ios-cloudkit

name: ios-cloudkit description: CloudKit expert for iCloud data sync. Use when working with iCloud sync, CKRecord, CKDatabase, subscriptions, sharing, or cross-device data synchronization.

iOS CloudKit

Expert guidance for iCloud data synchronization with CloudKit.

Setup

Enable CloudKit

1. Add iCloud capability in Xcode
2. Check "CloudKit" option
3. Create container (e.g., iCloud.com.yourapp)

CloudKit Manager

import CloudKit

@MainActor
class CloudKitManager: ObservableObject {
    let container: CKContainer
    let privateDatabase: CKDatabase
    let publicDatabase: CKDatabase

    @Published var isSignedIn = false
    @Published var syncStatus: SyncStatus = .idle

    enum SyncStatus {
        case idle, syncing, error(Error)
    }

    init(containerIdentifier: String = "iCloud.com.yourapp") {
        container = CKContainer(identifier: containerIdentifier)
        privateDatabase = container.privateCloudDatabase
        publicDatabase = container.publicCloudDatabase
    }

    func checkAccountStatus() async throws -> Bool {
        let status = try await container.accountStatus()
        isSignedIn = status == .available
        return isSignedIn
    }
}

CRUD Operations

Create Record

func createRecord(item: Item) async throws -> CKRecord {
    let record = CKRecord(recordType: "Item")
    record["name"] = item.name
    record["createdAt"] = item.createdAt
    record["isCompleted"] = item.isCompleted

    return try await privateDatabase.save(record)
}

Read Records

func fetchItems() async throws -> [Item] {
    let predicate = NSPredicate(value: true)
    let query = CKQuery(recordType: "Item", predicate: predicate)
    query.sortDescriptors = [NSSortDescriptor(key: "createdAt", ascending: false)]

    let (results, _) = try await privateDatabase.records(matching: query)

    return results.compactMap { _, result in
        guard case .success(let record) = result else { return nil }
        return Item(
            id: record.recordID.recordName,
            name: record["name"] as? String ?? "",
            createdAt: record["createdAt"] as? Date ?? Date(),
            isCompleted: record["isCompleted"] as? Bool ?? false
        )
    }
}

Update Record

func updateRecord(recordID: CKRecord.ID, updates: [String: Any]) async throws -> CKRecord {
    let record = try await privateDatabase.record(for: recordID)

    for (key, value) in updates {
        record[key] = value as? CKRecordValue
    }

    return try await privateDatabase.save(record)
}

Delete Record

func deleteRecord(recordID: CKRecord.ID) async throws {
    try await privateDatabase.deleteRecord(withID: recordID)
}

Querying

Filtered Query

func fetchIncompleteItems() async throws -> [CKRecord] {
    let predicate = NSPredicate(format: "isCompleted == %@", NSNumber(value: false))
    let query = CKQuery(recordType: "Item", predicate: predicate)

    let (results, _) = try await privateDatabase.records(matching: query)
    return results.compactMap { _, result in
        if case .success(let record) = result { return record }
        return nil
    }
}

Compound Predicate

func searchItems(name: String, completed: Bool) async throws -> [CKRecord] {
    let namePredicate = NSPredicate(format: "name CONTAINS[cd] %@", name)
    let completedPredicate = NSPredicate(format: "isCompleted == %@", NSNumber(value: completed))
    let compound = NSCompoundPredicate(andPredicateWithSubpredicates: [namePredicate, completedPredicate])

    let query = CKQuery(recordType: "Item", predicate: compound)
    let (results, _) = try await privateDatabase.records(matching: query)

    return results.compactMap { _, result in
        if case .success(let record) = result { return record }
        return nil
    }
}

Paginated Query

func fetchItemsPaginated(cursor: CKQueryOperation.Cursor? = nil) async throws -> (items: [CKRecord], cursor: CKQueryOperation.Cursor?) {
    let query = CKQuery(recordType: "Item", predicate: NSPredicate(value: true))

    let (results, newCursor) = try await privateDatabase.records(
        matching: query,
        desiredKeys: ["name", "createdAt"],
        resultsLimit: 50
    )

    let records = results.compactMap { _, result in
        if case .success(let record) = result { return record }
        return nil
    }

    return (records, newCursor)
}

Subscriptions

Push Notifications Setup

func setupSubscription() async throws {
    let subscription = CKQuerySubscription(
        recordType: "Item",
        predicate: NSPredicate(value: true),
        subscriptionID: "item-changes",
        options: [.firesOnRecordCreation, .firesOnRecordUpdate, .firesOnRecordDeletion]
    )

    let notification = CKSubscription.NotificationInfo()
    notification.shouldSendContentAvailable = true
    notification.alertBody = "Items updated"

    subscription.notificationInfo = notification

    try await privateDatabase.save(subscription)
}

Handle Notifications

// In AppDelegate
func application(_ application: UIApplication, didReceiveRemoteNotification userInfo: [AnyHashable: Any]) async -> UIBackgroundFetchResult {
    let notification = CKNotification(fromRemoteNotificationDictionary: userInfo)

    if notification.subscriptionID == "item-changes" {
        // Fetch changes
        await cloudKitManager.fetchChanges()
        return .newData
    }

    return .noData
}

Sync with Change Tokens

Fetch Changes

class CloudKitManager: ObservableObject {
    @AppStorage("changeToken") private var changeTokenData: Data?

