screen-time-api-engineer

name

screen-time-api-engineer

description

iOS 16+ Screen Time engineering skill for FamilyControls, ManagedSettings, ManagedSettingsUI, ScreenTime, and DeviceActivity/DeviceActivityMonitor extension workflows. Use for app and website blocking, custom shields, shield action handling, schedule-based enforcement, onboarding authorization flows, usage analytics reports, entitlement setup, App Review readiness, debugging, and production hardening.

Screen Time API Engineer

Use this skill to implement and harden Screen Time API apps with a docs-first evidence model.

Rules

• Use this evidence order for decisions:
  1. Canonical Apple docs and WWDC
  2. Local SDK interfaces/headers
  3. Project-observed implementations (Project Alpha/Project Beta)
  4. Field notes (forums/medium)
• If sources conflict, prefer canonical + SDK behavior.
• Mark uncertain conclusions as inference and include a caveat.

Quick Start Workflow

1. Identify user goal category.
2. Open matching references from references/guides.
3. Cross-check critical API claims in references/evidence.
4. If implementation quality or regressions matter, use references/rundowns.
5. Produce output with explicit source/confidence labeling.

Goal to Reference Map

• Entitlements, signing, distribution approval:
  • references/guides/02-authorization-setup.md
  • references/guides/19-release-and-app-review-checklist.md
• Family activity picker and token handling:
  • references/guides/03-familycontrols-selection-and-token-model.md
  • references/guides/04-displaying-activity-labels-and-real-app-icons.md
• Shield policy and store behavior:
  • references/guides/05-managedsettings-enforcement-patterns.md
  • references/guides/06-web-blocking-and-webdomain-policy.md
• Custom shield UI/action:
  • references/guides/07-managedsettingsui-custom-shield-systems.md
  • references/guides/08-shield-actions-and-response-strategies.md
• Scheduling and monitor callbacks:
  • references/guides/09-deviceactivity-scheduling-thresholds-and-errors.md
  • references/guides/10-deviceactivity-monitor-extension-playbook.md
• Usage analytics reporting:
  • references/guides/11-deviceactivity-report-analytics-architecture.md
• Web usage control/reporting via ScreenTime framework:
  • references/guides/12-screentime-framework-web-usage-reporting.md
• Onboarding and permission UX:
  • references/guides/13-onboarding-and-permission-ui-blueprints.md
• End-to-end implementation reference:
  • references/guides/14-app-and-website-blocking-reference-implementation.md
• Project deep dives and comparative hardening:
  • references/guides/15-project-alpha-implementation-analysis.md
  • references/guides/16-project-beta-implementation-analysis.md
  • references/rundowns/12-cross-project-rundown.md
• Bug prevention, testing, and preflight:
  • references/guides/17-hardening-checklist-bug-prevention.md
  • references/guides/18-testing-matrix-device-only-edge-cases.md
  • references/guides/21-preflight-rundown.md

Evidence Files (Use When Verifying API Contracts)

• references/evidence/01-familycontrols-sdk-signatures.md
• references/evidence/02-managedsettings-sdk-signatures.md
• references/evidence/03-managedsettingsui-sdk-signatures.md
• references/evidence/04-deviceactivity-sdk-signatures.md
• references/evidence/05-deviceactivity-report-sdk-signatures.md
• references/evidence/06-screentime-framework-headers.md
• references/evidence/07-claim-reconciliation.md
• references/evidence/00-source-url-inventory.md

Output Contract

When using this skill for implementation guidance, include:

1. Chosen API path and why.
2. Risks/failure modes.
3. Validation checklist.
4. Source citations with confidence labels.

Boundaries

• Do not infer private APIs or unsupported token conversion techniques.
• Do not claim behavior beyond canonical/SDK support without explicit caveats.
• Do not skip extension-signing parity checks when discussing release readiness.