How the iOS 14 update is going to change the app development scene?

The Apple Worldwide Developer Conference, or WWDC, of the current year unleashed some huge upgrades for developers and provided the world a teaser of the new and vibrant iOS 14 horizon. Basically, the conference gave a brief on Apple’s next-gen operating system for iPhones and iPod Touch (7-gen). The iOS 14 version is easily accessible for developers to beta-test now; and the final, refined iOS 14 has made it to the suitable iPhones and iPods on September 16 2020.

Undoubtedly, Apple’s iOS 14 is a game-changing update to have come from the iOS since its debut in June 2007. This write up will cover some of the significant upgrades of the latest iOS iteration and find out how it will transform the whole iOS application development ecosystem.

PERTINENT iOS 14 UPGRADES

The iOS 14 has given a big twist to the home screen design and included certain revolutionary features such as the upgrades to the current apps and Siri alterations. Along with that, certain modifications in the newest avatar of the iOS have also organized the entire iOS interface from beginning to end.

THE ASSISTANCE FOR CUSTOMIZED WIDGETS

To begin with, iOS 14 offers good assistance for widgets. At present, widgets can be dragged from the screen from the right side of your iPhone. Apart from dragging the widget, it can be pinned in several sizes anywhere on your home screens. As for widgets, there is a provision of a Smart Stack feature presently. As per this feature, the iOS will unleash its AI and ML beasts to ensure that the apt widget is surfaced on the screen on the basis of the device owner’s location, activity, and time. The new iOS version permits all home screen pages to show widgets that are customized for travel, sports, work, and many more things. Till iOS 13 version, the Today section kept all the widgets, but the same stands redesigned. Now the icing on the cake, there is a dedicated widget gallery where the users will be able to select new widgets and customize them as well.

THE ALL-NEW APP LIBRARY IS HERE

Swiping till the rear of the home screen pages, the user can access a very good App Library where the iOS organizes all the apps on the smartphone. The upgraded App Library can aid the user to get an organized view of every app on the phone; in the App Library, the iOS will divide all the applications in folders so as to find them with ease. In case of a new app downloaded, it will be placed in the App Library and the home screen will have a clutter-free appearance.

NEWLY DESIGNED APPLE MAPS

Apple Maps app has also been given a fresh iOS update. The new Maps app will now also offer an easy route for not only car owners but bikes as well. The current Maps will showcase in real time the flow of traffic on the route. This apart, the revamped app will display to the users all the hurdles on the way to their destination.

Also, the new Maps will provide details regarding charging stops to recharge the battery of electric vehicles.

APP CLIPS CAN CHANGE THE WAY IOS APPS ARE DOWNLOADED

Apple unleashes App Clips with iOS 14. As per the new feature, the users can benefit without having the whole app from the App Store. App Clips also enable various things such as buying a coffee, renting a scooter, reserving a restaurant table, and filling the parking meter merely by scanning a code.

According to Apple, App Clips assists users to unlock a minor part of the whole app experience devoid of downloading the whole app. This facilitates users to meet their imminent requirements minus consuming data on downloading the entire app. App Clips functions with native-designed NFC tags, App Clip codes, and QR codes which can be shared from Safari or in Messages.

ENHANCED SECURITY AND DATA PRIVACY

iOS 14 has strengthened security protocols and privacy options. The updated privacy safeguard features require the developers to seek permission prior to accessing any device on a local network. Further, iOS 14 assists users to adjust the accuracy of the location that they desire to share with a certain app. On top of this, each app should obtain user permission prior to monitoring them via websites. Each time an app tries to obtain access to the iPhone’s camera or microphone, a colored dot will be displayed on the left corner of the phone’s screen. Apple also has a Safari password monitoring system to make the users aware of any saved passwords being involved in a data breach. Also, there are several additions in the new version of the iOS as well. At present, let us go into how the latest version of iOS can transform app development.

CUSTOM WIDGETS TO CALL THE SHOTS

The freshly unveiled widgets assist iOS developers to enhance the user experience of the app. The developers can utilize the widgets for offering one-touch access to concerned app content. The widgets can drive and ease the way in-app navigation functions.

While designing any new iOS 14 widgets for an app, the developers have to offer it in several sizes. This manner, the developer can ensure that the users can tailor any widget as per their preferences. Also, the developers have to ensure that a widget of a certain size must showcase only a few segments of the information so that the entire widget does not come across as cluttered. In the end, for developers, the only aim of designing an app’s widget extensions will be to assist users spend bite-sized information on the go. Devising and keeping a configurable widget is no child's play, but Apple is offering detailed elucidations and documentation.

THE RISE OF APP CLIPS

App Clips ruffled a few feathers in the iOS app development community as its objective was not to make users download the entire version of an app. This is problematic for the development team as the success of its apps hinges on the total number of downloads. However, App Clips can bring a lot of users to an app than any other ways developers can ever think of. The app previews given by App Clips can be utilized as a form of cache to keep key information to be used as a suggestion the next time a user utilizes the preview of an app for a new transaction. As a start, a business should ensure that the development team devises a lighter version of the app solution for App Clips. Also, the development team should discover the apt technology through which App Clips can be unveiled; these technological building blocks usually comprise tapping into location-oriented suggestions from Maps or Siri, scanning an NFC tag, and the like. While building the lighter version of an app for App Clips, the developers should ensure the most critical app functionalities such as in-app purchases, the choice of feedback and document opening.

THE NEW MAPS OFFER HUMONGOUS PROSPECTS

The Apple Maps in a new avatar, has come up with a lot of opportunities. The new Maps offers advanced geolocation for developing app solutions that can benefit the customers many ways. For example: several businesses can exploit this potential to bring in with the spots that provide repair services and spare parts for bikes. In simple terms, the new Maps come with several business opportunities if the idea finds the requisite attention.

THE WAY FORWARD FOR LIVE APPS AFTER IOS 14 LAUNCHES

In case a business has a very good iOS solution, it is ideal to change it for enhancing the user experience. Ideally the business should ask its development team to analyze the app code for including certain new features that would be compatible with the latest iOS version. The crux is that the iOS app should adhere to the new trends for enhancing the user experience.

The time to refurbish an iOS application will hinge on the kind of options an enterprise would like to unveil.

One thing to consider while providing upgrades to an iOS app is the expenditure. The whole expense of tweaking the current iOS app to sync it perfectly with the latest iOS upgrade hinges on the amount of development hours the project would take. This implies that the price of effecting the changes to the current iOS solution would differ.

Preparing an already-live app to fully exploit the new iOS upgrade will consume some time and effort. What if you don't possess the time or expertise to handle the challenging app upgrade cycle alone? Then it makes complete sense to get a trusted iOS app development partner who can do the job with perfection.

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We have a team of iOS app developers having the ability to convert traditional portfolios into flexible and modular iOS assets. Our team has the assistance of advanced iOS app development frameworks that drive the solution’s time to market so that it offers an exemplary customer engagement. Due to high expertise in developing incredible iOS app solutions, we can handle the requests for including latest features in the app quickly. Irrespective of what it is, an iOS app’s enhancement for assisting enterprise agility or deploying fresh APIs or microservices, we can perform anything.