iOS App Sharing Implementation
Article Summary
Gernot Poetsch breaks down how iOS apps can leverage SoundCloud's connection API to share content across social networks without managing tokens yourself. This 2011 guide still offers valuable lessons on delegated authentication patterns.
This technical guide from SoundCloud's developer blog explains how iOS apps can implement social sharing using SoundCloud's connection API. Instead of managing OAuth tokens for each service, apps authenticate once with SoundCloud and leverage existing user connections to Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare, and Myspace.
Key Takeaways
- SoundCloud handles authentication tokens, apps just use existing connections
- Different sharing flows for public tracks (social) vs private (email)
- Machine tags enable geo coordinates and Foursquare venue IDs
- WebView pattern lets users create new social connections in-app
Critical Insight
By centralizing social authentication through SoundCloud's API, iOS apps avoided managing multiple OAuth implementations and token storage across four different platforms.
