UIActivityViewController unable to set subject when sharing to Gmail app

Question

I see via sharing content from other apps that it is possible to set a different subject and body when using share sheet to share into the Gmail Mail app. I have implemented it and it works fine on the native mail app but not Gmail.

Going into Yelp and sharing a business then choosing gmail from the share sheet, I see that the subject and body are different. The subject contains the address of the business while the body contains the address + a link to the business on Yelp.

I have tried to replicate this logic with success on the native Mail app but not in the Gmail app.

I have tried the following:

Implementing UIActivityItemSource methods

UIActivityViewController *activityViewController = [[UIActivityViewController alloc] initWithActivityItems:@[self] applicationActivities:nil];

- (id)activityViewControllerPlaceholderItem:(UIActivityViewController *)activityViewController {
    return @"";
}

- (id)activityViewController:(UIActivityViewController *)activityViewController itemForActivityType:(NSString *)activityType {   
    return @"body";
}

- (NSString *)activityViewController:(UIActivityViewController *)activityViewController subjectForActivityType:(NSString *)activityType {
    return @"subject";
}

Result

Apple Mail Subject set to "subject", Body set to "body"

Gmail Subject set to "body", Body set to "body"

- (NSString *)activityViewController:(UIActivityViewController *)activityViewController subjectForActivityType:(NSString *)activityType 

Is never called when sharing into the Gmail app.

I then try the more hack way of doing it

UIActivityViewController *activityViewController = [[UIActivityViewController alloc] initWithActivityItems:@[@"body"] applicationActivities:nil];
[activityViewController setValue:@"subject" forKey:@"subject"];

Result

Apple Mail Subject set to "subject", Body set to "body"

Gmail Subject set to "body", Body set to "body"

Any way to make Gmail Behave like Apple Mail?

Again, I have seen that other applications like Yelp and Safari have gotten the proper behavior out of the Gmail app through share sheet. Any advice would be appreciated, thanks.

Answer 1

[_activityViewController setValue:subject forKey:@"subject"];-Not supported way.

Correct way to set body and subject (iOS 7.0 and later) - implement UIActivityItemSource protocol on item to share.

//  EmailDataProvider.h

@interface EmailItemProvider : NSObject <UIActivityItemSource>

@property (nonatomic, strong) NSString *subject;
@property (nonatomic, strong) NSString *body;

@end


//  EmailDataProvider.m

    @implementation EmailDataProvider

- (id)activityViewControllerPlaceholderItem:(UIActivityViewController *)activityViewController {
    return _body;
}

- (id)activityViewController:(UIActivityViewController *)activityViewController itemForActivityType:(NSString *)activityType {
    return _body;
}

- (NSString *)activityViewController:(UIActivityViewController *)activityViewController subjectForActivityType:(NSString *)activityType {
    return _subject;
}

@end

And than present it:

EmailDataProvider *emailItem = [[EmailDataProvider alloc]init];

emailItem.subject = @"This is Subject text.";

emailItem.body = @"This is Body,set by programatically";

UIActivityViewController *activityViewController =
[[UIActivityViewController alloc] initWithActivityItems:@[emailItem]
                                  applicationActivities:nil];

[self presentViewController:activityViewController animated:YES completion:nil];