'Launcher' Returns to the App Store After Apple Relaxes Policies

[C DM]

You say that like its acceptable when its not. My guess is that no policy changed at all. The screw-ups who where in the way have been removed.

No developer should have to guess at what is acceptable. They should be told with supreme clarity why the app was pulled and in absence of that clarity, the app remains available.

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The point is Apple should indicate the exact issue and not leave it to speculation. Developers follow rules. If Apple cannot articulate a violation then one does not exist.

While it's not great and should be better, that's how it has always worked. It takes real world usage and experience for things to get flushed out and adjusted. In some ways it's a good thing that Apple is flexible enough to do it rather than to come up with arbitrary rules beforehand and stick to them no matter what out of principle even if parts of them end up making little sense or hurting things. It be nice if things were just perfect all the time from the beginning, but unfortunately reality simply doesn't work that way most of the time.

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A bit hard to understand why some people are actually defending Apple in this scenario.

I'm just not getting their perspective at all... User freedom is paramount, user experience is shaped only by the individual user. Who disagrees with this?

Then why go with iOS given all the limitations around those things that have been there from the beginning?

 

[Vidd]

It's good that Apple relented and allowed it back on the store.

However, it seems like something OS itself should be able to provide. Perhaps we need something newer other than folders to make app launching a bit better.

 

[C DM]

It's good that Apple relented and allowed it back on the store.

However, it seems like something OS itself should be able to provide. Perhaps we need something newer other than folders to make app launching a bit better.

Between the dock, home screen, and Spotlight there have been various options for some time now.

 

[BJMRamage]

A bit hard to understand why some people are actually defending Apple in this scenario.

I'm just not getting their perspective at all... User freedom is paramount, user experience is shaped only by the individual user. Who disagrees with this?

I guess I would defend Apple because this is not the "intention" of Widgets. I am guessing Apple was expecting Apps to use widgets as a quick-look at an App or something that enables the use of something within said App. This App's widget doesn't merely bring you info from the app BUT it launches other apps and leads to other apps being used.

Therefore, this breaks the Apple customer experience. So, when they first removed the app/widget, it was because it did something that wasn't "normal" for apps/widgets to do and it may confuse the user and in such, mess with the Apple UX. However, after further review, they "changed their stance" and it is allowed.

I guess they figure if you are downloading the app, you understand it enough to know how to use it "properly" and not get your panties in a bunch. if there was an app that had a widget where you play a game in the widget, then to level-up you need to pay and it directly opens your banking app, it might be alarming, I think Apple just wanted to ensure that the app wouldn't simply go into another app without the user fully knowing what was going on. The 6-7 apps/scripts it threw onto my Widget when I installed it are harmless. anything else i add to it is my own doing.

 

[Uofmtiger]

I have my 8 most used apps on my first page (plus the dock), and then the second page contains folders with all my other apps. I downloaded launcher and put a few apps that I use often, but not often enough to put them on my first page (going for the uncluttered look). Having them one swipe away avoids drilling down into folders. I even added two phone numbers to make calls a bit quicker than opening the phone app and going to my favorites list.

Pretty slick app...worth a try a no cost!

I have some stuff in folders on my main screen and I am going to go this route as well so that I can remove as many of them from my home screen, as possible.

I accidentally downloaded Launch Center Pro instead of this app and I will have that as an option to get to the stuff as well. My thinking is that I will put the most used icons right on the home screen, the second most used in the Launcher, and the third most used in Launch Center Pro and everything else in folders on the second screen. There may be some overlap in things I do most frequently (like controlling lighting).

 

[LordQ]

I love the concept and all... but the left, top and bottom paddings really bother me, everything looks so cluttered compared to my other widgets.

 

[Felix01]

I bet the developer sure got a boost in sales with a feature story like this in MacRumors yesterday.

Handy app, I use it many times every day. Glad Apple approved it again, the latest update which the developer had no way to distribute after Apple pulled the app, has several frequently-requested features.

 

[HenryDJP]

A bit hard to understand why some people are actually defending Apple in this scenario.

I'm just not getting their perspective at all... User freedom is paramount, user experience is shaped only by the individual user. Who disagrees with this?

I'll happily explain it to you. If you rent a room in your house to an outsider and as time passes your renter is doing stuff against the terms of the living arrangement in YOUR HOME, you have the right to kick them out.

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I bet the developer sure got a boost in sales with a feature story like this in MacRumors yesterday.

Handy app, I use it many times every day. Glad Apple approved it again, the latest update which the developer had no way to distribute after Apple pulled the app, has several frequently-requested features.

He may have gotten a boost in "downloads" but not sales. The app is free....with In-App purchases.

 

[Siretman]

It's main usage isn't really for "launching apps." It's for creating shortcuts. I use it to create a shortcut to my frequent locations for directions in maps, for the Sound settings pane so i can toggle vibrate on/off, frequent facetime/phone calls i make. All which require more taps by going through the actual apps themselves.

OK I got the Pro app from Cromulent, right?. How do you do shortcuts?

 

[jhoffy]

Automate sending contact info

This is a great app!

Does anyone know how to automate the process of sending contact info from the launcher? What I'd like to do is press an icon and have it populate a text or email with my personal contact card. This way all I have to do is add an email address (for email) or a phone number (for text).

This would make it much less cumbersome to quickly send my contact info to someone I am talking to.

Thanks in advanced.

Jon

 

[Donka]

This is a great app!

