Share app link to by ActivityViewController iOS swift?

Question

My app is not Live yet. I got the app ID from the App Store Connect. I want to share the app link on social media apps. I used the UIActivityViewController:

let string1 = "itms-apps://itunes.apple.com/app/idXXXXXXX"
let url = NSURL(string: string1)

let shareItems = [UIApplication.sharedApplication().openURL(url!)]
    
let activityViewController = UIActivityViewController(activityItems: shareItems, applicationActivities: nil)
self.presentViewController(activityViewController, animated: true, completion: nil)

Problem: It is not showing some social media apps like WhatsApp.

what's your problem?? wwhat's app not showing or how to get xxx code?? — Arslan Asim, Mar 08 '16 at 08:15
in this place use `https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/myapp/idxxxxxxxx?ls=1&mt=8` — Anbu.Karthik, Mar 08 '16 at 08:21
That will not work. You are trying to put the RESULT of calling a function (VOID) in to an array. What you need to do is simply put the non-optional URL in to the array. — Womble, May 08 '20 at 05:05

Jochen Holzer · Answer 1 · 2021-11-12T14:52:26.090

22

Solution for Swift 4 or better:

This solution also works on iPad (the solution above crashes on iPad):

if let urlStr = NSURL(string: "https://apps.apple.com/us/app/idxxxxxxxx?ls=1&mt=8") {
    let objectsToShare = [urlStr]
    let activityVC = UIActivityViewController(activityItems: objectsToShare, applicationActivities: nil)

    if UIDevice.current.userInterfaceIdiom == .pad {
        if let popup = activityVC.popoverPresentationController {
            popup.sourceView = self.view
            popup.sourceRect = CGRect(x: self.view.frame.size.width / 2, y: self.view.frame.size.height / 4, width: 0, height: 0)
        }
    }

    self.present(activityVC, animated: true, completion: nil)
}

edited Nov 12 '21 at 14:52

answered Jan 28 '19 at 13:30

Jochen Holzer

1,598
19
25

1

The URL is changed to "https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id\(your app id)" – Ahmadreza Sep 21 '20 at 07:41
If you are not doing it in Viewcontroller, you can use vc by adding "vc: UIViewController" parameter to the function instead of using self. I used "activityVC" instead of self :) It didn't work, so I'm writing this comment. – Alperen ARICI Nov 12 '21 at 07:56

score 15 · Accepted Answer · edited Jan 13 '21 at 02:35

15

This is used to open the site, not to share the app:

[UIApplication.sharedApplication().openURL(url!)]

Do this instead:

if let name = URL(string: "https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/myapp/idxxxxxxxx?ls=1&mt=8"), !name.absoluteString.isEmpty {
  let objectsToShare = [name]
  let activityVC = UIActivityViewController(activityItems: objectsToShare, applicationActivities: nil)
  self.present(activityVC, animated: true, completion: nil)
} else {
  // show alert for not available
}

for sample see this

edited Jan 13 '21 at 02:35

budiDino

13,044
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answered Mar 08 '16 at 08:25

Anbu.Karthik

82,064
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Can i use "itms-apps://itunes.apple.com/app/idXXXXXXX" in place of "https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/myapp/idxxxxxxxx?ls=1&mt=8" ? – Avijit Nagare Mar 08 '16 at 08:28
is this one for call back method , we diectly check the app is avilable in our device or not else , if you use this one `https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/myapp/idxxxxxxxx?ls=1&mt=8, it directly redirect to safari – Anbu.Karthik Mar 08 '16 at 08:30
i seen ?ls=1&mt=8 is changing for some app... i want app download directly form link – Avijit Nagare Mar 08 '16 at 08:36

score 7 · Answer 3 · answered Feb 16 '21 at 13:22

The solutions here are all good but it's worth considering implementing the UIActivityItemSource protocol and LinkPresentation framework.

My solution achieves the following:

App icon and title showing at the top of the UIActivityViewController
Direct link to App Store for AirDrop ActivityType
Custom text for messages and emails, including an opportunity to add a link to the app on Google Play if required
Subject for emails
Doesn't use the LPMetaDataProvider fetch request (as described in this WWDC 2019 262 video) so faster to load

0. Init the `UIActivityViewController`:

Set the items to self:

let activityVC = UIActivityViewController(activityItems: [self], applicationActivities: nil)

Exclude certain ActivityTypes which don't apply:

activityVC.excludedActivityTypes = [.addToReadingList, .assignToContact, .markupAsPDF, .openInIBooks, .saveToCameraRoll]

For iPad set the popoverPresentationController.sourceView or .barButtonItem (this is ignored on iPhone):

activityVC.popoverPresentationController?.sourceView = myButton

Present it:

present(activityVC, animated: true, completion: nil)

1. Implement the required `UIActivityItemSource` methods

https://developer.apple.com/documentation/uikit/uiactivityitemsource

You must implement the placeholder method which according to the docs:

Placeholder objects do not have to contain any real data but should be configured as closely as possible to the actual data object you intend to provide.

func activityViewControllerPlaceholderItem(_ activityViewController: UIActivityViewController) -> Any {
    return ""
}

And the actual data, returning a link to the app for AirDrop and text for everything else:

func activityViewController(_ activityViewController: UIActivityViewController, itemForActivityType activityType: UIActivity.ActivityType?) -> Any? {
    
    if activityType == .airDrop {
        return URL(string: "APP_STORE_URL")!
    }
    
    return "Check out the APP_NAME on the App Store: APP_STORE_URL or on the Google Play Store: PLAY_STORE_URL"
}

2. Implement the subject method

From the docs:

For activities that support a subject field, returns the subject for the item.

func activityViewController(_ activityViewController: UIActivityViewController, subjectForActivityType activityType: UIActivity.ActivityType?) -> String {
    return "EMAIL_SUBJECT" // e.g. App name
}

3. Implement the `LPLinkMetaData` method

From the docs:

Returns metadata to display in the preview header of the share sheet.

@available(iOS 13.0, *)
func activityViewControllerLinkMetadata(_ activityViewController: UIActivityViewController) -> LPLinkMetadata? {
    let metadata = LPLinkMetadata()
    metadata.title = "APP_NAME"
    return metadata
}

I had a doubt. If we are sharing link, how can we get the - Add to Reading list option in share sheet for our app? I'm unable to get that option while sharing a link from my app using share sheet. — Sayalee Pote, Feb 22 '21 at 07:31
@SayaleePoteAs well as manually excluding activity types the system will also remove those that aren't compatible. I don't know what sort of data the system is expecting for adding to reading list though, I would have thought a link would work but it doesn't. — Leon, Feb 23 '21 at 10:31
Just fixed it. A link works. We need to make sure the return type for placeholder is a link for that option to appear. Initially was sending a link but return type for placeholder was an empty string which was causing the problem. — Sayalee Pote, Feb 24 '21 at 06:09

score 2 · Answer 4 · answered Jan 13 '21 at 02:17

2

iPhone solution for Swift 5+

let url = URL(string: "https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id1535629801")!
let vc = UIActivityViewController(activityItems: [url], applicationActivities: nil)
present(vc, animated: true)

answered Jan 13 '21 at 02:17

budiDino

13,044
8
95
91

Share app link to by ActivityViewController iOS swift?

4 Answers4

0. Init the UIActivityViewController:

1. Implement the required UIActivityItemSource methods

2. Implement the subject method

3. Implement the LPLinkMetaData method

0. Init the `UIActivityViewController`:

1. Implement the required `UIActivityItemSource` methods

3. Implement the `LPLinkMetaData` method