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A very popular iOS game that was number 1 downloaded app for about a month, last month has a pre-populated message text on Facebook SHARE button stating how many points the user scored and a link to download the Mr Jump game in the App store. Facebook policies state you can't use pre-populated messages, it must be 100% user generated. So no links as well. Since App developers are still doing it, then what's the work around, around the Facebook policies to be able to do it? Is there a needed code for this work around?

  • I just pre-populate the message that is sent to the `UIActivityViewController`. The user can edit the text before they post the message because that is how the `UIActivityViewController` works. Facebook didn't have to approve my app and as far as I know have no idea that it even exists, so I don't know how they could enforce any "policy". – Paulw11 Apr 20 '15 at 02:05
  • I know how to pre-populate the messages too. That's not the issue. Here's the link: https://developers.facebook.com/policy/ I know Facebook doesn't approve the app, but if it's against Facebook policy, I don't know what the repercussions might be. That's why I'm hesitant. –  Apr 20 '15 at 03:08
  • I am not developing for the Facebook platform so I don't think that policy applies - I have never seen that policy document referred to in any of the Apple documentation.. I am using the facility in iOS to post a status. There is no difference in the way that the post is made on Facebook to if the user had typed everything themselves, so how could there be "repercussions"? – Paulw11 Apr 20 '15 at 03:12
  • I don't develop for facebook platform either. I'm simply adding a share button into my iOS app that pops up a messenger and the user can click Share and that message appears on their facebook account. If you ask around here on Stackoverflow, which I did regarding share button for in your iOS app for Facebook, I'm hearing a lot of against Facebook policy argument. That's why I'm wondering if there's a work around since I still see people pre-populating the messages. –  Apr 20 '15 at 03:18
  • I don't think you need a work-around. While they could, in theory, block posts containing a link to your app or perhaps threaten legal action I doubt they would bother. – Paulw11 Apr 20 '15 at 03:20
  • If you're using UIActivityViewController then you're didn't download Facebook's SDK and open an account with Facebook developers to get the Facebook App ID to get Facebook's official Share button with their official logo. If you do this, then their SDK makes sure that you can't pre-populate the share button messages. Only if you use their Open GL, then you can make a pre-populated message but even that has strict rules of how you can do it. However, i'm also not using their SDK, I use SLComposeViewController. The facebook platform rule is regarding third party developers. –  Apr 20 '15 at 16:34
  • Interestingly their policy document uses prepopulating a UIActivityView as a "don't" example, but nuts to them! – Paulw11 Apr 20 '15 at 20:38
  • Like you said earlier, there may not be any repercussions unless you have a Facebook App ID which means you would have had to first download the Facebook SDK and sign up to Facebook's developer program. I've been talking to a software engineer at Facebook about this issue and he says Facebook can delete the Facebook App ID so any Facebook integration stops working. They can also block all shares done with your Facebook App ID. –  Apr 21 '15 at 00:47
  • Exactly, so unless they are going to block every app that uses Social.framework on iOS there isn't anything they can do – Paulw11 Apr 21 '15 at 00:48
  • It seems like the latest Facebook app has fixed/broken this (depending on your point of view) http://stackoverflow.com/questions/29890747/ios-how-to-share-text-and-image-on-social-networks/29891228#29891228 – Paulw11 Apr 27 '15 at 09:05

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