Prevent my own app's share extension from appearing in the share sheet

Question

I'm building an iOS app that manages audio files. It includes a share extension to receive audio files from other apps. It also can share its audio files with other apps.

When a share is initiated from my app, I do not want my own app to appear in the share sheet. In other words, I do not want the user to send my own audio file back to my app.

I cannot find a way to exclude my own app with an NSExtensionActivationRule.

user_1700034 · Answer

First of all define below lines in your code:

class ActionExtensionBlockerItem: NSObject, UIActivityItemSource {
    func activityViewController(_ activityViewController: UIActivityViewController, dataTypeIdentifierForActivityType activityType: UIActivityType?) -> String {
        return "com.your.unique.uti";
    }
    func activityViewController(_ activityViewController: UIActivityViewController, itemForActivityType activityType: UIActivityType) -> Any? {
        // Returning an NSObject here is safest, because otherwise it is possible for the activity item to actually be shared!
        return NSObject()
    }
    func activityViewController(_ activityViewController: UIActivityViewController, subjectForActivityType activityType: UIActivityType?) -> String {
        return ""
    }
    func activityViewController(_ activityViewController: UIActivityViewController, thumbnailImageForActivityType activityType: UIActivityType?, suggestedSize size: CGSize) -> UIImage? {
        return nil
    }
    func activityViewControllerPlaceholderItem(_ activityViewController: UIActivityViewController) -> Any {
        return ""
    }
}

Here com.your.unique.uti is your Application group identifier:

and then while presenting activityViewController use code below:

let activityViewController = UIActivityViewController(activityItems: [/* Other Items To Share, */ ActionExtensionBlockerItem()], applicationActivities: nil)

Prevent my own app's share extension from appearing in the share sheet

1 Answers