There was one announcement from today's WWDC event [1] you might've missed. It's a small release with huge potential: a new set of tools for developers [2] shipping with iOS 8 [3]. There's over 4,000 new possibilities (or "APIs," in engineering lingo) for future iOS apps, including crazy keyboard alternatives and using Touch ID to log in to third-party applications.
This small, very technical announcement means that we, as normal everyday users, will have way more options and control with how we use our phones. Apple is finally loosening its grip on integrating non-Apple third-party apps into the existing Safari, Maps, and Photos apps we love and use every day.
Source: Apple [4]
Log In to Everything With Touch ID
Only Apple's official apps (App Store, iTunes, etc.) could make use of the iPhone 5S's fingerprint-scanning technology. Now, for the first time, third-party apps (like Mint or Facebook) can use Touch ID to log in, instead of typing a password.
The app does not store your personal fingerprint data. Rather, your fingerprint will unlock a username and password stored in your phone, like Keychain. So your unique fingerprint is never accessed by other apps. It stays safe in your iPhone 5S.
Source: Apple [5]
Integrate Our Favorite Apps, Everywhere
Soon, you'll be able to apply VSCO Cam [6] filters without having to leave Camera Roll (shown on the right). You will even be able to translate a webpage via Bing in Safari, without having to open up a separate app.
It's all part of a feature available to developers called Extensions. This allows app-makers to do three different things:
- Embed their own filters and editing tools into the iOS Photos app.
- Create "custom actions" (like translate this text, bookmark this webpage to Pocket, etc.) for the iOS 8 control center (what you see when you swipe up from the bottom).
- Add "widgets" to Notification Center (the window that drops down when you swipe down from the top) that are automatically updated with sports scores of package deliveries.
Source: Apple [7]
Use Crazy Keyboards That Look Like This
Those who use Android will already recognize this "swipe-style" keyboard [8] that allows users to input text without lifting their fingers. Developers will finally be able to create new types of keyboards like this one, to improve the iPhone typing experience.
Source: Apple [9]
Watch Apple's Love Letter to Developers, "Apps I Can't Live Without"
