New iOS 14 Feature 'App Clips' Lets You Access 'Small Part' of an App Without Downloading Entire App

[MacRumors]

Apple today announced a new feature for iOS 14 called "App Clips," which surfaces information from relevant apps throughout the iOS 14 interface, without needing to download an entire app. Apple described App Clips as a "small part" of an app designed to be discovered the moment it is needed.

App Clips load within seconds and let users complete specific tasks, like pay for parking using Sign In With Apple and Apple Pay. App Clips can be discovered and accessed by scanning Apple's new "App Clip codes," or by using NFC and QR codes. They can also be shared in Messages and Safari.

For more information on iOS 14, be sure to check out our full launch post.

Article Link: New iOS 14 Feature 'App Clips' Lets You Access 'Small Part' of an App Without Downloading Entire App

 

[C DM]

Sounds like a pretty good idea, as far as being able to use something that you don't already have, and might not even know about, and also as far as not necessarily needing to install a whole separate app for something that you might not really be using much.

 

[BornAgainMac]

Seems like a Restful API type app approach.

 

[dontwalkhand]

Please let all of those restaurants with their own apps get this feature. I’m tired of having to download an app every time I want to order food like Chick Fil A

 

[NufSaid]

I like this...
I think..
Maybe....
I am confused a bit on this one.

 

[CarlJ]

My main concern would be security implications, but given that this is Apple, they've probably got that sorted.

 

[Lazy]

I can think of several times I didn’t try something because I didn’t want to download another app and sign up for yet another account. This will be a very worthwhile feature.

 

[zhangsp012]

This is exactly Wechat has been doing for years and proved to be a great success in China. It is too late for apple, at least in China.

 

[doelcm82]

This could be di gue ding ding useful.

 

[Dimwhit]

This is a feature I'm really liking. Hopefully the execution is slick.

 

[minifridge1138]

It sounds like Apple admitting that there are too many bloated apps that hurt user experience.

 

[C DM]

It sounds like Apple admitting that there are too many bloated apps that hurt user experience.

Might be some of that, and might be more for discoverability of apps.

 

[ipedro]

This is exactly Wechat has been doing for years and proved to be a great success in China. It is too late for apple, at least in China.

Not too late, not even in China. Chinese businesses give you like 87 different ways to pay or interact with their business. You go to a store and there are stickers with QR codes for a dozen apps. Apple Pay is already common. App Clips will just be another one of them. With the iPhone's exploding popularity, it might even end up becoming the default.

In the rest of the world where WeChat or AliPay haven't yet taken hold, it's fertile ground for App Clips to take root.

Here in Toronto, I've already heard several of my clients talk about App Clips for their restaurants. Because of COVID, they're using QR codes stickered onto tables to bring up virtual menus and to download their existing app. They'll just replace those with App Clip codes because customers often say they don't want to download an entire app just to see the menu.

 

[dontwalkhand]

Not too late, not even in China. Chinese businesses give you like 87 different ways to pay or interact with their business. You go to a store and there are stickers with QR codes for a dozen apps. Apple Pay is already common. App Clips will just be another one of them. With the iPhone's exploding popularity, it might even end up becoming the default.

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In the rest of the world where WeChat or AliPay haven't yet taken hold, it's fertile ground for App Clips to take root.

Here in Toronto, I've already heard several of my clients talk about App Clips for their restaurants. Because of COVID, they're using QR codes stickered onto tables to bring up virtual menus and to download their existing app. They'll just replace those with App Clip codes because customers often say they don't want to download an entire app just to see the menu.

As a person who services IBM 4690 (last picture), how does it play with the plethora of Chinese payment apps like that? Very interesting to see the 4690 Payments Gateway adapt to all of that.