    func fetchChanges() async throws -> [CKRecord] {
        var changedRecords: [CKRecord] = []

        let token = changeTokenData.flatMap {
            try? NSKeyedUnarchiver.unarchivedObject(ofClass: CKServerChangeToken.self, from: $0)
        }

        let config = CKFetchRecordZoneChangesOperation.ZoneConfiguration()
        config.previousServerChangeToken = token

        let zoneID = CKRecordZone.default().zoneID

        let changes = try await privateDatabase.recordZoneChanges(
            inZoneWith: zoneID,
            since: token
        )

        for modification in changes.modificationResultsByID {
            if case .success(let record) = modification.value {
                changedRecords.append(record)
            }
        }

        // Save new token
        if let newToken = changes.changeToken,
           let data = try? NSKeyedArchiver.archivedData(withRootObject: newToken, requiringSecureCoding: true) {
            changeTokenData = data
        }

        return changedRecords
    }
}

Assets (Files)

Upload Asset

func uploadImage(_ image: UIImage, for recordID: CKRecord.ID) async throws {
    guard let data = image.jpegData(compressionQuality: 0.8) else {
        throw CloudKitError.invalidData
    }

    // Write to temp file
    let tempURL = FileManager.default.temporaryDirectory.appendingPathComponent(UUID().uuidString + ".jpg")
    try data.write(to: tempURL)

    let record = try await privateDatabase.record(for: recordID)
    record["image"] = CKAsset(fileURL: tempURL)

    try await privateDatabase.save(record)

    // Cleanup
    try? FileManager.default.removeItem(at: tempURL)
}

Download Asset

func downloadImage(from record: CKRecord) async throws -> UIImage? {
    guard let asset = record["image"] as? CKAsset,
          let fileURL = asset.fileURL else {
        return nil
    }

    let data = try Data(contentsOf: fileURL)
    return UIImage(data: data)
}

Sharing

Create Share

func shareRecord(_ record: CKRecord) async throws -> CKShare {
    let share = CKShare(rootRecord: record)
    share.publicPermission = .readOnly
    share[CKShare.SystemFieldKey.title] = "Shared Item"

    let operation = CKModifyRecordsOperation(recordsToSave: [record, share], recordIDsToDelete: nil)

    return try await withCheckedThrowingContinuation { continuation in
        operation.modifyRecordsResultBlock = { result in
            switch result {
            case .success:
                continuation.resume(returning: share)
            case .failure(let error):
                continuation.resume(throwing: error)
            }
        }

        privateDatabase.add(operation)
    }
}

Accept Share

func acceptShare(metadata: CKShare.Metadata) async throws {
    try await container.accept(metadata)
}

// In SceneDelegate or App
func scene(_ scene: UIScene, userDidAcceptCloudKitShareWith metadata: CKShare.Metadata) {
    Task {
        try await cloudKitManager.acceptShare(metadata: metadata)
    }
}

Error Handling

CloudKit Errors

enum CloudKitError: LocalizedError {
    case notSignedIn
    case networkError
    case quotaExceeded
    case serverError
    case invalidData

    var errorDescription: String? {
        switch self {
        case .notSignedIn: return "Please sign in to iCloud"
        case .networkError: return "Network connection error"
        case .quotaExceeded: return "iCloud storage quota exceeded"
        case .serverError: return "iCloud server error"
        case .invalidData: return "Invalid data format"
        }
    }
}

func handleCloudKitError(_ error: Error) -> CloudKitError {
    guard let ckError = error as? CKError else {
        return .serverError
    }

    switch ckError.code {
    case .notAuthenticated:
        return .notSignedIn
    case .networkUnavailable, .networkFailure:
        return .networkError
    case .quotaExceeded:
        return .quotaExceeded
    default:
        return .serverError
    }
}

Retry Logic

func saveWithRetry(_ record: CKRecord, maxAttempts: Int = 3) async throws -> CKRecord {
    var lastError: Error?

    for attempt in 1...maxAttempts {
        do {
            return try await privateDatabase.save(record)
        } catch let error as CKError where error.code == .networkUnavailable {
            lastError = error
            if attempt < maxAttempts {
                try await Task.sleep(nanoseconds: UInt64(attempt) * 1_000_000_000)
            }
        }
    }

    throw lastError ?? CloudKitError.networkError
}

SwiftData + CloudKit

Automatic Sync

@main
struct MyApp: App {
    var body: some Scene {
        WindowGroup {
            ContentView()
        }
        .modelContainer(for: Item.self, isAutosaveEnabled: true, isUndoEnabled: true) { result in
            // Container configured for CloudKit sync automatically
            // when iCloud capability is enabled
        }
    }
}

Apple Documentation

• CloudKit
• Enabling CloudKit
• CKRecord
• Subscriptions
• Sharing