IPhone: automatically launch applications?

kingkung · Mar 31, 2008, 02:04 PM

Hi,

I'm using the iPhone SDK, and I want my iPhone application to automatically launch at a certain time... any way I can do this?

And any way I can test this on the emulator?

admanimal · Mar 31, 2008, 03:32 PM

I am almost certain that there is no officially supported way to do this.

kingkung · Mar 31, 2008, 03:40 PM

Thanks for the quick response.

Can you clarify what you mean by "official"? Are there certain "unofficial" ways to do this?

Follow up question: Are there any other ways to start up an application on the phone? For example, via system events, like adding a contact or photo? Or via a port-directed SMS?

gnasher729 · Mar 31, 2008, 03:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kingkung

Thanks for the quick response.

Can you clarify what you mean by "official"? Are there certain "unofficial" ways to do this?

Follow up question: Are there any other ways to start up an application on the phone? For example, via system events, like adding a contact or photo? Or via a port-directed SMS?

Yes. Just watch the iPhone videos on ADC; one of them shows the official way to start an application either by using a link on a website, or from another application.

kingkung · Mar 31, 2008, 04:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gnasher729

Yes. Just watch the iPhone videos on ADC; one of them shows the official way to start an application either by using a link on a website, or from another application.

Sweet, thanks a lot. I have the ADC videos downloaded, do you happen to recall in which video they discuss this? I assume it's the "iPhone SDK for Web Developers" video...

kingkung · Mar 31, 2008, 04:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kingkung

Sweet, thanks a lot. I have the ADC videos downloaded, do you happen to recall in which video they discuss this? I assume it's the "iPhone SDK for Web Developers" video...

Never mind, I found it, thanks.

kingkung · Mar 31, 2008, 05:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gnasher729

Yes. Just watch the iPhone videos on ADC; one of them shows the official way to start an application either by using a link on a website, or from another application.

Okay, I just watched the video, which told me to create a URL schema for the app (myapp://).

Am I wrong in assuming that this feature will only work when I access the web link on my own iPhone (and not on any public domain)? I assume this is the case since no public computer would know to send links beginning with "myapp://..." to my iPhone app.

Thanks for the help.

SqueegyX · Mar 31, 2008, 05:59 PM

Well I highly doubt you will ever be allowed to launch an app on your phone that in response to a message that originates outside your phone. That would just beg for invasive hacking.

fishkorp · Mar 31, 2008, 06:00 PM

My understanding is that you register yourapp:// with Apple and they'll make Safari compatible with it, just like maps://whatever will open Google Maps, etc. So if you're making a cook book app and you register cookbook://blahblah with Apple, if anyone visits any website with a link cookbook://texthere it'll open up your cook book app on their phone, assuming they have it installed.

As for launching at a specific time, no, because that would require your app to run as a background process, which is against the rules. Of course if you jailbreak and write an unofficial app you can do this.

stadidas · Mar 31, 2008, 07:01 PM

That isn't how it works. You make your app register for a certain type of url, i.e myapp://. You can then embed a link in a page using this protocol. When selected in Safari on the phone, the link will be forwarded on to your app which will handle the request. There is no registration by Apple involved.

maxjg · Mar 31, 2008, 07:04 PM

fThis is Apple's tutorial on how to register for a your URL type(you'll have to be logged into ADC to get to it).
http://developer.apple.com/iphone/li...hMe/index.html
You certainly can use these links outside of Safari, look at the Address Book application. Each one of those UITableViewCells is a link(like the phone number cell links to tel://5555555555).

Monkaaay · Mar 31, 2008, 08:16 PM

It would be nice to be able to launch applications on start up. Too bad I never see it happening.

jasontremplay · Apr 19, 2009, 11:35 AM

Does anyone know a way to have a program or link start an application and then stop it after a period of time?

SqueegyX · Apr 20, 2009, 04:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jasontremplay

Does anyone know a way to have a program or link start an application and then stop it after a period of time?

The receiving app can do what it needs to needs to do, and then open another registered url scheme back to the originating app.

App 1 opens "app2://dosomething/"
App 2 does something which takes a minute
App 2 opens "app1://didsomething/"

StevenMiles · Sep 10, 2009, 08:05 PM

Hi,

I'm looking for a way to write a method, or perhaps a link in a UIWebView, that will cause my app to close, and the iPhone's Camera app to open. Is there a way to do that? I explored LaunchMe, but it seems I'm trying to do something different.

Thanks,
/Steve

SqueegyX · Sep 11, 2009, 10:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by StevenMiles

Hi,

I'm looking for a way to write a method, or perhaps a link in a UIWebView, that will cause my app to close, and the iPhone's Camera app to open. Is there a way to do that? I explored LaunchMe, but it seems I'm trying to do something different.

Thanks,
/Steve

This isn't what you want to do. Instead, use the UIImagePickerController class to open the camera library or camera view from within your own app.

StevenMiles · Sep 13, 2009, 10:02 PM

Hi, SqueegyX,

Thanks for responding. I've already programmed to be able to use the camera from within my app, but I was considering just sending people over to the Camera app, because launching the camera from within your app takes mucho memory.

But I think I'll just keep using the camera within my app. Thanks anyway!
/Steve

whealey · Dec 4, 2009, 07:32 AM

I want to have my web app launch Mail and take you to your inbox... How would I do this with a link? I presume it would be mail:// but what would I put after that?

