Phone app: what happened to favorites shortcut with long press?

[spinedoc77]

In iOS13 when you long pressed the phone app icon it would display your favorites so you could call right from there. In iOS14 that seems gone, long press now just gives you the options to view voicemail, create/search for contact and view most recent call. I can still get to favorites by clicking on the icon, but it was just so much nicer having that long press screen.

Anyone know if there is a way to get it back?

 

[adrianlondon]

It's not in iOS 14 (yet). Same with the FaceTime icon. There's also no Favourites widget.

 

[spinedoc77]

Following up with this I'm now on the full iOS14 release, non beta and this function is still missing!!! It makes no sense why they would go backwards on this.

 

[adrianlondon]

Yeah, it's still missing. I recently made a post in the iOS 14 bugs thread but it would've been more appropriate here.

iOS 14 ― Bug Fixes, Changes, and Improvements

Works quite well. I have a few folders (imaginatively called Folder1, Folder2 etc.) and I stack the widgets. I've had to create shortcuts for my frequently-called contacts to make up for the lack of Favourites widget or any options when long-pressing the FaceTime or Phone app icons...

forums.macrumors.com

 

[redbeard331]

Yea 3D Touch widgets have been gone since beta 1. One of my favorite things about iOS and Apple just removed it for no reason.

 

[2013.1]

Apple has a long history of making it easy and fast to make a call and ditching that again.

There are apps for favorite contacts.

 

[Yptcn]

Apple has a long history of making it easy and fast to make a call and ditching that again.

There are apps for favorite contacts.

Which ones are your favorites ?

 

[pacorob]

Which ones are your favorites ?

I would say Launcher by Cromulent Labs has been the best for that since iOS8.

 

[2013.1]

Which ones are your favorites ?

‎Favorite Contacts - Launcher

‎Du telefonierst oft und schreibst viele Nachrichten, sei es per SMS, WhatsApp, Facebook oder Telegram? Dann ist Contacts Launcher genau das Richtige für Dich! Contacts Launcher erleichtert dir den Alltag mit deinem iPhone. Egal wo, ob in einer App, oder im Sperr Bildschirm. Ziehe einfach die...

apps.apple.com

‎Favorite Contacts Launcher

‎+++ Eines der ersten Widgets jetzt GRATIS laden!! +++ Du telefonierst oft, schreibst viele WhatsApp-Nachrichten oder E-Mails? Dann ist Favorite Contacts genau das Richtige für Dich! Zeit sparen? Mitteilungszentrale herunterziehen, Kontakt wählen - fertig! Favorite Contacts ist ein Widget...

apps.apple.com

 

[protobiont]

Following up with this I'm now on the full iOS14 release, non beta and this function is still missing!!! It makes no sense why they would go backwards on this.

There seems to be a lot that Apple has gone backwards on with this release.

 

[spinedoc77]

I would say Launcher by Cromulent Labs has been the best for that since iOS8.

I have Launcher, it's a nice app but I really prefer the long press on the phone app way. For now Launcher is only on the widgets page, I'll be curious to see if they have any iOS14 refinements.

 

[pete480]

There seems to be a lot that Apple has gone backwards on with this release.

They do that a lot.

 

[pacorob]

I have Launcher, it's a nice app but I really prefer the long press on the phone app way. For now Launcher is only on the widgets page, I'll be curious to see if they have any iOS14 refinements.

It's a bit more steps yeah probably. Swipe right from home screen to widgets page then tap the contact and then select how you want to contact them. They do not offer such an option as part of press their app with 3D touch unfortunately. You might want to suggest that to the developer which is really interested in feedback and always sends me response.

The iOS14 widgets (homescreen and classic widgets) are currently in TestFlight. I'm still curious though if Apple will allow it on the homescreen and probably there are more limitations to it as far as interactivity on the homescreen.

Another option you might be more into this 3rd party app Shortcuts (Quick Open) (free) / Shortcuts+ (Quick Open) (paid version), then with the long press on the app there is also this third party app which offers to add 4 contacts. You do currently have to confirm once more though to call the number when you pressed the person. Although the reviews seem to suggest it doesn't work. I did get it working here with the free version. You could wonder though if you trust a third party to access your contacts. It was last updated in May. The widget it currently supports as well is btw for Notification Center not yet homescreen widget(s).

 

[Ansath]

It's a bit more steps yeah probably. Swipe right from home screen to widgets page then tap the contact and then select how you want to contact them. They do not offer such an option as part of press their app with 3D touch unfortunately. You might want to suggest that to the developer which is really interested in feedback and always sends me response.

The iOS14 widgets (homescreen and classic widgets) are currently in TestFlight. I'm still curious though if Apple will allow it on the homescreen and probably there are more limitations to it as far as interactivity on the homescreen.

