What to do when AppleEvents are just blocked?

Targets macOS
1

Hi,

My app is designed to send AppleEvents to the music app of MacOS. Previously, that was iTunes, now it’s Music.
On my 12.0.3 system, my app doesn’t work anymore; the AppleEvents are just not being sent. I can target Music just fine using the Script Editor, so I’m guessing the OS is preventing my app to automate Music (is there a way to be sure of that, btw? A log in Console or getting an error code?).
In Security&Privacy (System preferences), in the Automation pane, my app isn’t listed. As this pane is among the rares to have no “add” button, I can’t add it manually. And the OS won’t ask me whether I want to allow the app to control Music, despite my attempts and having restarted the computer.
It’s all about the debugged app; I’ve not tried the built version because it would be a pain to debug with always building the app.

So it seems I can only sit here and observe my app’s inability to automate Music.
Apple’s new “security” rules are just plain wrong, or there’s something to try?

2

You are missing the reason for using AppleEvents.

1 Like
3

As far as I know, this intended stopped working with macOS 12
I remember reading a workaround on StackOverFlow but that was more or less a hack. So not sure if that’s a solution either.

4

You’re thinking I don’t know why I’m using AppleEvents?
I thought I knew, but what makes you think I don’t?

5

In the capabilities pane of App Wrapper, under the “AppleScript” heading, enter in something next to the “Usage string”.

You also need to make sure that the toggle next to “AppleScript” is on and that “Entitlements” are selected under Code signing in the sidebar.

Here’s a guide I wrote a little while ago. Using AppleScript in your apps with App Wrapper 4

6

Sorry for not being clear. Apple demands that you show the user a reason why they should click on the stupid “do you really” dialog box:

'AppleScript
command = "/bin/echo 'NSAppleEventsUsageDescription = ""Mail Archiver verwendet AppleScript, um mit Mail, Outlook und FileMaker zu kommunizieren.""; '>>" + appPath + "/Contents/Resources/de.lproj/InfoPlist.strings"
Call DoShellCommand(command)
command = "/bin/echo 'NSAppleEventsUsageDescription = ""Mail Archiver uses AppleScript to communicate with Mail and Outlook, FileMaker.""; '>>" + appPath + "/Contents/Resources/en.lproj/InfoPlist.strings"
Call DoShellCommand(command)
command = "/bin/echo 'NSAppleEventsUsageDescription = ""Mail Archiver utilizza AppleScript per comunicare con Mail, Outlook e FileMaker.""; '>>" + appPath + "/Contents/Resources/it.lproj/InfoPlist.strings"
Call DoShellCommand(command)
command = "/bin/echo 'NSAppleEventsUsageDescription = ""Mail Archiver utiliza AppleScript para comunicarse con Mail, Outlook y FileMaker.""; '>>" + appPath + "/Contents/Resources/es.lproj/InfoPlist.strings"
Call DoShellCommand(command)
command = "/bin/echo 'NSAppleEventsUsageDescription = ""Mail Archiver utilise AppleScript pour communiquer avec Mail, Outlook et FileMaker.""; '>>" + appPath + "/Contents/Resources/fr.lproj/InfoPlist.strings"
Call DoShellCommand(command)
1 Like
7

Apple intentionally broke/prevented AppleEvents from working? Why is that?
It’s one core of the functionalities of the OS, and one reason I prefer MacOS over the others. Please don’t tell me they are abandoning that!

8

Thanks.
Wasn’t this optional for debugged apps, though?

It’s the first time I encounter a need to also use AppWrapper for a debug session. Is that even doable?
Thanks.
Edit: probably doable with “run paused”, but notarising my app each time I debug is going to be unpleasant…

9

For debugged apps you don’t need the plist entry. Do you check the AppleScript permissions?

'get permissions for new app
dim target as NSAppleEventDescriptorMBS = NSAppleEventDescriptorMBS.descriptorWithBundleIdentifier(BundleID)

// we ask for all apple events
PermissionsForApp = NSAppleScriptMBS.DeterminePermissionToAutomateTarget(target, "****", "****", true)
PermissionsDictionary.Value(BundleID) = PermissionsForApp
10

I don’t think this work with macOS 12 anymore.
I tried about anything but never succeeded.
I guess Apple removed that for security reasons.

11

I didn’t know about it, thanks.

So I tried this version:

dim target as NSAppleEventDescriptorMBS = NSAppleEventDescriptorMBS.descriptorWithBundleIdentifier(MusicBundleID)

// we ask for all apple events
Var PermissionsForApp as integer=NSAppleScriptMBS.DeterminePermissionToAutomateTarget(target,"****","****",true)
Var PermissionsDictionary as new Dictionary
PermissionsDictionary.Value(MusicBundleID)=PermissionsForApp

MusicBundleID being set to com.apple.Music.
I’m seeing that PermissionsForApp returns -1743 (errAEEventNotPermitted).

12

Usability should be more important than security, IMO.
I extensively use AppleEvents in many of my apps, so I can’t believe they are going away. Also, my other apps still work with AppleEvents :thinking:

13

You need to have all pieces in place and only the the §$%& AppleScripts work. I’ve had some fun with them some weeks ago. AppWrapper overwrote something that it shouldn’t have.

Start with something simple. Try the examples of the MBS plugin.

14

Mac is becoming a pleasure to work with… :roll_eyes:

Well, another of my app, a “complex” one, is currently working fine with AppleEvents (both as debugged and compiled), so I’m already in this state. The differences I can see is the working app doesn’t target Music and is listed in the Automate pane in Security&Privacy.
Thanks.

15

Let me know if you get this working with Music.app

I played with it for weeks and failed doing so. In the end I removed that feature in my app.

16

I’ve had users run into this on more than one occasion. One solution is to reset AppleEvent permissions for all apps. You can do this in Terminal with

tccutil reset AppleEvents

17

Not yet. I even run-paused the application (from the IDE) and notarised it (using AppWrapper), it failed as well.
I’ll search on the web whether Apple has specifically blocked AppleEvents sent to Music, soon.

Thanks. Tried that and received a successful response, but still the same behaviour about the app. Do I need to restart the computer? (which I usually hardly do, having always a ton of app used at the same time, hence the reason I ask instead of trying).

18

@Arnaud_N

Have you looked in the Privacy panel in System Preferences to see if your app is blocked from doing anything? Once an app is blocked, the user has to be the one to go unblock it. Requesting again will just get denied straight off.

19

tccutil should reset any blocks, and you will be challenged the next time you try to send the AppleEvent.

The effect of tccutil reset doesn’t require rebooting in my experience. You can test that it worked by sending an AppleEvent to an app you’ve had success with before – you should see the “allow” dialog again.

20

Yes, my app doesn’t appear in the Automation pane (and there’s no option to add or remove it, so it’s implicitly blocked, since the OS has not added it there (nor asked me if I want to allow sending AppleEvents)).

The challenge for me is rather that the OS has never asked me if I want to allow these AppleEvents, even after trying the tccutil command.

Currently, it’s a mess. My other apps can’t send AppleEvents anymore. On the other hand, I’ve found my app to be listed in “Developer Tools” (a pane in Security&Privacy that doesn’t even have an icon, as if it’s a legacy pane). I’ve removed from there, but the issue remains. At this point, I’m going to restart the computer.

Thank you, both.