A customer pays for an order in seconds without installing a full app — using App Clip. This lightweight version (up to 10 MB) launches via NFC, QR code, or link. We develop such Clips, integrating Apple Pay, Sign in with Apple, and other services. The customer journey is reduced to 3 seconds — from scanning to payment. Thanks to instant launch, App Clip increases payment conversion by 25% and lowers CAC by 35%.
Why App Clip Instead of a Full App?
App Clip loads 10 times faster than installing a full app and requires no registration or background processes. It takes up to 10 MB — 10 times less than an average app. Ideal for scenarios: parking payment, food ordering, event check-in, scooter rental. Clip solves one task without barriers.
How to Set Up an App Clip in 4 Steps
- Create an App Clip target in Xcode, configuring Bundle Identifier and code signing.
- Specify Associated Domains — add
appclips:yourdomain.com and place the apple-app-site-association file with an appclips section.
- Register URL patterns in App Store Connect via
AppClipExperience.
- Test on a physical device using TestFlight or Xcode.
Link handling code:
func scene(_ scene: UIScene, continue userActivity: NSUserActivity) {
guard userActivity.activityType == NSUserActivityTypes.NSUserActivityTypeBrowsingWeb,
let url = userActivity.webpageURL else { return }
// Parse url, show relevant content
}
The Limitations That Define Everything
10 MB. The limit is strict — App Store Connect won't accept more. In practice: no heavy frameworks, only core functionality. A typical mistake is linking Firebase + Crashlytics + Amplitude into the Clip, which eats 8 MB immediately. We use a minimal set of dependencies and push analytics to the main app level.
No background work. Clip doesn't run in the background, doesn't receive push notifications (except for a temporary 8-hour permission via NSUserNotificationUsageDescription). Location — only when the screen is active. All scenarios must be interactive and short.
Data storage. UserDefaults and Clip files are deleted after 30 days of disuse. Data is transferred to the main app via AppClip.appClipData (SKAdNetwork mechanism) or a shared App Group.
More on temporary storage
UserDefaults data and Clip files are deleted after 30 days of disuse. To transfer to the main app, use the `AppClip.appClipData` mechanism and a shared App Group.
How to Work Around the 10 MB Limit?
We use a modular architecture: a separate Swift Package with business logic (network layer, payment models) that is linked to both the Clip and the main app. Resources — only what's necessary: a slim Assets Catalog without heavy images. For example, for a parking payment scenario: fonts, icon, a couple of screens — everything fits in 5–6 MB.
Entry Points and Universal Links
Each App Clip launches via a URL. Configuration: Associated Domains → appclips:yourdomain.com, in apple-app-site-association section appclips. In App Store Connect, we register URL patterns via AppClipExperience. More details on setup can be found in the official Apple documentation.
App Clip experiences are defined using the AppClipExperience service in App Store Connect. — Apple Developer Documentation
Comparison of App Clip and Full App
| Parameter |
App Clip |
Full App |
| Size |
up to 10 MB |
typically 50–200 MB |
| Installation |
not required |
required |
| Background processes |
no |
yes |
| Push notifications |
temporary (8 h) |
permanent |
| Data storage |
30 days |
permanent |
| Scenarios |
single action |
multi-functional |
How We Develop App Clips
The process includes stages:
| Stage |
What We Do |
Timeline |
| Analysis |
Define scenario, entry points, metrics |
2–5 days |
| Design |
UX/UI, architecture, modules |
3–7 days |
| Implementation |
Swift/SwiftUI, Apple Pay integration, NFC |
10–20 days |
| Testing |
TestFlight, device testing |
3–5 days |
| Deployment |
Publish to App Store Connect, configure |
2–3 days |
What Is Included in the Work
- Scenario and UX design;
- Clip target development with shared codebase;
- AASA configuration, Universal Links, App Clip Code;
- Apple Pay (StoreKit 2) and Sign in with Apple integration;
- Background Delivery configuration (if needed);
- Support and deployment documentation;
- Access transfer to App Store Connect and TestFlight;
- Training for the client's team;
- 30 days of post-launch support.
Timelines and Cost
One scenario (payment or registration) — 3–6 weeks. Multiple scenarios with different URL patterns — 6–10 weeks. Cost is calculated individually after complexity assessment. Order a consultation — we'll send approximate timelines within 1 day.
Experience and Guarantees
We have been developing iOS solutions for over 5 years, completed 20+ projects with App Clips for retail, delivery, and events. We follow Apple guidelines (App Store Review Guidelines Section 4.2) and guarantee moderation approval. Contact us — we'll analyze your scenario.
Development of Widgets, App Clips, and Live Activities: Entry Points Outside the App
We understand that users see your app not only when they open it. A widget on the home screen, a live score in Dynamic Island, a mini experience without installation — these are separate entry points that we implement within platform constraints. Over 5 years, we have developed more than 50 extensions for mobile apps, from simple informational widgets to App Clips with payment scenarios, saving clients up to 30% of time on repeat visits.
What entry points should you consider for your app?
WidgetKit Widget Development: Why You Can't Just "Add a Widget"
WidgetKit works via a Timeline Provider — the widget doesn't stay in memory continuously; it requests data snapshots in advance. The most common mistake: developers try to show real-time data via URLSession directly from getTimeline(). Apple doesn't prohibit this, but with aggressive updates, the system starts throttling requests, and the widget gets stuck on outdated data.
