Master iOS launchers

Create shortcuts to your favorite things

Modern iOS devices give you shortcuts for triggering actions within certain apps. You can have Siri send a message to a specific contact, or use Quick Actions from some app icons to rapidly access things you do most often. Launch Center Pro ($4.99), though, utilizes a more traditional iOS input mechanism, having you define and use shortcuts on a grid-based layout that echoes an iOS Home screen.

The app comes with a number of useful pre-configured shortcuts, including tweeting your most recent photo or adding a new event to Fantastical. It also offers shortcut groups – these work by you pressing an icon (Photos, Bookmarks, Search, and so on) and simply sliding across to the relevant action you require. Existing items can be deleted or amended and new ones created in Edit mode. Tap the pencil icon, select a slot, and use Launch Center Pro’s Action Composer to browse available actions and select the ones you require. For example, you can create a shortcut for single-tap access to the Storage & iCloud section buried in Settings within a few moments.

The app must be open to view all your shortcuts, but you can place it in the Dock for faster access. It’s also possible to add some shortcuts to Launch Center Pro’s Today view widget, and a handful to the app’s Quick Actions menu. If you want something simpler, however, check out Launcher with Notification Center Widgets (Free, $2.99 pro IAP), which is specifically targeted at Notification Center. You use the app component only for configuration, to set up groups of shortcuts for things like contacts, apps, music, web pages, or system functions. These then appear in Today view, giving you speedy access to anything from disk space details to oft-used directions.