iOS 14 might let you try out apps before installing them
A new feature called Clips
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Code spotted in an early build ofiOS 14suggests thatAppleis working on a new feature called Clips, which would let you test out dynamic and interactive content from apps without actually installing them.
As9to5Macreports, the idea is that you could watch a video fromYouTube, for example, without actually having YouTube installed. Users would be able to try out various features before they commit to downloading the app.
Based on the Clips API, it would kick into action when you scanned a QR code or tapped on a link for an app that wasn’t installed on your iPhone. In addition to YouTube, apps for Yelp, DoorDash, OpenTable and PS4 Second Screen are specifically referenced in the code.
App developers will need to specify in the App Store which parts of their apps are available before installing. There will then be the option to install the full app, if required. A similar sort of tech is available in Android with Slices.
What’s coming in iOS 14
Like everything else that has been spotted in theiOS 14code ahead of time, Apple may decide to scrap the idea between now and June, when we’re expecting the first official preview of what the software will bring.
Previous leaks have suggested that Apple is thinking of adding extra home screen andwallpaper customizationsto iOS 14. We’ve also seen hints of changes comingto the app switcher.
iOS 14is expectedto be compatible with all the iPhones that can currently run iOS 13, which would mean everything since theiPhone 6Sfrom late 2015 and theiPhone SEwhich launched in 2016. It’s always possible this could change, but we haven’t heard that more phones will be left off the upgrade list.
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We traditionally get our first look at new iOS versions at Apple’s annualWWDCevent, held at the start of June. This year’s event has beencalled offin the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, though Apple’s announcements are likely to still arrive around the same time.
Dave is a freelance tech journalist who has been writing about gadgets, apps and the web for more than two decades. Based out of Stockport, England, on TechRadar you’ll find him covering news, features and reviews, particularly for phones, tablets and wearables. Working to ensure our breaking news coverage is the best in the business over weekends, David also has bylines at Gizmodo, T3, PopSci and a few other places besides, as well as being many years editing the likes of PC Explorer and The Hardware Handbook.
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