How to communicate between iOS App Containing Extension and Extension (not Host App)

Question

TLDR: Is it possible to send realtime messages or notifications between iOS App and it\'s Extension?

I\'m writing an iOS App with an extension

Answer 1

There is a hack that you can use to communicate between any two apps in iOS or app and extension. The only thing - it doesn't work with NetworkExtension since Apple is blocking any I/O in it.

You can post notification to the DarwinNotificationCenter this way:

    let notificationName = CFNotificationName("com.notification.name" as CFString)
    let notificationCenter = CFNotificationCenterGetDarwinNotifyCenter()

    CFNotificationCenterPostNotification(notificationCenter, notificationName, nil, nil, false)

In your app add observer:

    let notificationName = "com.notification.name" as CFString
    let notificationCenter = CFNotificationCenterGetDarwinNotifyCenter()

    CFNotificationCenterAddObserver(notificationCenter,
                                    nil,
                                    { (
                                        center: CFNotificationCenter?,
                                        observer: UnsafeMutableRawPointer?,
                                        name: CFNotificationName?,
                                        object: UnsafeRawPointer?,
                                        userInfo: CFDictionary?
                                        ) in

                                        print("Notification name: \(name)")
                                    },
                                    notificationName,
                                    nil,
                                    CFNotificationSuspensionBehavior.deliverImmediately)

Some links: https://github.com/choefele/CCHDarwinNotificationCenter

https://developer.apple.com/documentation/corefoundation/1542572-cfnotificationcentergetdarwinnot

https://developer.apple.com/library/content/documentation/Darwin/Conceptual/MacOSXNotifcationOv/DarwinNotificationConcepts/DarwinNotificationConcepts.html