Launch host app from watch app - ios

Question

I know that the openParentApplication api in watch kit extension can open the host app in the background but not in the foreground.
I also tried using openUrl() api of NSExtensionContext as below:
NSExtensionContext *ctx = [[NSExtensionContext alloc] init];
NSURL *url = [NSURL URLWithString:#"myScheme://today"];
[ctx openURL:url completionHandler:^(BOOL success) {
NSLog(#"fun=%s after completion. success=%d", __func__, success);
}];
[ctx completeRequestReturningItems:ctx.inputItems completionHandler:nil];
Here too the host app is not launched. Am I missing something? or is it not possible to
launch the host app from watch kit extension?

Answer 1

As of Beta 3 of iOS 8.2 it is currently not possible to open iOS app to foreground.
As you said openParentApplication can open app in background. Unfortunately there is no sign of API to open app on iPhone.
Multiple posts on Apple Dev Forums mentioned that it's not possible
https://devforums.apple.com/message/1076125#1076125
Correct, a notification can still declare a background action that the iPhone app will handle, so in that sense it can launch the iPhone app. But the iPhone app cannot be brought to the foreground by a WatchKit app.
And other post
https://devforums.apple.com/message/1082620#1082620
On a device, it[Watch app] will not - bring your iOS app to the foreground.

Answer 2

I'm hopeful that Apple will provide API for launching the parent app from a watch app in a future beta, but for now I've managed to achieve it by doing the following...
Call openParentApplication:reply: as normal:
- (void)openPhoneApp {
[WKInterfaceController openParentApplication:[NSDictionary new] reply:nil];
}
Implement application:handleWatchKitExtensionRequest:reply: in your AppDelegate, and launch itself using a custom URL scheme:
- (void)application:(UIApplication *)application handleWatchKitExtensionRequest:(NSDictionary *)userInfo reply:(void(^)(NSDictionary *replyInfo))reply {
[[UIApplication sharedApplication] openURL:[NSURL URLWithString:#"myappscheme://open"]];
}

Answer 3

If you need to open your parent app in the foreground, use Handoff!
https://developer.apple.com/handoff/
Example:
Somewhere shared for both:
static let sharedUserActivityType = "com.yourcompany.yourapp.youraction"
static let sharedIdentifierKey = "identifier"
on your Watch:
updateUserActivity(sharedUserActivityType, userInfo: [sharedIdentifierKey : 123456], webpageURL: nil)
on your iPhone in App Delegate:
func application(application: UIApplication, willContinueUserActivityWithType userActivityType: String) -> Bool {
if (userActivityType == sharedUserActivityType) {
return true
}
return false
}
func application(application: UIApplication, continueUserActivity userActivity: NSUserActivity, restorationHandler: ([AnyObject]!) -> Void) -> Bool {
if (userActivity.activityType == sharedUserActivityType) {
if let userInfo = userActivity.userInfo as? [String : AnyObject] {
if let identifier = userInfo[sharedIdentifierKey] as? Int {
//Do something
let alert = UIAlertView(title: "Handoff", message: "Handoff has been triggered for identifier \(identifier)" , delegate: nil, cancelButtonTitle: "Thanks for the info!")
alert.show()
return true
}
}
}
return false
}
And finally (this step is important!!!): In your Info.plist(s)