Getting a "This application is modifying the autolayout engine from a background thread" error?


In iOS development, this error frequently occurs while working on user interfaces. Also, you can reduce the chances of coming across this error if you write code carefully. Let's understand what this error is all about.

It will help you to understand the reason behind this error if you read the error statement.

The error "This application is modifying the autolayout engine from a background thread" is caused when an application attempts to make changes to the user interface from a background thread, which is not allowed in iOS development. Autolayout is a system for defining the layout of user interface elements, and it must be used from the main thread of the application.

To fix this error, you will need to ensure that any code that modifies the user interface is called on the main thread. One way to do this is to use the DispatchQueue.main.async method to execute the code on the main thread:

import UIKit
DispatchQueue.main.async {
    // code that modifies the user interface
}

What will happen if you update the user interface in a background thread?

Updating the user interface from a background thread can cause problems because the user interface is not thread-safe. This means that if multiple threads try to access and update the user interface at the same time, it can lead to race conditions and other undefined behavior.

Why should the user interface be updated in the DispatchQueue.main.async method?

To prevent these issues, iOS requires that all user interface updates must be made on the main thread. The main thread is the thread that is responsible for managing the user interface and handling user input. By updating the user interface from the main thread, you can be sure that it is done in a thread-safe manner and that the updates will be visible to the user.

Conclusion

The DispatchQueue.main.async method is a convenient way to execute code on the main thread. It allows you to submit a block of code to be executed asynchronously on the main thread, without blocking the current thread. This is useful if you need to perform some background work before updating the user interface, as you can do the background work on a background thread and then use DispatchQueue.main.async to ensure that the user interface updates are made on the main thread.

Updated on: 07-Sep-2023

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