Launch Services

Overview

macOS Launch Services is an API that enables a running app to open other apps or their document files, similar to the Finder or the Dock. Using Launch Services, an app can perform such tasks as:

• Open (launch or activate) another app

• Open a document or a URL in another app

• Identify the preferred app for opening a document or URL

• Register information about the kinds of document files and URLs an app can open

• Obtain information for displaying a file or URL on the screen, such as its icon, display name, and kind string

• Maintain and update the contents of the Recent Items menu

Launch Services eliminates apps having to query the Finder to open an app, document, or URL for them. The macOS Finder itself uses Launch Services to perform such tasks. Because the Finder performs no additional processing beyond calling Launch Services, any client using Launch Services for these purposes behaves identically to the Finder.

Topics

Locating an App

• LSCopyDefaultApplicationURLForURL(_:_:_:)
• LSCopyDefaultApplicationURLForContentType(_:_:_:)
• LSCopyApplicationURLsForURL(_:_:)
• LSCanURLAcceptURL(_:_:_:_:_:)
• LSCopyApplicationURLsForBundleIdentifier(_:_:)

Opening Items

• LSOpenCFURLRef(_:_:)
• LSOpenFromURLSpec(_:_:)
• LSLaunchURLSpec
• LSSharedFileList
• LSSharedFileListItem

Registering an App

• LSRegisterURL(_:_:)

Working with Role Handlers

• LSCopyAllRoleHandlersForContentType(_:_:)
• LSCopyDefaultRoleHandlerForContentType(_:_:)
• LSSetDefaultRoleHandlerForContentType(_:_:_:)
• LSSetDefaultHandlerForURLScheme(_:_:)
• LSRolesMask

Understanding the Quarantine Properties Dictionary

• kLSQuarantineAgentBundleIdentifierKey
• kLSQuarantineAgentNameKey
• kLSQuarantineTimeStampKey
• kLSQuarantineTypeKey
• kLSQuarantineDataURLKey
• kLSQuarantineOriginURLKey

Identifying the Quarantine Type

• kLSQuarantineTypeCalendarEventAttachment
• kLSQuarantineTypeEmailAttachment
• kLSQuarantineTypeInstantMessageAttachment
• kLSQuarantineTypeOtherAttachment
• kLSQuarantineTypeOtherDownload
• kLSQuarantineTypeWebDownload

Constants

• LSLaunchFlags
• LSAcceptanceFlags
• LSItemInfoFlags
• LSHandlerOptions
• LSRequestedInfo
• Unknown Type or Creator

Result Codes

• kLSAppInTrashErr
• kLSUnknownErr
• kLSNotAnApplicationErr
• kLSDataUnavailableErr
• kLSApplicationNotFoundErr
• kLSDataErr
• kLSLaunchInProgressErr
• kLSServerCommunicationErr
• kLSCannotSetInfoErr
• kLSIncompatibleSystemVersionErr
• kLSNoLaunchPermissionErr
• kLSNoExecutableErr
• kLSMultipleSessionsNotSupportedErr

Deprecated

• Deprecated Symbols