Launch Center: The $0.99 App for Time-Saving iPhone Hacks

Launch Center is a game-changing app for iOS that offers an easy way to create shortcuts. Keeping all the shortcuts in one handy list and accessible from the Notification Center of your device, makes accessing frequently-used functions much faster. Launch Center allows users to create shortcuts for a wide range of actions like making an email, call, or SMS to someone, tweeting, or even turning on the iPhone’s flashlight. However, the real power of Launch Center lies in the ability to schedule and customize these shortcuts to further streamline the iOS experience. Here are seven useful hacks for Launch Center that help save time while using your iPhone.

1. Add Tasks to Your Inbox

For users who frequently rely on task apps, Launch Center allows a smooth integration from your device. Simply add a new “Launch Website/App” shortcut with the URL: omnifocus:///add? for a blank task in your OmniFocus inbox. If you use another task app that follows the iOS url scheme, you could add similar shortcuts.

2. Launching Apps

For users with too many apps to manage on a screen, Launch Center offers a simple solution. Most apps have a URL associated with them, and users can check on the developers’ sites for the URLs for their apps. A new shortcut to launch an app can be created in Launch Center.

3. Reminders and Processes

Setting reminders for frequent apps or tasks is easier with Launch Center. Users can create custom app launcher schedules for any app, like Reeder, and schedule it to open at a specific time every day. You can also set reminders for SMSs, calls, Google searches, or any task that you want to accomplish daily.

4. Custom Searches

If you frequently search for something, it’s time to create your custom search with Launch Center. Simply create a new “Launch Website/App” shortcut, name and add your search URL. For instance, searching for the weather in a particular place requires a URL search format, and Launch Center can help with that query.

5. Launch iOS Settings

With iOS settings, one can set up shortcuts that can be accessed, even offline. Launch Center lets you create a “Launch Website/App” shortcut that uses the iOS “prefs” shortcut to open up settings. There are several settings available like Bluetooth, brightness, and iCloud storage, amongst others.

6. Launch Custom Actions inside of Apps

If an app has a URL scheme, then it can be created as a shortcut in Launch Center. This is useful for actions inside apps, and favorites, like Tweetbot, have a great URL scheme for iOS.

7. Find businesses with Google Maps

Create a new LC”Launch Website/App” shortcut to find business near you. For instance, find the nearest Starbucks to your location with a query like: http://maps.google.com/map?CURRENTLOCATION&q=starbucks. Change the query for “mexican+food” or other businesses you want to locate.

Conclusion

Launch Center is an excellent productivity tool for iOS that can save a lof of time. Although it’s not perfect, and it has some limitations, it can streamline many of the everyday tasks on iPhones. In short, Launch Center is a game-changer, and its affordable price makes it an indispensable addition to any iPhone.