iOS 11b6: UIActivityViewController fails silently even without completionWithItemsHandler reporting errors

Originator:felipekellermann
Number:rdar://34024478 Date Originated:August 22 2017, 8:30 PM
Status:Open Resolved:
Product:iOS + SDK Product Version:11.0 (15A5361a)
Classification:Serious Bug Reproducible:Always
 
Area:
UIKit

Summary:
iOS 11 added a new important privacy feature: NSPhotoLibraryAddUsageDescription (Privacy - Photo Library Additions Usage Description). When the user disables it (Don't Allow, or switches Settings - Privacy - Photos - App - Never), there is no alert, no message, and even no flags (completionWithItemsHandler) reporting the error. It simply fails silently.

Steps to Reproduce:
1 - Open an UIActivityViewController (3rd party apps).
2 - Use "Save Image" (standard action).
3 - Select Don't Allow (or change afterwards in Settings - Privacy).
4 - Repeat "Save Image" - it simply fails silently.

Expected Results:
UIActivityViewController should present an error/message or developer should be able to handle it through activityError reference in completionWithItemsHandler.

Observed Results:
No error is reported, presented or offered to developer's handlers/completions. This results in a really bad experience and customer support. The user has no way to know that saves are failing because of (new) privacy settings.

Version:
11.0 (15A5361a)

Notes:


Configuration:

Comments


Please note: Reports posted here will not necessarily be seen by Apple. All problems should be submitted at bugreport.apple.com before they are posted here. Please only post information for Radars that you have filed yourself, and please do not include Apple confidential information in your posts. Thank you!