Today Extension compact mode height in iOS 10

Question

I am struggling to change the height of my iOS 10 widget in compact mode.

All I have is an empty widget, no views inside it. Still, no matter what I set for the compact height, it seems to ignore it.

Here is my code:

- (void)viewDidLoad {
    [super viewDidLoad];
    // Do any additional setup after loading the view from its nib.

    [self.extensionContext setWidgetLargestAvailableDisplayMode:NCWidgetDisplayModeExpanded];

}

- (void)widgetActiveDisplayModeDidChange:(NCWidgetDisplayMode)activeDisplayMode withMaximumSize:(CGSize)maxSize{
    if (activeDisplayMode == NCWidgetDisplayModeCompact) {
        self.preferredContentSize = CGSizeMake(0, 50);
    }
    else{
        self.preferredContentSize = CGSizeMake(0, 200);
    }
}

Could this be an issue with beta software? I am on Xcode 8 beta and iOS 10 beta 7.

Gosnell

The height in compact mode can't be anything other than 110 from what I can tell. – Graniela

But how come other apps work on iOS 10, with sizes less than 110? – Busyness

All of apple's apps have 110 height in compact mode from what I can tell. Any third party you apps you have would have been built for iOS 9 so their extensions were built before the different display modes existed and will continue working the same that they did in iOS 9. – Graniela

That could be the case, yes! Anyways, I filed a bug to Apple, if anything at least they will say the same – Busyness

in iOS 11 this height is 120 instead of 110 – Robinrobina

Answer 1

According to the What's new in Cocoa Touch session from WWDC 2016 (around the 44:00 mark):

Now we have a user controlled size. The compact mode, which is fixed height and the expanded mode which is variable height.

So, it seems that setting a preferredContentSize for NCWidgetDisplayModeCompact is completely ignored (the fixed size appears to be 110pts).

Cachet

It is not completely ignored. I observe that you still have to set prefferedContentSize in widgetActiveDisplayModeDidChange when activeDisplayMode becomes compact. Otherwise it breaks 'show more/less' functionality. – Labarum

Fixed size is NOT always 110pt, it is 130pt for iPad 12.9 (iOS12.1). Use extensionContext?.widgetMaximumSize(for: .compact).height – Fleuron

Answer 2

In SWIFT 3:

The following property for your TodayViewController will return max size for compact mode:

private var maxSizeForCompactMode: CGFloat {
    return extensionContext?.widgetMaximumSize(for: .compact).height ?? 0
}

Patentor

Can extensionContext be nil or can widgetMaximumSize return .zero size? – Dedicate

Answer 3

1) Set the display mode to NCWidgetDisplayModeExpanded in viewDidLoad

override func viewDidLoad() {
    super.viewDidLoad()
    self.extensionContext?.widgetLargestAvailableDisplayMode = NCWidgetDisplayMode.expanded
}

2) Implement this protocol method

func widgetActiveDisplayModeDidChange(_ activeDisplayMode: NCWidgetDisplayMode, withMaximumSize maxSize: CGSize){
    if (activeDisplayMode == NCWidgetDisplayMode.compact) {
        self.preferredContentSize = maxSize;
    }
    else {
        self.preferredContentSize = CGSize(width: 0, height: 200);
    }
}

Pages

Basically, you copy pasted my question and translated it to swift – Busyness

@BalázsVincze It's working for me with the above given code. Attached the screenshot for reference. – Pages

Yes, the expanded size works for me too. I have problems with compact size – Busyness

Ok. AFAIK that one is the limitation for iOS10. 110 is the minimum height for widgets. – Pages

But the app Clear has sizes of 50 even iOS 10, plus changing the compact size to bigger than 110 does not work either – Busyness

Is there a method we can listen to to know when the widget has finished animating its resize? – Milda

@BalázsVincze the app Clear has not been updated since before iOS 10, so the widgets you're seeing were build for iOS 9 and so do not have the iOS 10 height rules applied to them. The easy way to tell is that old widgets have a different/darker coloured background. – Everick

Liking the ";" usage even in swift XD – Flowery

Answer 4

Set preferredContentSize in viewDidAppear or after then. I guess that widget will resize before view appears. The widget's width is NOT SCREEN_WIDTH because of gap between iPhone screen edge.

Francophile