What's New in iOS 14 - Developer's Take

In June 2020, at the Worldwide Developers Conference held in California, Apple announced the 14th version of iOS. User privacy and personal data use is the top priority in iOS 14, and this means developers must meticulously plan their app development strategies for retaining users’ trust. 

In this blog article, let’s take a look at some of the important changes expected in iOS 14, from a developer’s perspective.

Location Permissions

iOS 14 will feature updated permission prompts for enabling and disabling the ‘Precise Location’ mode of an app. With this feature, users will get the choice to share only their approximate location with the app, instead of their exact location (which was earlier the default option).

So, if you are developing a location-based app, then you must declare in a questionnaire (which will be made available by Apple) why you are requesting user location and also the type of location (approximate or precise) that need to be accessed.

Permissions for Tracking Across Apps

With iOS14, apps will require user’s permission to do cross-app tracking (linking user or device data collected from one app with the same data collected from other apps or websites) and for accessing advertising identifier of the user’s device. 

The authorization request for the same can be generated by developers via the AppTrackingTransparency framework. Also, a purpose string that specifies why you want to track the user must be included in the system prompt.

Advanced Features introduced in iOS 14 SDK

Apart from privacy enhancement features, iOS 14 will also offer key tools for enriching the overall app development and user experience. Some of these are: 

App Clips – small snippet of a fully-developed app. App Clips are a great way for users to quickly access and experience what your app has to offer. An App Clip is a small part of your app that’s discoverable at the moment it’s needed.

WidgetKit – helps to build widgets of varying sizes using a new API. WidgetKit gives users ready access to content in your app by putting widgets on the iOS Home screen or macOS Notification Center. If you’re trying to build first widget using WidgetKit, here is a useful step by step guide to build widgets 

ARKit 4 and RealityKit – A12 Bionic chip, Reality Composer and Reality Convertor helps to create unmatched AR experiences. New improved AR kit 4 introduces Location Anchors, a new Depth API, and improved face tracking. Here is a walk through video explaining the latest improvements in RealityKit.

Machine Learning – New APIs for Natural Language and Vision frameworks; Development will become easier with the new tools of CoreML and CreateML.

There are many more developer-friendly features lined up in iOS 14. You can read here for more information.

Conclusion

As Apple officially releases iOS 14 on September 16, 2020, expectations are sky-high among developers and businesses alike. So, to achieve the winning edge among your competitors, hire the best iOS app developers who are well-versed in the various iOS 14 updates, to build your next iPhone/iPad app.