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Hmmm, is this using the Private iCloud Database/Container feature by any chance? If so, I wonder if you'd get a warmer reception if you explained this. It's an

Hmmm, is this using the Private iCloud Database/Container feature by any chance? If so, I wonder if you'd get a warmer reception if you explained this. It's an interesting feature of iCloud that really isn't replicated anywhere else and is actually very cool. I considered building an application like this awhile back when I realized how you could make the invitation links cleaner than the default ways iCloud handles it, but the landscape felt too crowded for one person. I like the design and approach though - good luck!

RenderedCarrot 5y ago
Yes. We fully embrace the iCloud/CloudKit security model. All chats live in the private database of the owner, and are shared with others through the iCloud sharing facilities and the shared database. And yes, while it all goes back to iCloud share links in the end, we built our own layer of invitation links and connection requests on top of that, which provides you more support and context, until you finally have to accept the iCloud share link. I agree it is an interesting feature, works well, and I wonder why aren’t more apps built with that. Perhaps one reason is that the developer experience is somewhat esoteric. It took me quite a while to figure out how it all works and how to put all the pieces together.
- Klonoar 5y ago
  Yeah... it's a very undocumented area of work, heh. There are a few other apps who've tried this, but the part they seemed to struggle with was gaining traction being iOS only. Hope your experience differs! By the way, I actually open sourced my work on this some time ago: https://github.com/ryanmcgrath/cloudkit-sane-sharing https://github.com/ryanmcgrath/cloudkit-sane-sharing I had a few members of the iCloud team reach out after that to see if I wanted to interview with them. Without saying too much, I think they definitely are aware it could be used more widely... such a shame, it's a very well designed system yet gets the blanket "it's custom Apple built so thus it's odd junk" label.

RenderedCarrot 5y ago

Yes. We fully embrace the iCloud/CloudKit security model. All chats live in the private database of the owner, and are shared with others through the iCloud sharing facilities and the shared database. And yes, while it all goes back to iCloud share links in the end, we built our own layer of invitation links and connection requests on top of that, which provides you more support and context, until you finally have to accept the iCloud share link. I agree it is an interesting feature, works well, and I wonder why aren’t more apps built with that. Perhaps one reason is that the developer experience is somewhat esoteric. It took me quite a while to figure out how it all works and how to put all the pieces together.

Klonoar 5y ago
Yeah... it's a very undocumented area of work, heh. There are a few other apps who've tried this, but the part they seemed to struggle with was gaining traction being iOS only. Hope your experience differs! By the way, I actually open sourced my work on this some time ago: https://github.com/ryanmcgrath/cloudkit-sane-sharing https://github.com/ryanmcgrath/cloudkit-sane-sharing I had a few members of the iCloud team reach out after that to see if I wanted to interview with them. Without saying too much, I think they definitely are aware it could be used more widely... such a shame, it's a very well designed system yet gets the blanket "it's custom Apple built so thus it's odd junk" label.