Launch Center Pro supports automatically triggering actions in three different ways:
- Scheduling timed actions in advance (schedule triggers)
- When arriving at or leaving a location or entering or exiting the proximity of an iBeacon (location triggers)
- By tapping the top of a supported device to an NFC sticker (NFC triggers)
However, for security and usability reasons, iOS requires user interaction in order to complete an action. In practice, this means that Launch Center Pro can trigger a notification, but you need to tap the notification in order for the action to complete.
Why not automatically trigger actions?
While automatically completing actions could be useful in Launch Center Pro, Apple has very good reasons for preventing apps from activating without permission from the user. The most important reason is your security.
If any app could take actions without user intervention, it would allow shady apps to do things like browse to malicious websites, pre-fill messages to paid text messaging accounts, or even use malicious NFC stickers to directly compromise your device and steal your personal data. Apple's security precautions mean that even if an app like Launch Center Pro was compromised or intentionally malicious, the most it could do is pop up annoying notifications—you still ultimately get to make the decision on whether to activate them.
Even if Apple could avoid these security issues, letting apps take control of your iPhone at random times would still be a poor user experience. Imagine being in the middle of composing an email or entering a password when your phone triggered an action and opened a completely different app. In the worst case, you might send confidential information or even your password to someone else. In a less serious scenario, you might just wind up typing gibberish into a scheduled text message before it automatically gets sent.
Similarly, if your phone automatically activated on its own while in your pocket or purse, it would need to turn on the screen—which could lead to accidental texts, phone calls, or actions in other apps.
Ultimately, iOS just doesn't have a way for an app like Launch Center Pro to take actions without your intervention—and that's a good thing. If Apple adds a safe way for third-party apps to do more on your behalf in future versions of iOS, we'll be excited to add support for it!