Designer extraordinaire Jeff Broderick has created yet another tool for enhancing your productivity on your iOS devices. QuickContact is a beautiful web app that allows you to create app icons for quickly initiating calls or messages from your Home screen.
Like the rest of Broderick’s work, QuickContact is gorgeously designed down to the tiny details. The basic web app allows you to enter a name and number for a Home screen shortcut. By tapping the little Phone/Messages icon next to the number field in the web app you can select whether to trigger a call or text message with that specific icon. You can choose from 15 pre-made app icons or upload your own in Mobile Safari.
The icons look great on a Retina display, and they are effective at opening either the Phone or Messages app. If you have a certain contact that you communicate with often throughout your day, it may be beneficial for you to create a Home screen shortcut for texting or calling that person.
It would be nice if QuickContact didn’t have to open Mobile Safari each time you tapped a shortcut, but the experience isn’t ruined by that process. Another enhancement would be the ability to create shortcuts for email addresses. You would then be able to quickly text iMessage users that don’t have an iPhone number. When you install a QuickContact shortcut, you’ll need to install a verified profile in the Settings app. Mobile Safari takes you through the process very quickly and Broderick promises that he doesn’t collect any personal information.
Visit https://brdrck.me/quickcontact/ on your iOS device to make your own shortcuts. If you want to see more of Broderick’s work, check out QuickWiFi and the now-defunct Settings web app.
Alex Heath is a journalist who works for Tech Insider. He’s the former co-host of The CultCast. He has been quoted by the likes of the BBC, KRON 4 News, and books like “ICONIC: A Photographic Tribute to Apple Innovation.” He lives in Lexington, Kentucky. If you want to pitch a story, share a tip, or just get in touch, additional contact information is available on his personal site. Follow him on Twitter.
5 responses to “QuickContact Lets You Message And Call People With Beautiful Home Screen Icons”
Been built into Android since 2008 – and still works better than this sh1tty 3rd party crapplication.
What’s with the trolls? This website is called cult of MAC. If you don’t like the products, leave.
@jbach67:disqus you couldn’t have said it any better (Y)
As usual, great work Jeff. Just wait’ll they see what’s comin’ out next :P
Can you call people who are without Beautiful Home Screen Icons?