App Clips is one of the main features of iOS 14 because it allows users to download a smaller version of an app to perform a specific task. Although it was presented at WWDC 2020, some users and developers may have wondered how it will work, as App Clips were not available until iOS 14 beta 5. Read more as we explain how the feature will work on iOS 14 when it is officially available to the public.
9to5Mac first unveiled this feature months before WWDC 2020 based on an early build of iOS 14 which we accessed. As we described then, an App Clip is a “new way to offer specific parts of third-party apps across the system without having to be installed.”
In other words, you can access parts of an app without ever having to install it on your iPhone or iPad. These small apps, as you might expect, offer limited features as they are focused on simple and fast tasks.
Apps can offer app clips for different purposes. They can be activated by the following methods:
- Apple’s App Clip Codes
- NFC tags
- QR codes
- Safari App Banners
- Links in posts
- Put cards in cards
Let’s say you find a restaurant in the Apple Maps app and you want to order some of it. If this restaurant offers an app clip, you do not need to download and install the full app from the App Store. Instead, the Maps app will load only part of the app with the menu and payment options. You can order everything directly from the Maps app with just a few taps.
The same thing works if a friend sends you the link to an app you have not installed on your iPhone or iPad, or if you have to pay for a shared scooter ride but do not have an app for it. The corresponding App Clip will appear on the screen of your device with exactly the features you need at that moment.
App Clips can offer integration with Apple Pay, so you do not have to enter your credit card information when using it. It can also check the user’s location and provide push notifications for eight hours after you use them. Allows you to close the view of the clip and still receive related warnings.
All recently used app clips can be easily accessed through the new page of the app library, which will have a new special section. From there, users can also install the full versions of those apps.
When a user installs the corresponding app from an app clip, the entire app replaces the app clip. From now on, each call launches the full app instead of the app clip, and the user gets the functionality of the app clip in the full app. If the user does not install the full app, the system automatically removes the app clip after a period of inactivity.
However, keep in mind that App Clips will not be widely available during the beta period of iOS 14 beta. That’s because, just like any other app, App Clips must be approved by Apple, and the company will only accept apps with this feature if iOS 14 is available to the public later this year. Besides that, the feature was not available at all until the fifth beta release of iOS 14.
Wrap up
As you can see, the App Clips feature is definitely a great way for developers to try out new apps for users before downloading their full versions in the App Store. They are also handy for installing fewer apps on your device if you do not use them often.
The official release of iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 is expected this fall. Read more about what’s new in iOS 14 in our full guide here 9to5Mac.
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