“An iOS 8 app that allowed users to create custom shortcuts and access them from a Notification Center widget has been removed from the App Store by Apple for what it calls ‘misuse of widgets,’ the developers said in a notice posted on the app’s website,” Mike Beasley reports for 9to5Mac.
“The app, called Launcher, worked by letting users enter a URL or select an application to be launched when a shortcut was tapped,” Beasley reports. “The shortcuts would then be displayed in Notification Center, allowing quick access to a variety of tasks such as starting a phone or FaceTime call, creating a new text message, email, or iMessage, opening an application, or more.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: That’s terrible!
Oh, wait! Widgets. Well, still, it seemed kind of useful, huh? Maybe in iOS 9.
Why are the guys in that picture tossing Jeff Bezos around?
Love Apple but gotta say I think this is a dumb move on their behalf, particularly as Launcher seemed to be a great example of Apple opening up the iOS system to 3rd party developers. I grabbed Launcher last week after I read some impressive reviews online and I was immediately impressed with the app. Funny enough, one of the widget shortcuts I use is to launch the MDN webpage as the MDN app doesn’t work properly in iOS 8. Yep, very disappointed with Apple for removing Launcher from the AppStore….
Why is it I find out about these apps *after* they are pulled.. 😡
My thought entirely. Annoys me that Apple tends to crush innovative add ons like this which they themselves fail to implement or if they do ages after the item they remove. And then have the cheek to trumpet its innovation.
Shortcuts are bad.
I’m sorry but if you’re effectively recreating the Home screen in the notification centre you’re doing it wrong.
If you could launch from the notifications, would that be accessible w/o unlocking the phone first?
I bought the Launcher app and upgraded it to Pro before it was pulled and i find it a very useful app. I read online that the reason it could of been pulled was because the non pro version has a sponsored app so this put ads in the notification center and Apple doesnt want ads in there. Also sponsored apps could mess with the rating system.
Anyway im sorry the app was pulled perhaps the developer could work with Apple to find out just whats wrong with the way the app works and they could fix it.
Too late stopping ad crap in the Notification Center. I visit pages on a daily basis that attempt to shovel me their shite. Joyfully, I cut off their nuts with Little Snitch. No crap in my Notification Center. Haha!
A non-spamming version of Launcher would be most welcome on my Macs.