iOS 8

iOS 8

Apple has added a new button to the iPhone lock screen in iOS 8. Tucked into the bottom lefthand corner of the screen — across from the camera button — the new icon provides quick access to various apps based on location. So far, beta users have reported seeing the button pop up when they are in an Apple Store or Starbucks, according to MacRumors. The space is typically blank, but if you are in the right brick-and-mortar location, the app shortcut will appear. A user on Twitter saw a Costco button even though he did not have the Costco app installed. While a shortcut to a location-specific app could be extremely handy, especially for payments, two concerns that come to mind. First, this is a form of advertising. While it seems relatively unintrusive at the moment — and to be fair, there’s nothing currently stopping ads from being served as notifications — some people might not want to see corporate logos on their lock screens.

Read the full story at Giga OM.

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