WidgetKit and ActivityKit extensions

Enabled Apple extensions are generated as separate Swift/Xcode application-extension targets, built as target dependencies, embedded under <app>.app/PlugIns/, and independently validated. Users do not create or edit Swift or Xcode files.

WidgetKit

Configuration requires an application group:

[extensions.widget]
enabled = true
app_group = "group.com.example.weather"

Generation adds:

• FerryWidgetExtension Xcode target;
• FerryWidgetExtension.appex product;
• WidgetKit/SwiftUI timeline provider and a small-system-family view;
• main-app and extension app-group entitlements;
• extension identifier <app identifier>.widget;
• embed-target dependency and Embed App Extensions phase.

The Rust widgets::update path validates and writes the serialized snapshot plus title, value, caption, progress, deep link, and constrained action data to the configured app-group UserDefaults suite, then requests a WidgetKit timeline reload. The generated provider reads that snapshot and renders the supported fields. The current Ferry* publisher, framework, provider, and embedded extension compiled and passed artifact inspection in Platform artifacts run 30719811812, including exact application-group entitlements. Their behavior has not been observed in a running Simulator.

ActivityKit and Dynamic Island

[ios]
min_version = "16.1"

[extensions.live_activity]
enabled = true
android_fallback = "ongoing-notification"

Generation adds:

• FerryLiveActivityExtension Xcode target;
• FerryLiveActivityExtension.appex product;
• ActivityAttributes content state;
• Lock Screen and expanded/compact/minimal Dynamic Island presentations;
• main-app NSSupportsLiveActivities metadata;
• extension identifier <app identifier>.liveactivity;
• embed-target dependency and Embed App Extensions phase.

The Rust start, update, end, and list_active paths call the generated ActivityKit application bridge. The current Ferry* main-app framework and presentation extension compiled, linked, embedded, and passed artifact inspection in Platform artifacts run 30719811812. No ActivityKit session has been started in a running Simulator or device, so this is not runtime validation. Push-based updates remain unavailable.

Artifact validation

For each enabled extension, the build requires:

• expected .appex beneath PlugIns/;
• valid plist and exact bundle identifier;
• CFBundleExecutable matching a non-empty executable;
• NSExtensionPointIdentifier=com.apple.widgetkit-extension;
• exact arm64 Simulator Mach-O architecture;
• sealed plist/resources, exact signature identifier, and strict-valid ad-hoc signature;
• exact configured application-group entitlement on the widget signature;
• no unexpected extra .appex bundles.

At commit 8ed0192, Platform artifacts run 30719811812 built a RustFerry-named Kitchen Sink app embedding FerryWidgetExtension.appex and FerryLiveActivityExtension.appex. Both arm64 products passed identifier, plist, extension-point, resource-sealing, and strict ad-hoc signature checks; the ActivityKit product also passed exact runtime-framework linkage inspection, and the widget and containing app carried the exact configured application-group entitlement. Before the rename, the equivalent legacy-named targets, standalone .appex products, and combined app were also built and validated with Xcode 26.6/iPhoneSimulator 26.5 without a Simulator runtime.

Physical-device signing status

Simulator builds use local ad-hoc signing and require no team. Widget builds re-sign the widget and then the containing app with their generated application-group entitlements; non-widget builds retain Xcode’s signatures unchanged.

The physical-development flow is implemented with explicit Team selection, Apple Development identity/profile resolution, generated entitlements, recursive signature/profile/entitlement inspection, and devicectl install/launch services. Extension-bearing device builds must preserve the configured application-group capability in the app and widget profiles. This environment had no identity, Team, provisioning profile, signed device artifact, or attached iPhone, so physical signing, installation, launch, and extension behavior remain unvalidated.