To rent a scooter or order a take-out meal, you no longer need to download an application on your iPhone. With App Clips, Apple offers to use only the functions you need without downloading the entire application.
As expected, Apple took advantage of WWDC 2020 to unveil iOS 14 , the next version of the operating system that will equip the iPhone and iPad from this fall . There are many new features, such as the arrival of widgets on the home screen, the picture-in-picture or even CarKey to open your car with your phone.
But what caught our attention was App Clips: “App” as an application and “Clips” as a portion or piece. So these are “pieces of applications” that allow you to use an application without downloading it. More precisely, we download most of an application to get an overview. A kind of test before downloading.
A QR Code or an SMS to start the installation
It is even better than a trial since it will be possible to take advantage of a function linked to an application for a specific need such as an online purchase, the reservation of a scooter or the payment of a parking space. Instead of downloading an application that weighs several hundred MB, we get a light version with only the function that interests us. No need to register or create an account since it’s ” Connection with Apple ” which allows you to identify and authenticate.
In its demonstration, Apple specifies that these App Clips can be accessible via a QR Code , contactless ( NFC ), an SMS or directly in the Safari browser . For example, in a shop or on an advertising poster, the QR Code is scanned , and only the function of the application is downloaded. Then, on the device, all the App Clips are gathered in the same folder for later use.