How To Use iOS 8 App Extensions

In this video episode, How To Use iOS 8 App Extensions. Check Out How To Use iOS 8's Six Types of App Extensions for an iPhone and iPad.

TRANSCRIPT:

In this Episode: How To Use iOS 8 App Extensions.

Brief Summary of iOS 8 App Extensions

1. Some Apps from the App store provides App extensions functionality for iPhone and iPad.
2. To use App Extensions, the App in question has to be downloaded from the App Store.
3. App Extensions are useful, in that, without having to exit a particular App you are currently working in, you are able to launch components of another app to use in your current one.
4. In order for App Extensions to work, they have to be activated or turned On.
5. App Extensions are optimized for iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite.

iOS 8 support six types of App Extensions. Extensions for Custom Keyboard, Today Widget, Photo and Video Editing, Share Option, Custom Action Option and Document Provider.

Demo time.

Sooooo…Let’s Get Started.

To gain a better understanding of these Six types of App Extensions, I’ll be using the following Apps shown here. All are available for free from the App Store with the exception of Scanner Pro, which is a paid app.

Therefore; assuming you have downloaded the following Apps, namely, SwiftKey, PCalc Lite, PIX2, Evernote, LassPass, and Scanner Pro, let’s proceed with the demo.

Type 1 Extension: Custom Keyboard - App: SwiftKey
After downloading SwiftKey, it needs to be activated to work. Tap Settings, press General, then Keyboard, and then Keyboards, finally tap SwiftKey and slide to Allow Full Access. Now; when typing anything, tapping on the Globe shown, you are able to cycle through available keyboards or briefly tap and hold down the Globe key to select keyboards from a list.

Type 2 Extension: Today Widget - App: PCalc Lite
To activate PCalc Lite calculator widget, slide down Notification Center, scroll down and tap the Edit Button and press the plus sign to activate PCalc lite widget, optionally reorganize the Widget as shown, Tap Done when finished.


Type 3 Extension: Photo Editing - App: PIX2
Apply filters and effects from another app when using the Photos or Camera app. To use Filters and Effects from the PIX2 app in Photos, PIX2 has to be turned on. Using the Photos app, choose a photo that you wish to edit, then tap the more icon shown here, then the More button, then turn on to activate.

Once activated, anytime you wish to apply filters from PIX2, simply tap More and then tap PIX2 Icon within the Photos app.

Type 4 Extension: Share Option - App: Evernote
To Share notes, photos, videos, websites pages and other contents, Evernote utilizes the Share extension, but to use it, it has to be turned on in Apps that utilizes it, like the Notes, Photos and Safari apps.

Using Safari, tap the Share Icon and from the Activity View Controller Window, simply tap the More button and slide to turn on, then tap Done. Once turned on, tap the Evernote Icon to save the Safari page of interest.

Type 5 Extension: Custom Action Option - App: LastPass
LastPass is a great password management app that uses the Custom Action Extension really well.

To Use Touch ID with LastPass to login certain web pages within Safari, it has to be turned on. Tap the Share Icon, then from the Action Sheet in the Activity View Window, tap More, then slide to turn on, and tap Done when finished.

Now, when logging on to Google, you are presented with the Touch ID Symbol to unlock LassPass to retrieve your sign in details.

and Finally; Type 6 Extension: Document Provider
Third-party apps like Scanner Pro by Readdle, utilizes the Document Provider Extension real well.

Scanner Pro has been optimized for iCloud Drive, all scanned files are automatically shared with iCloud Drive. Additionally, you are able to export files directly to a third party Cloud Storage provider like Dropbox.

To do so and assuming that you already have the Dropbox app on say your iPad, simply choose a scanned file and tap the share icon, then tap on More, then iCloud Export, then tap on Locations, then More and and slide to turn on Dropbox export. Tap Done when finished.

Now, anytime you want to export to Dropbox, simply tap on the following, share icon, More, iCloud Export, Locations and finally Dropbox. Now Simply choose where to export the file and tap the download icon to begin. To cancel download, tap on Done.

And that’s all there is to it, working with iOS 8 App Extensions couldn’t be more simple.

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Thanks and Peace.