At yesterday’s keynote, Apple announced several new features and improvements for iOS 8 and gave us a glimpse at some other features that are set to be included in the next version of Apple’s mobile operating system.
One feature that wasn’t given any airtime is iOS 8′s ability to display an app on the lock screen based on the user’s location. MacRumors has posted screenshots from readers running iOS 8 who have seen appropriate app icons appear on the bottom left corner of the lock screen, such as at Starbucks or Apple Stores (as seen above).
While at a Starbucks, for example, the Starbucks app icon is displayed on the lock screen, which allows a Starbucks Passbook card to be easily accessed.
The feature is seemingly not limited to these two types of store or even major retailers. As one Twitter user noted that he saw a relevant app appear when he was at the train station, shown below.
So I’m at the train station and #iOS8 shows me my most(?) use app! #nearby #app pic.twitter.com/kPLnYvr7xo
— Cyril Gabathuler (@gabac) June 3, 2014
It is not yet clear exactly how this feature works, or which apps it is compatible with, but the iOS 8 release notes mention the location based apps as a part of iOS Location Services: “When Location Services is turned on, the device’s current location is used to recommend relevant apps on the lock screen.”
Presumably, the feature will be disabled if the user turns of Location Services. As we head towards public availability of iOS 8 in the fall, we will likely hear more about this location-based feature.
At this stage, it certainly seems like a clever way of predictively providing iPhone users with the app they are most likely to need at a specific location.
Would this be a feature you’d like to see in the public version of iOS 8 in the fall? Let us know in the comments