Could just use the Shortcuts widget. I have it set up to my common contacts and the common contact method for each. I have one fullscreen version on the Today View and a 4x2 on my main screen. Works well.

So, don't see what Launcher would be stopped from doing similar.

 

[Yptcn]

Could just use the Shortcuts widget. I have it set up to my common contacts and the common contact method for each. I have one fullscreen version on the Today View and a 4x2 on my main screen. Works well.

So, don't see what Launcher would be stopped from doing similar.

I actually tried that with Shortcuts and was able to add one contact to be called through WhatsApp . I'm very happy about that , I had never been able to do this before .

 

[pacorob]

Could just use the Shortcuts widget. I have it set up to my common contacts and the common contact method for each. I have one fullscreen version on the Today View and a 4x2 on my main screen. Works well.

So, don't see what Launcher would be stopped from doing similar.

True but the size of those are huge or can the size be reduced to still show multiple icons in a small widget (area)? I love the fact that in the Notication Center I currently have an area with quite a few quick launches without taking too much space.

 

[adrianlondon]

True but the size of those are huge or can the size be reduced to still show multiple icons in a small widget (area)? I love the fact that in the Notication Center I currently have an area with quite a few quick launches without taking too much space.

The sizes are fixed. The 2x2 widget shows one (like a Fisher Price toy - maybe I should create one that makes a squeaking sound), the 4x2 widget shows 4 and the 4x4 one shows 8.

The old way, creating bookmarks, is simply one icon per shortcut (with the cool option of having no text underneath) but it runs the shortcuts app to open the shortcut.

 

[Yptcn]

Does anyone know how to confirm a call to favorites through Shortcuts ? If I click on a contact it calls directly. To avoid any accidental call it would be nice to be able to confirm the call .
Any help would be appreciated .

 

[adrianlondon]

Does anyone know how to confirm a call to favorites through Shortcuts ? If I click on a contact it calls directly. To avoid any accidental call it would be nice to be able to confirm the call .
Any help would be appreciated .

Mine open a menu where I can select whether to FaceTime Video, FaceTime Audio, or iMessage (or, depending on the contact, various options via WhatsApp). That acts as a kind of confirmation as clicking on the shortcut opens the menu which can be cancelled.

Use the "Choose from Menu" option under Scripting.

 

[spinedoc77]

Could just use the Shortcuts widget. I have it set up to my common contacts and the common contact method for each. I have one fullscreen version on the Today View and a 4x2 on my main screen. Works well.

So, don't see what Launcher would be stopped from doing similar.

I don't think it's the same, with the phone app I only have a single icon on my screen which means it's much less cluttered. I'm definitely aware there are many ways to easily add contacts through different apps and such, I just really liked having control over that with a single app icon. Apple values the long press actions on may of it's apps, that's why I'm confused something as useful as this was deprecated.

 

[Yptcn]

Mine open a menu where I can select whether to FaceTime Video, FaceTime Audio, or iMessage (or, depending on the contact, various options via WhatsApp). That acts as a kind of confirmation as clicking on the shortcut opens the menu which can be cancelled.

Use the "Choose from Menu" option under Scripting.

I’ll try that ,thank you so much.

 

[Ansath]

I don't think it's the same, with the phone app I only have a single icon on my screen which means it's much less cluttered. I'm definitely aware there are many ways to easily add contacts through different apps and such, I just really liked having control over that with a single app icon. Apple values the long press actions on may of it's apps, that's why I'm confused something as useful as this was deprecated.

My suggestion was just a workaround.

I don’t think it’s been deprecated, just that with them working on WidgetKit, they’d not got round to updating these to use the new WidgetKit yet. I’m sure it’ll come back, like the other Apple widgets that haven’t been converted yet.

 

[C DM]

My suggestion was just a workaround. I’m sure it’ll come back, like the other Apple widgets that haven’t been converted yet.

I think in this particular case with it being a 3D/Haptic Touch action on the app (icon), it's somewhat different from the widgets. It can certainly change and make a return, especially since similar actions are still there for the Messages app (icon), for example, but hard to say if that will be the case and/or if it will be associated in some way with the similar although separate widget (which isn't there so far).

 

[Ansath]

I think in this particular case with it being a 3D/Haptic Touch action on the app (icon), it's somewhat different from the widgets. It can certainly change and make a return, especially since similar actions are still there for the Messages app (icon), for example, but hard to say if that will be the case and/or if it will be associated in some way with the similar although separate widget (which isn't there so far).

I had seen in another thread a while back, that those used the same coding as the old style widgets.

 

[C DM]

I had seen in another thread a while back, that those used the same coding as the old style widgets.

Hopefully it will be easier for both to make a comeback in that case.