SqueegyX · Dec 5, 2009, 12:22 AM

Don't you can quite do that. The closest you will get it to open a mailto:foo@bar.com url. That will open the mail app with a new message prepped for sending to that address.

aaortega · Dec 14, 2009, 02:48 AM

Can you have an application launch itself and then close like 5 seconds later? There are apps that send you reminders at a certain time, why would I not be able to do that?

smoker68x · Mar 18, 2010, 12:45 AM

Sorry to change the subject (slightly), but I have a question along the same lines as this...

From what I have read so far there is not a way to launch an app at a certain time (ie: an alarm clock programmed to open a radio app), but is there a way to launch a link to an online audio feed?

Basically, I would like my iPhone to wake me with a certain radio station (for which I have an app and the direct link to the audio feed) and I live too far away to use a regular alarm clock for that. Am I asking for the impossible, or is there something I have overlooked?

Mar 31, 2008, 02:04 PM	#1
kingkung macrumors newbie Join Date: Mar 2008	IPhone: automatically launch applications? Hi, I'm using the iPhone SDK, and I want my iPhone application to automatically launch at a certain time... any way I can do this? And any way I can test this on the emulator?
	0

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Mar 31, 2008, 03:32 PM	#2
admanimal macrumors 68040 Join Date: Apr 2005	I am almost certain that there is no officially supported way to do this.
	0

Mar 31, 2008, 03:40 PM	#3
kingkung Thread Starter macrumors newbie Join Date: Mar 2008	Thanks for the quick response. Can you clarify what you mean by "official"? Are there certain "unofficial" ways to do this? Follow up question: Are there any other ways to start up an application on the phone? For example, via system events, like adding a contact or photo? Or via a port-directed SMS?
	0

Mar 31, 2008, 05:59 PM	#8
SqueegyX macrumors regular Join Date: Mar 2008	Well I highly doubt you will ever be allowed to launch an app on your phone that in response to a message that originates outside your phone. That would just beg for invasive hacking.
	0

Mar 31, 2008, 06:00 PM	#9
fishkorp macrumors 68000 Join Date: Apr 2006	My understanding is that you register yourapp:// with Apple and they'll make Safari compatible with it, just like maps://whatever will open Google Maps, etc. So if you're making a cook book app and you register cookbook://blahblah with Apple, if anyone visits any website with a link cookbook://texthere it'll open up your cook book app on their phone, assuming they have it installed. As for launching at a specific time, no, because that would require your app to run as a background process, which is against the rules. Of course if you jailbreak and write an unofficial app you can do this.
	0

Mar 31, 2008, 07:01 PM	#10
stadidas macrumors regular Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Kent, United Kingdom	That isn't how it works. You make your app register for a certain type of url, i.e myapp://. You can then embed a link in a page using this protocol. When selected in Safari on the phone, the link will be forwarded on to your app which will handle the request. There is no registration by Apple involved.
	0

Mar 31, 2008, 07:04 PM	#11
maxjg macrumors member Join Date: Aug 2006	fThis is Apple's tutorial on how to register for a your URL type(you'll have to be logged into ADC to get to it). http://developer.apple.com/iphone/li...hMe/index.html You certainly can use these links outside of Safari, look at the Address Book application. Each one of those UITableViewCells is a link(like the phone number cell links to tel://5555555555).
	0

Mar 31, 2008, 08:16 PM	#12
Monkaaay macrumors 6502 Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Richmond, VA	It would be nice to be able to launch applications on start up. Too bad I never see it happening.
	0

Apr 19, 2009, 11:35 AM	#13
jasontremplay macrumors newbie Join Date: Apr 2009	Does anyone know a way to have a program or link start an application and then stop it after a period of time?
	0

Sep 10, 2009, 08:05 PM	#15
StevenMiles macrumors newbie Join Date: May 2009	Hi, I'm looking for a way to write a method, or perhaps a link in a UIWebView, that will cause my app to close, and the iPhone's Camera app to open. Is there a way to do that? I explored LaunchMe, but it seems I'm trying to do something different. Thanks, /Steve
	0

Sep 13, 2009, 10:02 PM	#17
StevenMiles macrumors newbie Join Date: May 2009	Hi, SqueegyX, Thanks for responding. I've already programmed to be able to use the camera from within my app, but I was considering just sending people over to the Camera app, because launching the camera from within your app takes mucho memory. But I think I'll just keep using the camera within my app. Thanks anyway! /Steve
	0

Dec 4, 2009, 07:32 AM	#18
whealey macrumors newbie Join Date: Dec 2009	I want to have my web app launch Mail and take you to your inbox... How would I do this with a link? I presume it would be mail:// but what would I put after that?
	0

Dec 5, 2009, 12:22 AM	#19
SqueegyX macrumors regular Join Date: Mar 2008	Don't you can quite do that. The closest you will get it to open a mailto:foo@bar.com url. That will open the mail app with a new message prepped for sending to that address.
	0

Dec 14, 2009, 02:48 AM	#20
aaortega macrumors newbie Join Date: Dec 2009	Can you have an application launch itself and then close like 5 seconds later? There are apps that send you reminders at a certain time, why would I not be able to do that?
	0

Mar 18, 2010, 12:45 AM	#21
smoker68x macrumors newbie Join Date: Mar 2010	Sorry to change the subject (slightly), but I have a question along the same lines as this... From what I have read so far there is not a way to launch an app at a certain time (ie: an alarm clock programmed to open a radio app), but is there a way to launch a link to an online audio feed? Basically, I would like my iPhone to wake me with a certain radio station (for which I have an app and the direct link to the audio feed) and I live too far away to use a regular alarm clock for that. Am I asking for the impossible, or is there something I have overlooked?
	0


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