Developers of Launch Center Pro, the app that lets you create shortcuts for common actions, were asked by Apple to remove shortcuts to preinstalled iOS apps like Calendar, Game Center etc. since they are considered to be “Undocumented APIs.”
Because iOS doesn’t have a well-defined inter-app communication system, developers have to resort to using URL schemes to open apps. These URL schemes are unique for each app, and appear much like normal web URLs, except that the “http://” prefix is replaced by something else.
Apple wants Launch Center Pro to remove certain Apple app URLs, specifically, shortcuts to Calendar, FaceTime, FaceTime Audio, GameCenter, Music, Passbook, Videos, Reminders, and iTMS (App Store). Launch Center Pro developer David Barnard revealed this info in a series of tweets, embedded below:
Apple called to let me know that we are using “undocumented APIs” in @launchcenterpro and that we need to remove certain Apple app URLs.
— David Barnard (@drbarnard) October 15, 2013
The URLs will still work, but we have to remove Calendar, FaceTime, FaceTime Audio, GameCenter, Music, Passbook, Videos, Reminders, and iTMS
— David Barnard (@drbarnard) October 15, 2013
To be clear, these URLs will work just fine unless Apple actually removes them from their respective apps.
— David Barnard (@drbarnard) October 15, 2013
All of those URLs have one thing in common, they are apps that ship with iOS. Apple apps in the App Store seem to still be fair game.
— David Barnard (@drbarnard) October 15, 2013
While the developers might be compelled to remove those URLs, it seems existing shortcuts will continue to work, and users can always share these shortcuts with other users. It’s strange that Apple would want to cut down on the usage of these URLs, since although they’re undocumented, they’re in no way private.
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