Universal App Smart Launchers and URL Schemes. Enabling an app to be opened/launched from another

[Gidjit-SmartLauncher]

Hello

I have a free app on the App Store called Gidjit - Smart Launcher. Basically it allows you to launch apps and actions based on your environment from it’s widget or the app itself. There are also similar Launcher Apps with varying features. They're quite popular. Unfortunately not all apps can be launched as not all developers have added a URL scheme with their app. It is a very easy process, however some developers are unaware of the benefits and the process of adding a URL scheme so I just wanted to share.

In your app delegate add (Swift 3 implementation)

func application(_ application: UIApplication, handleOpen url: URL) -> Bool {
        return true
}

In your Project Settings (For visual see bottom or attached image)

1. Select the “Info” tab and scroll down to “URL Types”.
2. Press the “+” button
3. Add an identifier in the box labeled “Identifier”. I like to do reverse url scheme - com.AppName.myurlscheme
4. Add the scheme name to the text box “URL Schemes” in this case myurlscheme (myurlscheme can be anything of your choosing just make sure it is something not likely to already be used).

And thats it! The advantage of doing this simple process is your customers who also have an Launcher or Smart Launcher will be able to access your app from it. If you are not a developer and have a launcher that cannot currently open an app you have installed please send this information to the developer.

Thanks!

My launcher for example
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/gidjit-smart-launcher-with-widget/id1179176359?mt=8

Apple offers more information on URL Schemes here. There are also Universal Links, however that gets more complicated.

https://developer.apple.com/library....html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40007072-CH6-SW10