>CFBundleTypeName</key>
        <string>Text</string>
        <key>LSHandlerRank</key>
        <string>Alternate</string>
        <key>LSItemContentTypes</key>
        <array>
            <string>public.text</string>
            <string>public.plain-text</string>
            <string>public.utf8-plain-text</string>
            <string>public.utf16-external-plain-text</string>
            <string>public.utf16-plain-text</string>
            <string>com.apple.traditional-mac-plain-text</string>
            <string>public.source-code</string>
            <string>public.c-source</string>
            <string>public.objective-c-source</string>
            <string>public.c-plus-plus-source</string>
            <string>public.objective-c-plus-plus-source</string>
            <string>public.c-header</string>
            <string>public.c-plus-plus-header</string>
            <string>com.sun.java-source</string>
            <string>public.script</string>
            <string>public.shell-script</string>
        </array>
    </dict>
    <dict>
        <key>CFBundleTypeExtensions</key>
        <array>
            <string>zip</string>
            <string>zipx</string>
        </array>
        <key>CFBundleTypeName</key>
        <string>Zip archive</string>
        <key>LSHandlerRank</key>
        <string>Alternate</string>
        <key>LSItemContentTypes</key>
        <array>
            <string>public.zip-archive</string>
            <string>public.archive</string>
            <string>com.pkware.zip-archive</string>
            <string>com.pkware.zipx-archive</string>
        </array>
    </dict>
    <dict>
        <key>CFBundleTypeExtensions</key>
        <array>
            <string>rar</string>
            <string>RAR</string>
        </array>
        <key>CFBundleTypeName</key>
        <string>Rar archive</string>
        <key>LSHandlerRank</key>
        <string>Alternate</string>
        <key>LSItemContentTypes</key>
        <array>
            <string>com.rarlab.rar-archive</string>
            <string>public.archive</string>
        </array>
    </dict>
    <dict>
        <key>CFBundleTypeExtensions</key>
        <array>
            <string>7z</string>
            <string>7Z</string>
        </array>
        <key>CFBundleTypeName</key>
        <string>7z archive</string>
        <key>LSHandlerRank</key>
        <string>Alternate</string>
        <key>LSItemContentTypes</key>
        <array>
            <string>org.7-zip.7-zip-archive</string>
            <string>public.archive</string>
        </array>
    </dict>
    <dict>
        <key>CFBundleTypeName</key>
        <string>Waveform audio</string>
        <key>LSHandlerRank</key>
        <string>Alternate</string>
        <key>LSItemContentTypes</key>
        <array>
            <string>com.microsoft.waveform-audio</string>
        </array>
    </dict>
    <dict>
        <key>CFBundleTypeName</key>
        <string>Windows icon image</string>
        <key>LSHandlerRank</key>
        <string>Alternate</string>
        <key>LSItemContentTypes</key>
        <array>
            <string>com.microsoft.ico</string>
            <string>com.apple.icns</string>
        </array>
    </dict>
    <dict>
        <key>CFBundleTypeName</key>
        <string>Windows bitmap image</string>
        <key>LSHandlerRank</key>
        <string>Alternate</string>
        <key>LSItemContentTypes</key>
        <array>
            <string>com.microsoft.bmp</string>
        </array>
    </dict>
    <dict>
        <key>CFBundleTypeName</key>
        <string>Microsoft PowerPoint</string>
        <key>LSHandlerRank</key>
        <string>Alternate</string>
        <key>LSItemContentTypes</key>
        <array>
            <string>com.microsoft.powerpoint.ppt</string>
            <string>org.openxmlformats.presentationml.presentation</string>
        </array>
    </dict>
    <dict>
        <key>CFBundleTypeName</key>
        <string>Microsoft Excel</string>
        <key>LSHandlerRank</key>
        <string>Alternate</string>
        <key>LSItemContentTypes</key>
        <array>
            <string>org.openxmlformats.spreadsheetml.sheet</string>
            <string>com.microsoft.excel.xls</string>
        </array>
    </dict>
    <dict>
        <key>CFBundleTypeName</key>
        <string>Microsoft Word</string>
        <key>LSHandlerRank</key>
        <string>Alternate</string>
        <key>LSItemContentTypes</key>
        <array>
            <string>com.microsoft.word.doc</string>
            <string>com.microsoft.word.wordml</string>
            <string>org.openxmlformats.wordprocessingml.document</string>
        </array>
    </dict>
    <dict>
        <key>CFBundleTypeName</key>
        <string>PDF</string>
        <key>LSHandlerRank</key>
        <string>Alternate</string>
        <key>LSItemContentTypes</key>
        <array>
            <string>com.adobe.pdf</string>
        </array>
    </dict>
</array>

I don't exactly what fixed it, but I copied the audio section from your code above and it now works! Thank you! (I have edited your code to highlight the audio section I copied.) — , Jul 27 '12 at 17:54
For future reference, Exported and Imported Type UTIs were not necessary for this to work. — , Jul 27 '12 at 18:01
Thank you ver much for this post nicely working ...great work — SURESH SANKE, May 28 '14 at 06:42
Hey guys, is it still working in IOS8?? i just copy those xml into my info.plist, only pdf is working :/ any idea? and I posted a new question here.http://stackoverflow.com/questions/27419177/ios-8-open-image-in-my-app-from-another-apps — Siu Chung Chan, Dec 12 '14 at 03:23
i trying above code. it's working only iMessage and Mail attachment document file. not app display in photo sharing in photo gallery in iPhone. any idea how to do ? please help me @user577537 — Jay Bhalani, Jan 09 '17 at 06:53
Does this work with XCode 8, too - or what should we add/change? In some places I read about using LSHandlerRank: Own. And CFBundleTypeRole: Editor — headkit, Feb 17 '17 at 10:48

Roger · Answer 2 · 2015-05-01T07:15:41.563

6

You should use Alternate instead of Alternative

<key>LSHandlerRank</key>
<string>Alternate</string>

edited May 01 '15 at 07:15

answered Dec 03 '13 at 09:50

Roger

973
10
15

score 0 · Answer 3 · answered Feb 08 '17 at 08:23

<key>CFBundleDocumentTypes</key>
<array>
    <dict>
        <key>CFBundleTypeExtensions</key>
        <array>
            <string>"*"</string>
        </array>
        <key>CFBundleTypeName</key>
        <string>Unknown</string>
        <key>LSItemContentTypes</key>
        <array>
            <string>public.data</string>
        </array>
    </dict>
</array>

Why is my iOS app not showing up in other apps' "Open in" dialog?

3 Answers3

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