Tapping one of the spaces launches the specific action, whether that involves something that can be accomplished without leaving (like turning on the flashlight or adjusting the screen brightness) or jettisoning off to one of its many supported apps. The interface consists of 15 squares inside which you can place groups or actions.

And it might be another three years before anything comes close.īehind the scenes of Launch Center Pro’s simple interface lies a powerful system of shortcuts.įor a powerful productivity app, Launch Center Pro’s simplicity is stunning. If not for Launch Center Pro ($5), the idea of the iOS launcher would probably still be in the planning stages.Ĭontrast might not have been the first developer to make one, but it was certainly the first to get it right, and nearly three years after its debut, Launch Center Pro is still the one to beat. For example, I can use iOS to devise a pretty easy way to call my wife-set her up as a favorite contact, enter the multitasking carousel, find her name at the top, tap, and select the phone icon-but with a launcher app I can boil that whole process down to a single tap. While they’re not quite as powerful or convenient as the ones on our Macs (mostly due to the lack of keyboard shortcuts), launchers on iPhone are little gems of efficiency, condensing series of actions and complex taps into literal easy buttons, and saving our fingers from their routine daily calisthenics. Where Apple’s solutions add up to little more than secret passages and hidden shortcuts, launchers provide a centralized place where we can manage and organize our favorite apps and everyday tasks into a single, contained system. Launcher apps take this concept to another level.

Power users can manipulate iOS to do their bidding: We can launch apps, make calls, and send messages without needing to jump through a single home screen hoop, thanks to a little help from the Notification Center, Siri, and even Spotlight. IOS navigation has matured to the point where it doesn’t matter where our apps are hiding anymore-with a swipe and a few taps we can navigate through the deepest of folders in just a few seconds.

T launcher for ios