iOS: Backing up photos by third-party apps to become easier
What's the story
Apple is developing a new framework to allow third-party photo apps to back up images more reliably. The move comes as part of the company's ongoing work on iOS 26.1, which is likely in the final stages of development ahead of its official release. The new framework will offer seamless cloud backup experiences through PhotoKit, while a separate framework will enable developers to integrate Apple's migration feature for Android devices.
Feature
Background resource upload extension
In iOS 26.1 and later, PhotoKit will offer a new Background Resource Upload extension type. This feature will allow photo apps to provide seamless cloud backup experiences. The system will manage uploads on behalf of the app and process them in the background, even when users switch between apps or lock their devices. It automatically handles network connectivity, power management, and timing to ensure reliable processing.
Enhanced functionality
How it will help developers
The new feature will enable third-party photo apps and cloud backup services to back up images automatically and reliably in the background. This eliminates the need for workarounds or waiting for users to reopen the app. Apple's documentation article outlines what developers need to do to use this new feature, including creating an extension target, enabling it, processing upload jobs, retrying failed ones, acknowledging completed tasks, creating upload jobs, and handling extension termination.
Implementation
Things to keep in mind
Some aspects of this new feature will require explicit user consent, while others will run automatically once the extension is enabled. Apple has also noted that several aspects of this framework are still in beta, meaning they could change before being finalized for developers. This new framework is a significant step toward improving the functionality and reliability of third-party photo apps on iOS devices.