Instagram hooks pre-select media issue

Question

This is my code. The file is correctly added to photos library, but in instagram app this url -> instagram://library?AssetPath=assets-library%3A%2F%2Fasset%2Fasset.mp4%3Fid=5EDBD113-FF57-476B-AABB-6A59F31170B5&ext=mp4&InstagramCaption=my%caption don't open the last video.

- (void)loadCameraRollAssetToInstagram:(NSURL*)assetsLibraryURL andMessage:(NSString*)message
{
    NSString *escapedString   = [self urlencodedString:assetsLibraryURL.absoluteString];
    NSString *escapedCaption  = [self urlencodedString:message];
    NSURL *instagramURL       = [NSURL URLWithString:[NSString stringWithFormat:@"instagram://library?AssetPath=%@&InstagramCaption=%@", escapedString, escapedCaption]];

    NSLog(@"instagramURL ==> %@",instagramURL);

    if ([[UIApplication sharedApplication] canOpenURL:instagramURL]) {
        NSLog(@"Open Instagram!!");
        [[UIApplication sharedApplication] openURL:instagramURL];
    } else {
        NSLog(@"Cant open Instagram!!");
        [[[UIAlertView alloc] initWithTitle:@"Instagram" message:@"App not installed" delegate:nil cancelButtonTitle:@"Ok" otherButtonTitles:nil, nil] show];
    }
}

- (NSString*)urlencodedString:(NSString *)message
{
    return [message stringByAddingPercentEncodingWithAllowedCharacters:[NSCharacterSet URLHostAllowedCharacterSet]];
}

- (void)saveToCameraRoll:(NSURL *)srcURL withCurrentAction:(NSString *)action
{
    ALAssetsLibrary *library = [[ALAssetsLibrary alloc] init];
    ALAssetsLibraryWriteVideoCompletionBlock videoWriteCompletionBlock = ^(NSURL *newURL, NSError *error) {

        if (error) {
            NSLog( @"Error writing image with metadata to Photo Library: %@", error );
            [[[UIAlertView alloc] initWithTitle:@"Facebook" message:@"Pal - Currently we can't process your video. Please try again in few moments" delegate:self cancelButtonTitle:@"Cancel" otherButtonTitles:@"Sign In", nil] show];

        } else {
            NSLog( @"Wrote image with metadata to Photo Library: %@", newURL.absoluteString);
            if ([action isEqualToString:@"instagram"])
                [self loadCameraRollAssetToInstagram:newURL andMessage:@"My caption"]; //Can be any text?
        }
    };

    if ([library videoAtPathIsCompatibleWithSavedPhotosAlbum:srcURL])
    {
        [library writeVideoAtPathToSavedPhotosAlbum:srcURL completionBlock:videoWriteCompletionBlock];
    }
}

something very strange is that worked perfect, until I turned uninstall and then install instagram. Do not know if this has something to do

Answer 1

instagram://library?AssetPath=\(assetsLibraryUrl) stopped working a while ago. Instagram developers probably moved to Photos framework and no longer use the AssetsLibrary.

Having this assumption I tried several other parameter names and found that instagram://library?LocalIdentifier=\(localID) where localId is the localIdentifier of your PHAsset works for now.

This is still as undocumented as it was so it can break in any future version of the Instagram.

Answer 2

Resuming this task after a long time and considering the borisgolovnev's answer and ALAssetsLibrary is deprecated, the final solution is:

- (void)saveToCameraRollOpt2:(NSURL *)srcURL
{
    __block PHAssetChangeRequest *_mChangeRequest = nil;
    __block PHObjectPlaceholder *placeholder;

    [[PHPhotoLibrary sharedPhotoLibrary] performChanges:^{

        NSData *pngData = [NSData dataWithContentsOfURL:srcURL];
        UIImage *image = [UIImage imageWithData:pngData];

        _mChangeRequest = [PHAssetChangeRequest creationRequestForAssetFromImage:image];

        placeholder = _mChangeRequest.placeholderForCreatedAsset;

    } completionHandler:^(BOOL success, NSError *error) {

        if (success) {
            [self loadCameraRollAssetToInstagram:[placeholder localIdentifier]];
        }
        else {
            NSLog(@"write error : %@",error);
            [self showAlert:@"Error" msg:@"Error saving in camera roll" action:nil];
        }
    }];
}

- (void)loadCameraRollAssetToInstagram:(NSString *)localId
{
    NSURL *instagramURL = [NSURL URLWithString:[NSString stringWithFormat:@"instagram://library?LocalIdentifier=\%@", localId]];

    if ([[UIApplication sharedApplication] canOpenURL:instagramURL]) {
        [[UIApplication sharedApplication] openURL:instagramURL options:@{} completionHandler:nil];
    } else {
        [self showAlert:@"Error" msg:@"Instagram app is not installed" action:nil];
    }
}

- (NSString*)urlencodedString:(NSString *)message
{
    return [message stringByAddingPercentEncodingWithAllowedCharacters:[NSCharacterSet URLHostAllowedCharacterSet]];
}

Don't forget

#import <Photos/Photos.h>

Add `NSPhotoLibraryUsageDescription` and `QueriesSchemes` inside .plist file

<key>NSPhotoLibraryUsageDescription</key>
<string>Need permission to access to manage your photos library</string>
<key>LSApplicationQueriesSchemes</key>
<array>
    <string>instagram</string>
</array>

Answer 3

@borisgolovnev's solution actually works. You can get the localIdentifier of your last saved video using the code below. Passing it with instagram://library?LocalIdentifier=(localID) opens Instagram with your video selected.

let fetchOptions = PHFetchOptions()
fetchOptions.sortDescriptors = [NSSortDescriptor(key:"creationDate", ascending:false)]
let fetchResult = PHAsset.fetchAssetsWithMediaType(.Video, options: fetchOptions)
if let lastAsset = fetchResult.firstObject as? PHAsset {
    self.localIdentifier = lastAsset.localIdentifier
}