iOS 14 Might Allow Users to Partially Interact With Apps Without Installing Them

Apple is developing a new feature that would allow users to interact with select content and experiences in third-party apps without needing to have the apps installed, according to an early build of iOS 14 obtained by 9to5Mac.

android slices

Android Slices

The report claims a new API referred to as "Clips" in iOS 14 code would enable users to scan a QR code linked to an app and then interact with content from that app via a floating card on the screen. The card would display options to download the full version of the app from the App Store or to open the content in the app if it is already installed.

Android has a similar feature named "Slices":

Slices are UI templates that can display rich, dynamic, and interactive content from your app from within the Google Search app and later in other places like the Google Assistant. Slices can help users perform tasks faster by enabling engagement outside of the fullscreen app experience.

Apple is said to be testing the new feature with OpenTable, Yelp, DoorDash, YouTube, and Sony's PS4 Second Screen app.

Tag: 9to5Mac
Related Forum: iOS 14

Popular Stories

iOS 26

iOS 26.4 and iOS 27 Features Revealed in New Leak

Friday December 12, 2025 10:56 am PST by
Macworld's Filipe Espósito today revealed a handful of features that Apple is allegedly planning for iOS 26.4, iOS 27, and even iOS 28. The report said the features are referenced within the code for a leaked internal build of iOS 26 that is not meant to be seen by the public. However, it appears that Espósito and/or his sources managed to gain access to it, providing us with a sneak peek...
Apple Logo Top Half

Early iOS 26 Software Leak Uncovers Dozens of Upcoming Apple Features

Monday December 15, 2025 3:05 pm PST by
Software from an iPhone prototype running an early build of iOS 26 leaked last week, giving us a glimpse at future Apple devices and iOS features. We recapped device codenames in our prior article, and now we have a list of some of the most notable feature flags that were found in the software code. In some cases, it's obvious what the feature flags are referring to, while some are more...
apple beta 26 lineup

Apple Leak Confirms Work on Foldable iPhone, AirTag 2, and Dozens More Devices

Monday December 15, 2025 2:05 pm PST by
Last week, details about unreleased Apple devices and future iOS features were shared by Macworld. This week, we learned where the information came from, plus we have more findings from the leak. As it turns out, an Apple prototype device running an early build of iOS 26 was sold, and the person who bought it shared the software. The OS has a version number of 23A5234w, and the first...
Apple Foldable Thumb

Leak Reveals Foldable iPhone Details

Monday December 15, 2025 9:09 am PST by
The first foldable iPhone will feature a series of design and hardware firsts for Apple, according to details shared by the Weibo leaker known as Digital Chat Station. According to a new post, via machine translation, Apple is developing what the leaker describes as a "wide foldable" device, a term used to refer to a horizontally oriented, book-style foldable with a large internal display....
iOS 26

iOS 26.3 Beta 1 Features: What's New So Far

Monday December 15, 2025 4:23 pm PST by
Apple is testing iOS 26.3, the next version of iOS 26 that will launch around January. Since iOS 26.3's testing is happening over the holidays, it is a smaller update with fewer features than we've seen in prior betas. We've rounded up what's new so far, and we'll add to our list with subsequent betas if we come across any other features. Transfer to Android Apple is making it simpler...
iOS 26

Apple Releases iOS 26.2 With Alarms for Reminders, Lock Screen Changes, Enhanced Safety Alerts and More

Friday December 12, 2025 10:10 am PST by
Apple today released iOS 26.2, the second major update to the iOS 26 operating system that came out in September, iOS 26.2 comes a little over a month after iOS 26.1 launched. ‌iOS 26‌.2 is compatible with the ‌iPhone‌ 11 series and later, as well as the second-generation ‌iPhone‌ SE. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones over-the-air by going to Settings >...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Coming Soon With These 8 New Features on Your iPhone

Thursday December 11, 2025 8:49 am PST by
Apple seeded the second iOS 26.2 Release Candidate to developers earlier this week, meaning the update will be released to the general public very soon. Apple confirmed iOS 26.2 would be released in December, but it did not provide a specific date. We expect the update to be released by early next week. iOS 26.2 includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, such as a new...
airpods max 2024 colors

AirPods Max 2 Likely to Offer These 10 New Features

Monday December 15, 2025 7:41 am PST by
Apple released the AirPods Max on December 15, 2020, meaning the over-ear headphones launched five years ago today. While the AirPods Max were updated with a USB-C port and new color options last year, followed by support for lossless audio and ultra-low latency audio this year, the headphones lack some of the features that have been introduced for newer generations of the regular AirPods and the ...

Top Rated Comments

Joniz Avatar
74 months ago
Letting me interact with iOS updates before downloading them would be great.
Score: 36 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Rogifan Avatar
74 months ago
I wish we’d get a rumor that Apple is making text selection better. For sure with iPhones but also iPads where no physical keyboard or mouse/trackpad is present. Apple removed 3D Touch but what they replaced it with is not a proper replacement.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iRutherford Avatar
74 months ago
Great if true! I keep installing useless junk because they look good in screenshots, only to delete them right after.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dannyyankou Avatar
74 months ago
iOS 14 sounds like it's going to be big
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GeoStructural Avatar
74 months ago

OMG if you’re that unhappy why don’t you go with Android?
He is probably invested in the ecosystem, paid a lot for his device and wants a good experience, why is that too much to ask? Ffs.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
CarlJ Avatar
74 months ago

The only iOS feature I want is a camera feature android has. Specifically, aspect ratio selection, so when in still camera mode, you can use the physical full screen of your phone & not have portioned off bezels.
Do you really care more about having the image cropped to fit the display while shooting the picture, than about having the phone use the full size of the image sensor available? You can always crop later.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)