Inside App Extensions

6 years ago

Apple and the Bot War on Apps

A new media narrative is unfolding, replete with statistics all seeking to provide evidence that Apple's success with native apps is over. There's no clear agreement on what exactly will take over—Chat Bots, Voice Assistants, the Web, Augmented Reality or some new and unknown successor—but it is clear that the loser must be Apple. It has to be, because it's desperately needed by Apple's rivals.

By Daniel Eran Dilger | 6 years ago

New third party iOS 10 App Extensions designed to extend Siri, Maps in tandem

6 years ago

New third party iOS 10 App Extensions designed to extend Siri, Maps in tandem

Developers building support for their ride sharing apps to plug into iOS 10's Siri can be supported within Maps as well, thanks to integrated efforts between the two teams to share a mechanism for deciphering and responding to user intent, whether driven by voice or the multitouch interface.

By Daniel Eran Dilger | 6 years ago

iOS 10 cracks open Apple's Siri voice assistance to third party apps

6 years ago

iOS 10 cracks open Apple's Siri voice assistance to third party apps

Two years ago, Apple introduced App Extensions to enable third party developers to add system-wide features using a secure new architecture. This year, iOS 10 brings App Extensions to Siri, enabling developers to teach Siri how to expand its capabilities.

By Daniel Eran Dilger | 6 years ago

Safari 10 brings fast, native App Extensions to the macOS browser, web content

6 years ago

Safari 10 brings fast, native App Extensions to the macOS browser, web content

Building on work completed last year to enable Web Content Blockers, Apple's new Safari 10 enables a wide range of native code App Extensions that users can automatically obtain and update through the Mac App Store, contributing to faster performance, enhanced security and better reliability.

By Daniel Eran Dilger | 6 years ago

Previewing Apple's WWDC 2016: Big news for iOS 10, iPhone 7, new iPad Pro

6 years ago

Previewing Apple's WWDC 2016: Big news for iOS 10, iPhone 7, new iPad Pro

Rumors of iPhone 7 have so far revolved around purportedly leaked schematics and part images, which only allude to obvious potential hardware changes (a dual lens camera, an iPad Pro-like Smart Connector and replacing the legacy headphone jack with Lightning). However, many of Apple's biggest iPhone leaps have been externally invisible, driven by software advances unlocking the power of advanced silicon hardware inside, many of which debuted at WWDC.

By Daniel Eran Dilger | 6 years ago

Inside App Extensions: WebKit Content Blockers extend user privacy in iOS 9, OS X Safari 9

7 years ago

Inside App Extensions: WebKit Content Blockers extend user privacy in iOS 9, OS X Safari 9

Last year, Apple introduced App Extensions to enable third party developers to add system-wide features using a secure new architecture. This year, iOS 9 and OS X El Capitan introduce a new Content Blockers category of App Extensions, specifically targeting Safari.

By Daniel Eran Dilger | 7 years ago

Developers of PCalc, Nomi run afoul of Apple's evolving iOS 8 App Store policies

8 years ago

Developers of PCalc, Nomi run afoul of Apple's evolving iOS 8 App Store policies

Apple's platform policies for iOS, OS X and their respective App Stores have occasionally irked developers or even wildly disrupted their businesses. The latest collision involves a retroactive ban on widget calculators and tightened WiFi privacy rules for iOS, as Apple issues new rules for apps using Apple Pay and TestFlight.

By Daniel Eran Dilger | 8 years ago

Inside iOS App Extensions: Apple opens up social Share Sheets to third parties

8 years ago

Inside iOS App Extensions: Apple opens up social Share Sheets to third parties

At WWDC, Apple unveiled a new App Extension architecture for both iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite. Here's how the new feature enables new and existing web services to extend iOS and OS X to support social sharing of documents, websites, photos and other media.

By Daniel Eran Dilger | 8 years ago

Inside iOS App Extensions: Apple, Inc's new Widgets & Keyboards similar to Android's, but secure

8 years ago

Inside iOS App Extensions: Apple, Inc's new Widgets & Keyboards similar to Android's, but secure

At WWDC, Apple unveiled a new App Extension architecture for both iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite. Here's how the new extensions enable a new type of widgets in Notification Center for both platforms, along with enabling third party Custom Keyboards for iOS.

By Daniel Eran Dilger | 8 years ago