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The Panera Bread app clip means you don’t need the full app to place an order.
Jason Cipriani / CNET
The next time you use your iPhone To order food, rent a bike from a kiosk, or set up a smart bulb, you may not have to set up another app on your phone. New iOS 14 app clips feature is a miniature version of the complete application that will save you time and storage space.
App clips offer a subset of features that you can find in any given app. Without downloading or installing a full app, you can still use just a “slice” of it for a single, basic purpose, like renting a tour bike in a new city, making a reservation at your favorite restaurant, or setting up your new Vacuum cleaner robotAll without having to install a new app each time.
Typically, you will only be able to access these features after downloading the full app and in many cases creating a new account or logging in. App Clips is similar to Instant Android Apps, which, although it was announced years ago, never caught on.
Let’s take a closer look at what app clips are, how you’ll add them, and what they can do.
What are iPhone app clips?
App Clips exposes the core functionality of a larger app without having to download or install any software to store on your phone.
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iPhone X Gets New Camera Tricks With Apple Clips
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For example, the current process for doing something like unlocking an electric scooter requires you to find that company’s app on the App Store, download it, create an account, and then enter your payment information. It is a process that takes several minutes and is not very convenient.
However, with an app clip, you would only need to scan a QR code or tap your phone against an NFC tag on the scooter you want to rent, for example to show a small card on your iPhone.
Then instead of giving access to the full functionality of the app, like a map of where all the available scooters are, the app clip will only include what is needed to unlock and rent the scooter. It will rely on Apple Pay to verify and secure your payment.
It looks and works like a complete app, but it’s really just a clip.
Jason Cipriani / CNET
Are there any app clips I can check out?
Yes! We haven’t found many of them yet, but Panera Bread and ChibiStudio have app clips that show a wide range of potential use cases for clips. For its part, Panera will show you the menu for a local location and allow you to order directly from Apple Maps, while the ChibiStudio application clip will allow you to create your own personal avatar, or chibi, without downloading the full application.
You can find the clip of the Panera application by opening Apple Maps on your iPhone and searching and viewing the details of a Panera Bread location. Near the top of the details panel will be a button labeled Order Food; tap it, followed by Open. You are now using an application clip.
As for ChibiStudio, you will need to visit the app’s website on your iPhone and tap the Play on the banner at the top of the screen.
Signing in with Apple makes it easy to create a new account within an app.
Screenshot by Jessica Dolcourt / CNET
If it is not the complete application, how do I create an account?
Clips will use the “Sign in with Apple“which made its debut last year with the release of iOS 13. The service creates an account for you, linking it to your Apple ID, forgoing the need for you to come up with a new password. And if you want, even You can hide your email address from the service, keeping your personal information private and preventing you from receiving more spam.
How are payments made in App Clips?
App Clips will use any debit or credit card you have added to Apple Pay.
How do I add an application clip?
You can add an application clip to your iPhone in different ways. App clips can be a link on a business website, shared in an iMessage conversation, on a business listing on Apple Maps, or by tapping an NFC tag on your phone or scanning a QR code with the Camera app.
Apple also created specialized app clip codes that let you know that it will add the miniaturized version of the app if you scan it.
After viewing the information for an application clip, which appears at the bottom of the screen as a small card, you can tap Open to add the clip to your phone.
Once a clip is added to your phone, you won’t have to go through the process of adding it back to your iPhone the next time you want to use it, unless of course you’ve deleted it after you’re done.
App clip codes will be everywhere soon.
Screenshot by Jason Cipriani / CNET
Where do I find the app clips I have added?
App clips won’t clutter up your home screen like normal app icons do. Instead, you can find them in the new app library that made its debut in iOS 14. You can easily identify app clips because they have a dotted border around the app icon.
the Application library It acts as an app drawer, organizing installed apps and clips into folders by category.
The app library in iOS 14 will hide your app clips.
Jason Cipriani / CNET
What are app clips for?
You’ll be able to use App Clips to join the waiting list at a nearby restaurant, make a reservation, or even go through the initial setup process for a connected device like an Instant Pot or smart bulb.
It is up to developers to find new ways to use App Clips with their applications. Maybe you can use App Clips to find out what song is playing, try a new photo filter, or upload a quick video to a social network.
You can use App Clips to view all kinds of information.
Apple
Am I stuck with just one application clip? Or can I upgrade to the full application?
At any time you can download and install the full application if you need to do more than what the application clip provides. For example, if after configuring your smart bulb you want to connect it to other services or take full control, you can install the full application from the App Store.
How do I delete an application clip?
App removal in iOS 14 has changed and it can get confusing, and app clips don’t help. You will find any clips you have used in the recently added folder of the app library, and you would logically think that you could long press the icon to enter motion mode and then tap the X to delete. But that is not the case.
Instead, you should go to Settings > App clips where you will find a list of all currently available app clips on your iPhone, and have the option to delete them individually or all at once.
Otherwise, your iPhone will automatically delete a clip if it is not used for 30 days.
If you’ve found an app clip somewhere and think it’s worth sharing, let us know in the comments below. We have been using iOS 14 for a while and have found one handful of features we love, including the new customizable widget and even some hidden features which are quite amazing.
