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'Launch Center Pro' Gains Notification Center Widget, Support for New Apps

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Apr 12, 2001
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First released in 2012, Launch Center Pro was one of the first quick action apps in the App Store, designed to let users create shortcuts to features normally buried within apps, such as opening up Instagram directly to the camera, or opening a specific search within Yelp.

Over the years, Launch Center Pro has been updated several times with new features and while it has encountered some trouble with Apple, it continues to be a popular choice for users who are looking for a shortcut-based quick launch app. As of today, Launch Center Pro is getting a major update, which adds a new Notification Center widget.

With the new Notification Center widget, it's possible to add twelve of your favorite Launch Center Pro actions for quick and easy access. You can do things like call a specific person, add an event to a favorite calendar app, get directions home, scan a QR code, send a group text, and more directly from the Notification Center.

launchcenterpronotificationcenter-800x705.jpg

More complex actions, like controlling a Nest Thermostat from IFTTT, scanning a barcode and searching Amazon, or taking a photo and messaging it to an entire group are also supported by Launch Center Pro. Apps like Safari, Twitter, Facebook, and Google are all supported by Launch Center Pro, and today's update also adds support for more than 100,000 additional apps and iOS 9.

In the future, Launch Center Pro plans to support iPhone 6s features, introducing 3D Touch-based Quick Actions that will be able to be launched by using a force press on the Launch Center Pro app icon on the Home screen.

Launch Center Pro can be downloaded from the App Store for $3.99, a 20 percent discount from its usual price. [Direct Link]

Article Link: 'Launch Center Pro' Gains Notification Center Widget, Support for New Apps
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2015/09/15/launch-center-pro-widget/
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Reactions: ayala421
Been doing the same thing with Launcher for almost a year now...love the added quick shortcuts in the pull down.
 
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polee said:
I must try this app out. Anyone used this before?
Click to expand...

No, but there are other apps like this with much better developers that actually work on keeping things up to date with regular app updates...at a app price also.

Workflow and Launcher are good ones that I currently use.
 
I am a Launcher user too from when it first launched. I use it everyday from calling, texting, using Waze for frequent routes, custom 1Password searches etc.

Launcher Pro looks promising.
 
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polee said:
I must try this app out. Anyone used this before?
Click to expand...
I bought it last time it went on sale - both iPhone and iPad versions. I never use them. Maybe I'm not a power user. But the things I'd automate are relatively simple tasks that don't really need a shortcut. And the documentation online leaves a lot to be desired. Cool idea but in practice not that useful to me. Your mileage may vary.
 
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polee said:
I must try this app out. Anyone used this before?
Click to expand...

Yes I used to use this app all the time. Then I got an iPhone 6 and it wasn't optimized and that really bothered me. These guys are a year late to the update, and since then I have moved in. As much as I dislike the app now, for $3 I say give it a shot. It can replace you messages app and phone app. You can create folders containing shortcuts to a phone call or a message conversation, organized maybe by "work," "most reached" "family" etc
 
spacemnspiff said:
I am a Launcher user too from when it first launched. I use it everyday from calling, texting, using Waze for frequent routes, custom 1Password searches etc.

Launcher Pro looks promising.
Click to expand...

Is this the app you're talking about. It has some horrible ratings and reviews.
 
I guess I don't understand an app launcher in Notification Center. Seems like a horrible place to put that functionality. I think most of the Today widgets are horrible.
 
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lokey said:
I guess I don't understand an app launcher in Notification Center. Seems like a horrible place to put that functionality. I think most of the Today widgets are horrible.
Click to expand...

Agreed. I view NC as a "what's going on today" feature. And it's annoying when you tap on something and get blocked by the lock screen. "Things" is the only non-native iOS app I allow in the Today screen.
 
If you attempt to access an app via the notification center while the phone is locked do you still have to unlock the phone to actually access the app?

I have Launcher installed, but find I rarely use it seeing as I have to turn my screen on, swipe down to bring up notification center, click the icon, then unlock the device. I can just as easily unlock the device and press the icon on my home screen. Seeing as most people would default popular apps to Launcher and they'd most likely also have those same apps on the first page of their phone.

Unless I'm missing something. When I first downloaded it I thought it was going to be great and save time. Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to be the case.
 
Yes you still have to unlock the app. I think the best use cases for LCP is a really complicated / automated process. But for most people I think it's overkill. LCP should really do a better job explaining why it's good and providing useful documentation. Saving 2-3 seconds on dialing a number doesn't do much for me. You can get more use of it by connecting it with IFTTT.
 
polee said:
I must try this app out. Anyone used this before?
Click to expand...

I think you could better try using Launcher or others (iLauncher, S Launcher, Go Launcher - all free) for to see if it's something for you.

tbayrgs said:
Been doing the same thing with Launcher for almost a year now...love the added quick shortcuts in the pull down.
Click to expand...

I indeed also love my Launcher widget.
mdwsta4 said:
If you attempt to access an app via the notification center while the phone is locked do you still have to unlock the phone to actually access the app?

I have Launcher installed, but find I rarely use it seeing as I have to turn my screen on, swipe down to bring up notification center, click the icon, then unlock the device. I can just as easily unlock the device and press the icon on my home screen. Seeing as most people would default popular apps to Launcher and they'd most likely also have those same apps on the first page of their phone.

Unless I'm missing something. When I first downloaded it I thought it was going to be great and save time. Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to be the case.
Click to expand...

I use Launcher every day.
Don't you have TouchID? I press on the home button to unlock my device then slide the Notification center down to get quick access to e.g. certain settings (battery usage per app, notifications, location settings) and especially quickly send a predefined text (iMessage, Whatsapp, sms) to send to my wife. I also love the quick access to navigate to home. The recent Launcher widget also added the option to see the actual time to home on the icon directly. I use a lot of apps and love the way that i can do things in less clicks and the need to type things every time again and again especially messages that i will send daily (e.g. i'm late from work, see you in 15 minutes...).
 
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