The correct approach: the main app updates data via WidgetCenter.shared.reloadTimelines(ofKind:) — after receiving a push notification or when the user returns to the foreground. The widget reads data from a shared App Group container using UserDefaults(suiteName:) or file storage. No direct network requests in the provider in production.
In the latest iOS versions, AppIntent-based interactive widgets have emerged — buttons and toggles directly on the widget without opening the app. This is implemented via Button(intent:) in the SwiftUI widget layout. Only works for simple actions; complex logic should transition to the app via widgetURL.
How Live Activities Change User Experience?
Live Activities are a mechanism for displaying live data on the Lock Screen and Dynamic Island (iPhone 14 Pro+). They are launched via ActivityKit, updated via push notifications of type liveactivity with a payload up to 4KB.
Architecturally, it's a separate SwiftUI target with two views: compact (Dynamic Island) and expanded (Lock Screen). Data is passed via ActivityAttributes — a strictly typed structure. The dynamic part is ContentState, while the static part (unchanged during the activity) is directly in ActivityAttributes.
A typical issue: Live Activity doesn't update on the device even though push is sent. The reason is that the app doesn't have permission for background push or apns-push-type is set incorrectly. In production, you need apns-push-type: liveactivity and a token from activity.pushToken. According to Apple documentation, without a correct push token, the Activity won't receive updates.
When to Use App Clips vs Instant Apps?
App Clips (iOS) and Instant Apps (Android) solve a similar problem — provide functionality without installing the full app. But the implementation is fundamentally different.
App Clip is a separate target in Xcode, max 15MB, launched via NFC tag, QR code, Safari Smart App Banner, or a link in Messages. Data access is limited: no Keychain sharing with the main app without explicit setup, no access to HealthKit, no push notifications (only ephemeral). The App Clip Card is configured in App Store Connect, and metadata errors are a common reason for rejection.
Android Instant Apps are built on a modular architecture: the app is divided into feature modules, each of which can be downloaded separately via Play Feature Delivery. An Instant App is a feature module with <dist:module dist:instant="true">. The limitation is no more than 15MB total for instant delivery.
Comparison shows that App Clips win in payment scenarios due to Apple Pay integration — conversion is 20% higher compared to Instant Apps in similar cases. Instant Apps are better suited for game demos and services requiring quick access via Google Search.
| Parameter |
App Clips |
Instant Apps |
| Max size |
15 MB |
15 MB |
| Launch triggers |
NFC, QR, URL, Safari |
URL, Google Search, Play Store |
| Shared Keychain |
Via App Group |
Via SharedPreferences/Keystore |
| Recommended scenario |
Payment, boarding, demo |
Game demo, one-time services |
What Does Our Work Include?
-
Audit of current architecture: determine which entry points your app needs — widget, Live Activity, App Clip, Instant App.
-
Prototyping: visual model of the extension following platform guidelines (Apple HIG, Material Design).
-
Development: implementation in Swift (iOS) or Kotlin (Android) using WidgetKit, ActivityKit, App Clip API, Play Feature Delivery.
-
Integration: setting up App Group, Keychain sharing, push certificates, provisioning profiles.
-
Testing: on real devices (iPhone, iPad, Android) and simulators. For Live Activities, test via
xcrun simctl push.
-
Publication: preparing metadata for App Store Connect (App Clip Card) and Google Play Console (Instant App configuration).
-
Documentation and training: architecture description, widget update instructions, push notification troubleshooting.
How Does Our Development Process Work?
-
Analytics: which app features are truly needed outside the app, and which mechanism fits. Widget for forecast — WidgetKit. Real-time delivery tracking — Live Activity. Payment at checkout — App Clip.
-
Design: choosing stack, data update schemes (Timeline, push), UI layouts for compact and expanded views.
-
Implementation: writing code in Swift/Kotlin, configuring App Group, push certificates, test schemes.
-
Testing: each extension is tested in isolation. WidgetKit rendering is verified via Xcode Widget Gallery, Live Activities via simulator with forced push.
-
Deployment: publishing to stores, monitoring metrics (update frequency, App Clip launch count).
Estimated Timeframes
| Extension Type |
Timeframe (business days) |
| Simple informational widget |
5 to 10 |
| Interactive widget (AppIntent) |
10 to 15 |
| Live Activity with push |
10 to 20 |
| App Clip with payment |
20 to 30 |
| Instant App (Android) |
15 to 25 |
Cost is calculated individually after audit. An estimate is provided within 2 business days.
What Are Typical Mistakes in Extension Development?
-
Too frequent widget updates — leads to throttling and empty state. We recommend an interval of at least 15 minutes (see Apple Human Interface Guidelines in WidgetKit documentation).
-
Ignoring shared container — the widget doesn't see data because it uses its own
UserDefaults instead of App Group.
-
Lack of fallback for Live Activities — if push isn't delivered, the user sees outdated data. A periodic polling mechanism via
Activity.update with pushType: nil is needed.
-
Incorrect App Clip Card metadata — a common reason for rejection in App Store Review. For example, incorrect URL or missing icon.
Contact us to assess which extension fits your app. Order an audit of current entry points — we'll find non-obvious scenarios for widgets and App Clips. Get an engineer consultation on architecture today.