Does anyone know how to automate the process of sending contact info from the launcher? What I'd like to do is press an icon and have it populate a text or email with my personal contact card. This way all I have to do is add an email address (for email) or a phone number (for text).

This would make it much less cumbersome to quickly send my contact info to someone I am talking to.

Thanks in advanced.

Jon

Here is an example of a URL for a text with address populated. Change and add to it as you need. This opens up the text with the details populated and the To field highlighted for you to enter a recipient.

sms:&body=FirstName%20LastName,%20Addressline1,%20Addressline2

 

[Felix01]

He may have gotten a boost in "downloads" but not sales. The app is free....with In-App purchases.

Yea, I have the 'Pro' version which was something like four or five bucks if I recall correctly.

And now I see AppleInsider picked up the story as well. The developer will get another boost.

 

[jhoffy]

Here is an example of a URL for a text with address populated. Change and add to it as you need. This opens up the text with the details populated and the To field highlighted for you to enter a recipient.

sms:&body=FirstName%20LastName,%20Addressline1,%20Addressline2

That works great! I wonder if there is a way to set up a URL that will populate a vCard

 

[Xenomorph]

So how long will it be before they pull it again?

 

[HenryDJP]

Yea, I have the 'Pro' version which was something like four or five bucks if I recall correctly.

And now I see AppleInsider picked up the story as well. The developer will get another boost.

Not to be sarcastic...but I'm glad for you that you're happy for the developer making money. I usually don't get all that excited over developers....especially ones that make apps with sneaky In-App purchases. Furthermore it's near impossible to even communicate with some developers. They take your money and don't offer any verbal support.

 

[bushido]

Can someone post the codes for all kind of shortcut URLs? It took me 4 years to pass java class, I can't do that myself

thx

 

[topmounter]

I just wonder how much of this is an IOS product manager looking at an app, deciding to add whatever things they failed to come up with on their own to the IOS roadmap and then refusing to allow the app in the app store. Some of these app refusal decisions are inexplicable otherwise.

 

[Abazigal]

Downloaded, playing around with it right now. Ability to turn hotspot from my notifications? Launch shazam from anywhere? Sold.

 

[Dino F]

I tried this app the first time around (before it was pulled) but if I'm honest, I didn't really find any of the shortcuts possible, actually useful.

I'm assuming that the whole idea is so that you can add shortcuts to the NC, to the apps you use most often however, this would mean you would obviously have to pull down NC EVERY time you wanted to access one of these apps.

Forgive me if I have missed something but surely its quicker to have the apps you use most frequently, either in your dock (like I do) or just have them in your multi-tasking tray. It would be far quicker to double press the Home button to access these apps as opposed to pulling down NC EVERY time (UNLESS - you use NC from your LockScreen(which I don't))?

 

[Traverse]

Tried the free version thinking "meh, it can't be that helpful," but it's really a nice utility.

You can set it to run specific workflows from the Workflow app! Not just launch the app! That's what sealed the deal for me.

 

[Donka]

Not to be sarcastic...but I'm glad for you that you're happy for the developer making money. I usually don't get all that excited over developers....especially ones that make apps with sneaky In-App purchases. Furthermore it's near impossible to even communicate with some developers. They take your money and don't offer any verbal support.

I believe if an app is worth using, it is worth paying for. Not all developers are the same and I guess you get good and bad developers but I had a positive experience with the Launcher developer when it was first launched. I also don't see any sneaky IAP - it is clear on the iTunes page and well documented in the App itself what the Pro version gives you.

 

[HenryDJP]

I believe if an app is worth using, it is worth paying for. Not all developers are the same and I guess you get good and bad developers but I had a positive experience with the Launcher developer when it was first launched. I also don't see any sneaky IAP - it is clear on the iTunes page and well documented in the App itself what the Pro version gives you.

I'm not at all surprised by such a response.

 

[GangstaGehard]

Then why go with iOS given all the limitations around those things that have been there from the beginning?

Because I didn't know these limitations exist. The iPhone 6 is the first iPhone I've ever had and I recently bought a Mac Mini too. I'm learning a lot and many of the posts in this thread sound odd to me.

I guess I would defend Apple because this is not the "intention" of Widgets. I am guessing Apple was expecting Apps to use widgets as a quick-look at an App or something that enables the use of something within said App. This App's widget doesn't merely bring you info from the app BUT it launches other apps and leads to other apps being used.

Therefore, this breaks the Apple customer experience. So, when they first removed the app/widget, it was because it did something that wasn't "normal" for apps/widgets to do and it may confuse the user and in such, mess with the Apple UX. However, after further review, they "changed their stance" and it is allowed.

I wasn't talking about why Apple removed the app and reinstated it. I'm asking why some people are saying Apple should have kept its course.
I don't understand their thought process even in the face of this news.

I'll happily explain it to you. If you rent a room in your house to an outsider and as time passes your renter is doing stuff against the terms of the living arrangement in YOUR HOME, you have the right to kick them out

Except its now reversed so that stuff is now not against terms.
Why are some people arguing that the renter still be kicked out or that the agreement shouldn't have been changed?

 

[Mainyehc]

I just love that the name of the company that developed this app is "Cromulent". I think that name embiggens us all.

Loving the Simspons reference, too… Came here to say this; was not disappointed for having been beaten to it.

 

[klo6]

By the time I found out about this app last fall, it had already been removed from the app store. Downloaded today and liked it enough to get the music one as well. Both will be extra useful when I'm driving!