continueUserActivity not called from search closed app

Question

I am trying to use core spotlight to open a view controller from the spotlight search results.

- (BOOL)application:(UIApplication *)application continueUserActivity:(NSUserActivity *)userActivity restorationHandler:(void(^)(NSArray *restorableObjects))restorationHandler 
{

if(self.window.rootViewController){
    [self.window.rootViewController restoreUserActivityState:userActivity];
}

return YES;
}

This seems to work when the app is already running in background, however when it is closed and I tap on the spotlight search result it seems that this method gets not called and the behavior I get is that my application simply starts in the main interface.

Do you have any suggestion for making it work also when my app is closed? Is there a way to debug what is happening (since I need to run the app to get the debugger attached I don't know how to simulate the app opening from the search result)?.

Did you ever figure this out? I'm having the same issue: continueUserActivity is ever being called. — Travis, Sep 30 '15 at 18:40

score 55 · Answer 1 · answered Sep 21 '15 at 15:33

Niko,

first of all: there's a way to start your app from Xcode and not opening it immediately: open your scheme properties, go to the "run" section, and under "info", there's a switch that will help you to debug what's happening:

"Wait for executable to be launched".

If you activate this switch, you can launch the app from Xcode, Xcode will wait until the app is opened from search and then it will attach the debugger to it.

Hope that helps!

Ivan

score 42 · Answer 2 · answered Oct 04 '19 at 14:06

42

In the new Swift 5 there is a new new file called SceneDelegate.swift. Use the method scene(_ scene: UIScene, continue userActivity: NSUserActivity)

answered Oct 04 '19 at 14:06

adam eliezerov

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Wasted 2 hours on this, stupid outdated documentation. – KVISH May 28 '20 at 04:18
How to get url from user activity if app is still supporting iOS 9 ... ? – swifthing Jul 19 '21 at 22:12
can i buy you a beer!? – letsCode Mar 30 '23 at 23:34

score 23 · Answer 3 · edited Nov 19 '15 at 00:16

23

If you are using the Facebook SDK, and in didfinishlaunching your are returning FBSDK, instead of plain text, and returning true at the end, it can cause problems hitting continueuseractivity.

After searching a lot, and trying different ways, I just had to return true and comment this:

FBSDKApplicationDelegate.sharedInstance().application(application, didFinishLaunchingWithOptions: launchOptions)

edited Nov 19 '15 at 00:16

Michelle Welcks

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answered Nov 18 '15 at 23:49

hopye2

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this is an unexpected correct solution for me, after hitting my head to the wall for several hours. upvoted. – Xu Yin Dec 18 '15 at 23:58
Dude, great catch. This saved me. – marcshilling Jan 05 '16 at 19:43
1

Wow, this was unexpected. Damn you Facebook! Great catch indeed! – George Marmaridis Feb 23 '16 at 15:48
This is unexpectedly valid even today. Thank you for this. – Ale Ravasio Nov 29 '18 at 20:05

score 11 · Answer 4 · answered Jul 22 '19 at 10:21

11

continue userActivity is changed in the latest swift version. Changing the func worked for me.

func application(_ application: UIApplication, continue userActivity: NSUserActivity, restorationHandler: @escaping ([Any]?) -> Void) -> Bool

to

func application(_ application: UIApplication, continue userActivity: NSUserActivity, restorationHandler: @escaping ([UIUserActivityRestoring]?) -> Void) -> Bool.

answered Jul 22 '19 at 10:21

Arnab

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This is awesome!! – Umit Kaya Jan 15 '20 at 08:07
Thx!!!! This saved my life – Zas Feb 10 '22 at 06:56
is this still valid in 2022? – MartianMartian Mar 22 '22 at 16:46
This should be the accepted answer, works as of 2022-JUL – Utsav Shrestha Jul 26 '22 at 03:34
This method is called only when the app is available in the device, what if the app is not in the phone and you installing the app in by clicking the universal link. will this method redirection function is works for you? – Vignesh Jun 02 '23 at 13:23

score 10 · Answer 5 · edited Oct 15 '18 at 15:10

10

didFinishLaunchingWithOptions needs to return YES so continueUserActivity will be called.

Add to End of application: didFinishLaunchingWithOptions:

NSDictionary *activityDictionary = launchOptions[UIApplicationLaunchOptionsUserActivityDictionaryKey];
if (activityDictionary) {
    NSUserActivity *userActivity = activityDictionary[UIApplicationLaunchOptionsUserActivityTypeKey];
    if (userActivity) {
        return YES;
    }
}

return NO;

edited Oct 15 '18 at 15:10

Iulian Onofrei

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answered Feb 08 '16 at 22:04

cbartel

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`willFinishLaunchingWithOptions` *also* needs to return `YES` – MeXx Mar 08 '18 at 16:50
thx @MeXx I lost lot of time before to find your comment, and willFinishLaunchingWithOptions was required to return YES for me too! – Chris Jul 06 '19 at 17:21

score 8 · Answer 6 · answered Oct 07 '15 at 14:36

If the app was closed, application: continueUserActivity: is not called. Instead, you get all the information launchOptions dictionnary in application: didFinishLaunchingWithOptions:

// In application: didFinishLaunchingWithOptions:
NSDictionary *activityDic = [launchOptions objectForKey:UIApplicationLaunchOptionsUserActivityDictionaryKey];  
if (activityDic) {
    // Continue activity here
}

Vitalii · Answer 7 · 2021-06-03T10:33:48.500

If your app uses Scenes, make sure you have implemented both delegates:

this one for the case when the app is not running at the moment of clicking the link:

   func scene(_ scene: UIScene, willConnectTo session: UISceneSession, options connectionOptions: UIScene.ConnectionOptions) {
      // the url is expected to be in connectionOptions.userActivities.first?.webpageURL in case if its type is NSUserActivityTypeBrowsingWeb
   }

AND this one for the case when the app is in background or in foreground:

   func scene(_ scene: UIScene, continue userActivity: NSUserActivity) {
       // the url is going to be in userActivity.webpageURL
   }

If your app does NOT use Scenes:

Double-check this method call carefully, because it has changed some time ago and legacy projects can still have old code:

func application(_ application: UIApplication, 
                   continue userActivity: NSUserActivity, 
                   restorationHandler: @escaping ([Any]?) -> Void) -> Bool

This is the call which worked in my case:

func application(_ application: UIApplication, 
                   continue userActivity: NSUserActivity, 
                   restorationHandler: @escaping ([UIUserActivityRestoring]?) -> Void) -> Bool

(Don't be deceived by Xcode's warning suggesting to add private - it won't help)

Check Apple's documentation about Universal Links for more details.

This should be ranked higher: it's the correct answer in 2022. — Rexam, Jul 25 '22 at 08:24

score 4 · Accepted Answer · answered Oct 17 '15 at 10:32

Here it follows the complete answer following your advices.

// In application: didFinishLaunchingWithOptions:
NSDictionary *activityDic = [launchOptions objectForKey:UIApplicationLaunchOptionsUserActivityDictionaryKey];

if (activityDic) {
    if(self.window.rootViewController){
        NSUserActivity * userActivity = [activityDic valueForKey:@"UIApplicationLaunchOptionsUserActivityKey"];
        [self.window.rootViewController restoreUserActivityState:userActivity];
    }
}

you should really explain what you have got here – MartianMartian Mar 22 '22 at 16:48 — MartianMartian, Mar 22 '22 at 16:48

continueUserActivity not called from search closed app

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