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3rd party widgets

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The first post of this thread is a WikiPost and can be edited by anyone with the appropiate permissions. Your edits will be public.
Very few bigger name apps producing Home Screen Widgets. Most of the ones I already only work in the older Widget screen and don't have a use in Home Screen format, mostly because Apple chose to make Home Screen Widgets NOT have an interactive aspect to them, they simply launch the app, so the Widget doesn't get you anywhere.

I suppose if I really want to leverage my iPhone, I have to see if I can learn the use of the Shortcuts app better and see if that gives me some of the features I've been missing.
 
iOS 14 was an amazing update. I am totally mesmerized by the look of the apps. Also, the biggest changes is the calling function.
 
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Rafterman said:
Its going to take months before we start seing decent widgets from developers
Click to expand...
Apple has idiots running things when it comes to software. You can't make anything decent unless you build that very very decent app yourself since you can't point to another app from your widget, only to your own app. It is ridiculous and has nothing todo with battery. I'm tired of hearing this nonsense every year.
 
Apple cake said:
Apple has idiots running things when it comes to software. You can't make anything decent unless you build that very very decent app yourself since you can't point to another app from your widget, only to your own app. It is ridiculous and has nothing todo with battery. I'm tired of hearing this nonsense every year.
Click to expand...

But Launcher widget by Cromulent Labs can launch third party apps and actions via their (homescreen) widget and I also can't find it on the widget developer page that you aren't allowed to refer to another app from the widget?

Apple cake said:
Lots of useless crap widgets and no proper widget that would replace "up Next".
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I can recall this recent tweet from Federico which listed some possible alternatives in the responses such as:

- Widget Wizard
- Eventually
- Various Countdown widgets as listed in the start wiki post.
 
Apple cake said:
Apple has idiots running things when it comes to software. You can't make anything decent unless you build that very very decent app yourself since you can't point to another app from your widget, only to your own app. It is ridiculous and has nothing todo with battery. I'm tired of hearing this nonsense every year.
Click to expand...

Yep. They're idiots. Trillion plus dollar idiots. I'd be willing to wager that that some of your money is in their coffers, as well. So, they're idiots that you give your money to, correct? Just checking.
 
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dwfaust said:
Yep. They're idiots. Trillion plus dollar idiots. I'd be willing to wager that that some of your money is in their coffers, as well. So, they're idiots that you give your money to, correct? Just checking.
Click to expand...

They aren'y idiots, but sometimes I think they lack common sense. No widget for alarns? No widget that shows steps? (probably one of the most monitored health stats)
 
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dwfaust said:
Yep. They're idiots. Trillion plus dollar idiots. I'd be willing to wager that that some of your money is in their coffers, as well. So, they're idiots that you give your money to, correct? Just checking.
Click to expand...
Your old and beaten to death "argument" is ridiculous and has nothing to do with technical things discussed here. When you are woking on a new iOS version why would you remove "Up next" functionality or long press on FaceTime/Phone app to reach your favourites? It is ridiculous. Why wouldn't you allow me to point to another app directly from my widget? Why do I need to open shortcuts app to initiate a FaceTime call from my widget? Why isn't there a widget made by Apple to replace lost functionality? Get a clue.
 
Can you provide support for that please? When Launcher requires Apple Shortcuts it will pass through the Shortcuts app. Also in the app it will indicate that it requires Shortcuts. It's quite noticeable. When it launches an app via URL scheme it is able to do it directly. Which it appears to do for apps it directly supports.

Apple cake said:
Most things are done using Shortcuts.
Click to expand...
 
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Apple cake said:
Your old and beaten to death "argument" is ridiculous and has nothing to do with technical things discussed here. When you are woking on a new iOS version why would you remove "Up next" functionality or long press on FaceTime/Phone app to reach your favourites? It is ridiculous. Why wouldn't you allow me to point to another app directly from my widget? Why do I need to open shortcuts app to initiate a FaceTime call from my widget? Why isn't there a widget made by Apple to replace lost functionality? Get a clue.
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I have a clue. My post wasn't an "argument". It was fact.

My point is that you continue to feed the Apple monster that you obviously think is wrong on so many fronts. Got it.
 
Specific to Steps, since an API was already available, perhaps Apple simply decided to let third parties make a widget for it. Which has happened.


dwfaust said:
I would agree with this. Apple has made it share of missteps...
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Paco II said:
Specific to Steps, since an API was already available, perhaps Apple simply decided to let third parties make a widget for it. Which has happened.
Click to expand...
Which, if that is a deliberate strategy, is a smart one as it helps their argument that they're not an illegal monopoly
 
Rafterman said:
They aren'y idiots, but sometimes I think they lack common sense. No widget for alarns? No widget that shows steps? (probably one of the most monitored health stats)
Click to expand...

As for steps, a couple of third party widgets will let you view steps including Widget wizard and wwidgeridoo

I’m wondering why Apple didn’t make an alrm widget,, phone widget, iMessage widget or even a mail widget?
 
Paco II said:
Can you provide support for that please? When Launcher requires Apple Shortcuts it will pass through the Shortcuts app. Also in the app it will indicate that it requires Shortcuts. It's quite noticeable. When it launches an app via URL scheme it is able to do it directly. Which it appears to do for apps it directly supports.
Click to expand...
Let’s say I want a widget to call my wife on FaceTime. I have to option:

1. use launcher to open FaceTime “directly” and call specific email/phone number. The only problem you will get an extra dialogue window with call/cancel buttons. Something apple introduced in iOS 11.

2. use shortcuts app in this caseyou need to create a shortcut in shortcuts app that calls specific person then use launcher to launch shortcuts app which in turn runs that shortcut.

neiher is ideal compared to long press on FaceTime app and just calling.
 
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Sure, for actions you need the Shortcuts app. But your earlier post implied that Launcher uses Shortcuts for even just launching apps. That is not the case.


Apple cake said:
Let’s say I want a widget to call my wife on FaceTime. I have to option:

1. use launcher to open FaceTime “directly” and call specific email/phone number. The only problem you will get an extra dialogue window with call/cancel buttons. Something apple introduced in iOS 11.

2. use shortcuts app in this caseyou need to create a shortcut in shortcuts app that calls specific person then use launcher to launch shortcuts app which in turn runs that shortcut.

neiher is ideal compared to long press on FaceTime app and just calling.
Click to expand...
 
Paco II said:
Sure, for actions you need the Shortcuts app. But your earlier post implied that Launcher uses Shortcuts for even just launching apps. That is not the case.
Click to expand...
I want to open clock with a launcher 5 how do I do that without involving shortcuts?

Please show me steps maybe I’m blind.
 
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If you go into Launcher and search for Clock you'll clearly see the Shortcuts icon on the right indicating that it will require the use of Shortcuts. Within the 'Directly launchable' section the majority of apps you can launch on Launcher show the Plus sign indicating you do not need to use Shortcuts because they instead use URL Schemes to directly launch the app. To support all the apps that don't have URL Schemes to allow a direct launch of the app, Launcher added Shortcuts support to fill the gap.


Apple cake said:
I want to open clock how do I do that without involving shortcuts?

Please show me steps maybe I’m blind.
Click to expand...
 
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