Macworld:
There’s still one major place that Apple could stand to relax its rules: letting users choose default apps for tasks like mail, calendaring, and web browsing. For users, the benefits of choosing default apps is obvious.
Not everybody is going to switch to a third-party app if this happens. Most people probably are probably happy enough with the defaults. But for those folks who want a feature that Apple’s apps don’t currently have—like snoozing mail message alerts or sync between Chrome on iOS and your PC—the choice to use that app as the default should be available.
As a photographer, I’d love to be able to change the default photo app and I’d love to change the default mapping behaviour to a different app as well. The vast majority of users are unlikely to ever do this but for “power users” of one sort or another, it would be a nice feature.
I think they biggest problem with allowing users to change default apps is the complexity it introduces, like the problems that will inevitably arise when people who don’t even know what a default setting is accidentally change a default and don’t know how to undo what they did. To them it won’t be a feature that they don’t understand it’ll be something that broke and they don’t know how to fix it.
That would never be a problem, just like it’s never been a problem on macOS. If someone is advanced enough to find the hidden setting to make this change, they would obviously be advanced enough to change the setting back again.
i’m less concerned with naming a different default app and wanting the actual defaults to be better. either because Apple made them so or because they open them up to plug ins. if a 3rd party can create a camera app that does long exposure, better nighttime shots etc there’s no reason Apple can’t do it. the hardware is clearly there. and if they don’t want to then allowing those companies to create and even sell a plug in would work also. same with the photos app and having editing all in one app etc.
that notion is why I wish Apple would allow actual plug ins. ones that don’t require downloading an app like the keyboards but rather are more like stickers and ringtones. then folks that want to stay basic can stay basic but those of us that want to go further can add that to our devices.
I agree to a point. What’s great about the default apps is their simplicity. If Apple pushed them toward “pro” too much they’d be less accessible to new users and to users like me who can handle complexity but don’t need it and like simplicity.
You say that but it’s a frequent occurrence on Android with non-techy users being regularly frustrated that one of their default apps has been changed and they have no idea how to change it back. Anyone working in cellular retail will have experienced this multiple times.
That’s because on android whenever you install an app, it asks you if you want it to be default. Apple could just make it so users have to go to settings to change default apps so only people who know it’s there will change it.
Allowing people to name different defaults is probably the only thing that will push the defaults to be better. I would suspect that Google Maps is probably the only 3rd Party app that pulls significant share from the default app. Coincidentally enough, Apple Maps is the default app where the most effort to improve it is being made.
that’s why the push could and should be via a plug in structure. the basic version that is preloaded is simple for simple needs. those that need or want more kick can add them.
apple maps is a bad example because there’s lawsuits and threats of lawsuits over bad data being an actual danger. THAT, not google maps etc, is likely why they are improving it.
something like Notes being skipped for other notes apps might be a better example. I know I didn’t use the built in app for years because it was too basic. and even though it’s improved now, I have too much in 3rd party apps to want to switch.