"Allow to share data with (null)" with xfinity stream app on iPad iOS 15

First, we are all other users here, so no one from Apple will chime in. Second, Apple made some changes to the OS to ensure the user’s privacy and one if them is that all apps must get your consent to share your data. The only change from the “old days” is that they now have to ask before they use or sell your info if you allow it. They have always been doing it, you just were not aware of it…….. and now you are and have an option not to allow it.

It’s not a bug , it’s a feature and I applaud Apple for caring enough about your privacy to implement it. I never allow any app to share anything because my info is not for sale.

For any developer reading this - I can confirm that this problem doesn't happen if you make sure that you have a watch-specific Siri extension embedded into the watch app. In this case, the Siri shortcuts code will run on the watch itself, and this confirmation alert will not keep reoccurring. This however can cause other problems. If your Siri code requires network access, you will now be running it on a slower and less reliable watch networking, which often goes through a slower bluetooth connection with iPhone. This can be slow enough that the Siri request just times out if your phone is for example behind a wall in the other room. In the case of my app that can have a few network calls for one Siri action, I found it more reliable to have the watch just pass on the Siri request to phone where it will execute and just return the response back to watch, than to run the same network code on the watch. This is also a valid way to do things - in Apple's dev instructions they clearly say that Siri shortcuts code can be executed on the Siri extension in the watch app, and when that extension doesn't exist, the code will be executed on the phone.

The problem described here is not some kind of intended behavior. It s a bug, as the alert keeps reoccurring even after the user repeatedly gives the permission to a shortcut.

I FOUND A WORKAROUND!

If you are still having issues with the Apple Watch asking to "Allow to share data with (XXX)", here is how to work around it:

You need to create a New Shortcun that runs the Original Shortcut. How?

1. On your iPhone (maybe iPad too, but I only tested iPhone): Make sure you change the Siri Prompt of the Original shortcut to something that cannot be read, i.e. cannot be understood by Siri (e.g.: Soft Light becomes “sftlt". So the Prompt would be"Hey Siri, sftlt") .
2. Also rename the Original Shortcut the same (e.g.: sftlt).
3. Create a New Shortcut that runs the now-renamed Original Shortcut (as per the above example, set New Shortcut to run “sftlt").
4. Make sure you name the New ShortCut after the action that was initially intended by the Original Shortcut (e.g., if your Original Shortcut was initially named "Soft Light", call the New Shortcut "Soft Light").
5. Make sure the Siri Prompt for the New Shortcut is the same as its name (e.g., here again, the NewShortcut Siri Prompt should read “Hey Siri, Soft Light".
6. Wait a second until your Watch synchronizes its Shortcuts with your iPhone.
7. And Voilà.

I will give it to you, this is pretty circumvoluted. But it works for me!

Hope it does for you too.

[Edit: please note that this Workaround worked with the SmartLife app. I did not test for other apps activated through Shortcuts. I am currently using the latest official software on both iPhone and Apple Watch.]

If there is something a developer can do, I'd love to know it. So far no one on the developer problem solving sites has figured anything out. This issue is happening on the watch to apps where the shortcuts are being issued on the watch, but processed on the phone, which is generally fastest and most reliable approach for watch apps. Problem is, in a setup like that there is nothing for the developer to tweak and modify - it's all done through OS-level communication. One thing worth trying would be to make the shortcut processing happen on the watch itself. I might actually try that tonight and see how it goes, because this problem persists even on iOS 15.3 / watchOS 8..4

May be there is something that needs to be done from the makers of these apps to handle this security prompt? Could that be the reason apple is ignoring this bug?

It will be nice if some one from Apple could provide a clear explanation for this annoying bug. If it is some thing that needs to be done from app developers side please clarify it.

I think I am one of those lucky guys who does not have this bug. For me the disabling and enabling the apps in Home kit section of settings solved the bug for ever. Did not occur even after update to ios 15.2.1

Hope it doesnt break again after upgrading to 15.3.

This workaround works for me too.....it shows, how stupid this bug is.....if it should be a "security feature", then this is the backdoor ;-).

Hopfully that apple will fix this at last....

I have the same issue:

• With Siri / Smartlife app.
• Only when I run a shortcut with Apple Watch (shortcut runs normally when ran with iPad or iPhone).
• Since upgrading to WatchOS 8.
• When I use Voice Command (Siri) to trigger the shortcut.
• When I use manual input to trigger the shortcut on AppleWatch (click on shortcut in Shortcut app on Apple Watch).

[Frustration time]

And now it's broken again. I'm giving up.

Now Apple Watch reads: "Sorry, something went wrong. Shortcuts says, 'Couldn't run [Shortcut Name]'. The action couldn't run because the runner quit unexpectedly."

It worked perfectly fine yesterday evening. I downloaded iOS 15.3 and WatchOS 8.4 this morning because of your Safari / Webkit leak (kind of a big problem in itself). And somehow, THAT fix broke Shortcuts (AGAIN).

I spent 3 months finding a solution to the initial problem. It took Apple 10 days to break it.

@Apple: no offense, but these days, every time you release an update, you end up breaking something else in your OS.

Dear Apple, please pull yourself together. I don't care about exciting new features. I don't care about cutting-edge microchips. I care about reliability. I care that the basic features that I use most keep working.

We're users here, not developers. It's not our job to make your product work.

Sincerely.

Same. Its really concerning how Apple software quality has came to be. So disappointing and frustrating.

Been heavily relying on Shortcut features, but this has been broken since last year.

If such a critical functionality has been broken for that long, so what are you guys working on ?

[UPDATE]

iOS 15.4

WatchOS 8.5

I am saddened to report that the bug is still there under iOS 15.4 and WatchOS 8.5.

In addition, the workaround I described earlier in this thread no longer works.

Back to square 1 for now. I'll keep you posted if I find another workaround.

jermicidal wrote:

It would be really nice if someone from Apple actually replied to these things.

Apple isn’t here, and does not glean feedback from these fora.

If you want to give Apple feedback, you are always welcome to use their Feedback mechanism: Product Feedback - Apple.

Apologies for the frustrated reply.

I reported to Apple Feedback that the issue was still occurring. All that still experience it should do the same. Hopefully, if will get solved soon.

Here is the link for providing feedback relating to the Apple Watch: https://www.apple.com/feedback/watch.html

Please note that as of Monday, December 13th, 10:34pm CET, it is not yet possible to report issues relating to WatchOS 8.3 -only 8.1 at the moment (I believe there will be a delay before Apple updates its Feedback form). I submitted Feedback nevertheless under WatchOS 8.1, and will resubmit it under 8.3 once it appears in the Feedback drop down list.

it works for me, what can I say, thank you!

[UPDATE]

WatchOS 8.5.1 and iOS 15.4.1.

Problem still occurring on Apple Watch.

Identical experience.

Updated to iOS 15.1 and WatchOS 8.1 and issue still occurs. With two variations from some users:

• Issue only happens on Apple Watch (SE). And the related app in my case is Smart Life.
• "Allowing" the shortcut does make the shortcut run successfully, but only if I reply "Allow" to Siri or click on "Allow", whether shortcut is voice-activated or touch-activated.

It is starting to be irritating. But I will pursue attempts at escalating with both Smart Life and Apple.

Let's hope some good soul on an Apple-related news outlet notices the issue and writes and article about it to prompt reaction from either side. People may be underreporting it, and the issue never gets enough traction anywhere to get considered a priority.