Go places with Launchers

>>> One of the great things about the Today view is the way it lets you get information right on the Lock screen, but with the right apps, you can turn it into a shortcut paradise. Apps such as Launch Center Pro are able to create Today view widgets that serve to launch apps or link to communication options, putting these just a tap away at all times. And you can go even further with apps such as Workflow, which are able to build complex tasks across apps and services, which you can then trigger with just a single press.

Let’s take a closer look at Launch Center Pro. You can build “Actions” in it, which are basically triggers for a series of tasks. For example, the excellent photo app Camera+ works with it, so you can set an action that’s just “Launch Camera+” – and you could then make this button available in the Today view, giving you a shortcut to that app. But you can also be more specific with the command, such as opening directly to a specific shooting mode within Camera+. Hundreds of apps have similar options.

You can also set shortcuts to do things such as making a FaceTime call or sending a WhatsApp message to a particular person, or to create a new Calendar entry – all from the Lock screen! These launcher apps can be confusing at first, but once you get used to them, they can save you a huge amount of time.