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Launcher returning to the App Store after controversial Today widget rejection last year

Launcher is coming back to the App Store, after a fracas with Apple late last year over the rules regarding widgets in the Today view of Notification Center. According to the developer, Greg Gardner, Apple has changed its mind on how widgets in Notification can function—something we’ve seen before. Launcher will be back in the App Store tomorrow.

It’s worth noting that the app was originally pulled because Apple said apps were not allowed to have widgets that launched other applications. Apple has seemingly had a change of heart, because the application is returning with the exact same features as six months ago. Read on for the full rundown on what happened.

According to Gardner, upon removal from the store he began working on variants of the program that would comply with Apple’s seemingly arbitrary guidelines and allow him to get some version of Launcher back listed in the App Store.

Gardner submitted versions of the app every month with different feature sets. “Most were rejected”. However, in January, he managed to appeal a review of Music Launcher. This was finally approved for release and is still available today. Note that Music Launcher does not actually launch any apps so there was no real reason for it to get rejected.

Anyway, spurred on by that ‘victory’, Gardner then tried to get ‘Contact Launcher’ approved. It uses URL schemes to perform actions like ‘call’, ’email’ and ‘FaceTime’. It was initially rejected but appeal overturned it once more.

As this did open other apps through URL schemes, Gardner was frustrated at how this was somehow allowed but the full Launcher wasn’t — despite being functionally identical. He contacted Apple for clarification. Apple told him they were going to re-review Launcher, and it eventually got approved, with no direct communication externally to developers that such functions are now allowed in Today view widgets.

According to Gardner, since the original removal, Apple has been very clear in saying that they may loosen the restrictions placed on Today widgets over time. Six months since the original set of rejections, Launcher will be available in the App Store tomorrow. You’ll be able to download it here when it becomes available.

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Comments

  1. Andrew Messenger - 9 years ago

    i use Launcher Pro every day. i’m glad it’ll be make its way back.

  2. Gazoo Bee - 9 years ago

    To me this is a bad thing. I think Apple made the (original) best decision when it opted to keep all this ugly widgety shit out of notifications.

    If you want to make an app, make a f*cking app.

    Do you use your car to store cold drinks and drive down the street in your refrigerator?

    • Andrew Messenger - 9 years ago

      Why in the actual f*ck do you care what I put in my notification center?

    • jimgramze - 9 years ago

      You don’t have to use it if you don’t want to.

      I see Launcher as a second-tier dock for most used apps without cluttering my home screen which I prefer to contain folders by function. It is a preference that we all can choose to use or not use.

    • o0smoothies0o - 9 years ago

      There are aspects of it which make it far faster than simply launching an app. Maybe you don’t understand how it works. You can set it up to immediately call a certain contact, or text them, or go into specific places in settings, etc. so all you’d do is swipe down and a single tap would make certain actions much, much, much faster. For example you don’t even have to leave an app, you could swipe down and tap and thus you eliminated the need to go back into the homesceen, then find and tap on the app, and then navigate to a certain part of the app and tap agai and again potentially.

      So to review: it can save a lot of time.

    • KamilG (@ChiCityKG) - 9 years ago

      This is going to sound absolutely insane, BUT…hear me out.

      How about you just don’t install the app and shut up? I know…I know. Then what are you going to complain about. Trust me, no one wants to hear it.

  3. samuelsnay - 9 years ago

    Aaaaaaand it’s gone (again).

Author

Avatar for Benjamin Mayo Benjamin Mayo

Benjamin develops iOS apps professionally and covers Apple news and rumors for 9to5Mac. Listen to Benjamin, every week, on the Happy Hour podcast. Check out his personal blog. Message Benjamin over email or Twitter.