Skip to main content

Code for iOS 14 reveals feature for trying apps without needing to install them

 

Apple will reportedly launch a feature on iOS 14 that will allow iPhone owners to try apps without having to install them first.

Recommended Videos

Code from an early build of Apple’s next major mobile operating system upgrade revealed a new API named Clips, which will allow apps to offer “interactive and dynamic content” even before they are installed on a person’s iPhone, according to 9to5Mac.

The Clips API is said to be linked to the QR Code reader, which may scan codes that will then launch the app on a card on the iPhone’s screen. App developers will determine the part of their app that will show up on that card, which will also offer the option to download the full version of the app.

Apple is said to be testing the new feature with several apps, including DoorDash, OpenTable, PlayStation 4 Second Screen, Yelp, and YouTube, possibly to use them as examples for this year’s online-only Worldwide Developers Conference, or WWDC.

Google already offers a couple of similar features, namely Slices, which adds parts of apps to search results and Google Assistant, and Instant Apps for Android, which are small partitions of an app that may be opened through a link.

The application of Apple’s Clips, meanwhile, remain unclear, including whether the parts of the apps will only be accessible through QR codes, which is what the iOS 14 beta code mentions, according to 9to5Mac.

iOS 14 previews

Apple is expected to introduce iOS 14 at the online-only WWDC 2020 in June. In addition to Clips, previous reports have revealed features that iPhone and owners may expect from the upcoming mobile operating system.

The rumored CarKey feature has also been spotted in iOS 14 code, after being first discovered in the iOS 13.4 beta. CarKey will allow iPhone and Apple Watch owners to unlock and lock the doors of NFC-compatible cars, and it is said that BMW will be the first vehicle manufacturer that will offer the capability.

Apple is also said to be working on “real” widgets for the iPhone’s home screen, in a feature internally called Avocado. The new widgets, instead of only appearing on a dedicated screen, may be placed anywhere.

Aaron Mamiit
Aaron received an NES and a copy of Super Mario Bros. for Christmas when he was four years old, and he has been fascinated…
Will my iPad get iPadOS 26? Here’s every supported model
We've got the full list of iPadOS 26 supported devices - find out if you're getting the new iPad update
iPadOS 26 home screen on an iPad

Apple announced iPadOS 26 at WWDC 2025, and the new iPad update comes with a fresh new look and plenty of features. Apple has ensured there are plenty of iPadOS 26 supported slates, so if you have a relatively new iPad you should get the update this year.

And no, you haven't missed a volley of updates since iPadOS 18 in 2024. Apple has skipped a bunch of numbers, so instead of giving us iPadOS 19 in 2025, we got iPadOS 26 alongside iOS 26, macOS 26, watchOS 26 and tvOS 26.

Read more
Will my iPhone get iOS 26? Here’s every supported model
We've got the full list of iOS 26 supported devices - find out if you're getting the new iPhone update
iOS 26 features on a series of iPhone screens

Apple announced iOS 26 at WWDC 2025, and the new iPhone update comes with a fresh new 'Liquid Glass' look and plenty of features - and there are loads of iOS 26 supported devices, which is great news.

And no, you haven't missed a volley of updates since iOS 18 in 2024. Apple has skipped a bunch of numbers, so instead of giving us iOS 19 in 2025, we got iOS 26 alongside iPadOS 26, macOS 26, watchOS 26 and tvOS 26. In short, Apple's brought its operating system numbering into line. Nice.

Read more
3 big iOS 19 changes that I hope Apple reveals at WWDC 2025
iOS 19 sample logo.

We’re less than two days away from Apple’s big WWDC 2025 keynote, where the company will reveal new versions of each of its software platforms. One of the biggest changes this year is the expected shift from iOS 19 to iOS 26, with new versions of macOS, iPadOS, tvOS, watchOS, and visionOS also set to follow suit. We're also expecting to see the evolution of Apple Health, including a new AI doctor and Health subscription.

iOS 26, if it is to be named that, is expected to introduce one of the biggest evolutions in design for Apple software since the first iPhone was launched. Inspired by visionOS and the Apple Vision Pro, it’s expected to be a monumental redesign, but I hope that Apple also takes the time to make a few improvements.

Read more