What Is an iPhone App Clip?
App Clips are a feature of iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 and up. They deliver small pieces of functionality from an app to you when you need them without forcing you to download the entire app. Think of it this way: Let’s say you want to rent a scooter or bike from one of those roadside kiosks. With an App Clip, you don’t have to download the full app. Instead, you just download a small part of the larger app which includes only the features you need right then (creating an account, paying, and unlocking the scooter or bike). With the App Clip, you’ll be done much faster, and with less data used, than with a normal app. App Clips work on the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad.
How Do I Get an iOS App Clip?
There will be a bunch of ways to get App Clips:
App Clip code: The image above shows Apple’s new App Clip code. When you see one of these symbols in a store or at a location, just scan it with your device’s Camera app and you’ll be prompted to install the App Clip linked to the code. QR code: Boring old QR codes can be used to trigger App Clip downloads. NFC: For iPhones with Near-Field Communication (NFC) wireless chips—that’s the iPhone 6 series and newer—tapping your iPhone on an NFC-enabled location will prompt an App Clip download. Geo-location in Maps: App Clips can also be tied to specific locations. So, if you’re checking out a store, transportation, facility, museum, or other location the Apple Maps app, an App Clip could be suggested to you. Safari and Messages: Websites in Safari can prompt you to download an App Clip. App Clips can also be shared via the Messages app.
How to Use Apple App Clips on iOS 14
When you’re ready to use an App Clip, here’s what to do:
Will I Have a Ton of App Clips Cluttering up My iPhone or iPad?
No. First of all, App Clips can only be a maximum of 10 MB. This ensures they’ll download quickly (after all, quick access to a feature is the main goal here), but also that they won’t take up a lot of space on your device. Even better, the 10 MB App Clip is automatically deleted from your device 30 days after you download it (though you’ll be able to manually delete App Clips the same way you delete apps, too). Lastly, App Clips don’t download to your home screen, so they won’t take up space there. All App Clips are automatically downloaded to your iPhone App Library.
Do I Need an Account to Use App Clips?
Most of the scenarios in which you’d use an App Clip would also require creating an account if you were using a full app. But if App Clips are supposed to be faster and easier than full apps, how does creating an account work? App Clips use Apple’s Sign In With Apple feature, which was introduced in iOS 13. This feature lets you create secure, private, one-off accounts with just one button tap. Sign In With Apple accounts are protected by Touch ID or Face ID, so you’ll just tap the account button, authenticate yourself, and your account will be up and running.
How Do I Make Payments With App Clips?
App Clips use Apple Pay for in-app payments. So, you don’t need to enter any new payment information or perform any additional payment verification steps to use App Clips. Just use Apple Pay like normal and the payment card on file in your Apple ID will be charged.
How Do I Find App Clips on My iPhone or iPad?
Apple also introduced in iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 the App Library feature which makes it easy to browse through the apps installed on your device. App Clips are sorted into the usual categories there along with other apps, and also available in the Recently Added section. You can tell an App Clip from a regular app because the App Clip has a dotted outline around the app icon.
