Runtime error when using MPMediaPickerController in iOS Simulator

Question

The following happens when I try to run an app using the MPMediaPickerController on the iOS Simulator.

2012-05-28 22:26:42.416 My App[48426:11f03] Could not load source: 3
2012-05-28 22:26:42.418 My App[48426:11f03] *** Assertion failure in -[MPMediaPickerController loadView], /SourceCache/MediaPlayer_Sim/MobileMusicPlayer-1391.72/SDK/MPMediaPickerController.m:86
2012-05-28 22:26:42.419 My App[48426:11f03] *** Terminating app due to uncaught exception 'NSInternalInconsistencyException', reason: 'Unable to load iPodUI.framework'

Is this some problem in my App/Xcode/iOS Simulator, or does the iOS Simulator simply not support the MPMediaPickerController? If not, any alternatives, besides running it on a physical device?

Answer 1

MPMediaPickerController does not work in the Simulator. Apple notes this in the "iPod Library Access Programming Guide" under "Hello Music Player". The note says:

Note: To follow these steps you’ll need a provisioned device because the Simulator has no access to a device’s iPod library.

To prevent the assertion you can always check if you can access the do this in your code (code bellow uses ARC and iOS SDK 5.0).

MPMediaPickerController *picker = [[MPMediaPickerController alloc] initWithMediaTypes:MPMediaTypeAnyAudio];

[picker setDelegate:self];
[picker setAllowsPickingMultipleItems:YES];
[picker setPrompt:NSLocalizedString(@"Add songs to play","Prompt in media item picker")];

@try {
    [picker loadView]; // Will throw an exception in iOS simulator
    [self presentViewController:picker animated:YES completion:nil];
}
@catch (NSException *exception) {
    [[[UIAlertView alloc] initWithTitle:NSLocalizedString(@"Oops!",@"Error title")
                                message:NSLocalizedString(@"The music library is not available.",@"Error message when MPMediaPickerController fails to load") 
                               delegate:nil 
                      cancelButtonTitle:@"OK" 
                      otherButtonTitles:nil] show];
}

Answer 2

Also (if using storyboard) you can try it:

- (IBAction)showPicker:(id)sender
{
#if TARGET_IPHONE_SIMULATOR
    UIAlertView *alert = [[UIAlertView alloc] initWithTitle:@"playerTest"
                                                    message:@"Media picker didn't work in simulator, please run this app on device"
                                                   delegate:nil
                                          cancelButtonTitle:@"OK"
                                          otherButtonTitles:nil];
    [alert show];
#else
    [self performSegueWithIdentifier:@"ShowPickerViewSegue" sender:self];
#endif
}