BlaBlaCar's Six iOS App Features Explained
Original post Six iOS App Features Explained
Article Summary
Charlotte Martin and Victor Carmouze from BlaBlaCar reveal how small, often-overlooked iOS features can dramatically improve user experience. Most developers chase headline features while missing the details that truly differentiate their apps.
The BlaBlaCar iOS team breaks down six native iOS capabilities they've implemented or explored, from Spotlight indexing to rich notifications. These aren't flashy features, but they create meaningful shortcuts and context for their 29 million annual users navigating carpools and bus travel.
Key Takeaways
- Spotlight indexing with expiration dates keeps trip searches relevant and timely
- iOS 14 widgets let members access upcoming trip details without opening the app
- Haptic Touch quick actions reduce navigation time on home screen and search results
- Rich notification extensions enable in-notification replies and driver ratings
- Context menus with previews help users find trip details faster on search pages
Native iOS features like Spotlight, widgets, and rich notifications create faster user paths through complex carpool workflows when thoughtfully implemented.
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What This Article Covers
BlaBlaCar's iOS app relied on 3D Touch APIs that Apple removed starting in iOS 13. The team needed to switch to Haptic Touch alternatives to keep the same features working across iPhones and watches.
Charlotte Martin's team built Quick Actions using iOS 13+ APIs. They added UIApplicationShortcutItem arrays to Info.plist, which let them create dynamic shortcuts with custom icons and subtitles without needing complex conditional logic.
Users can now access BlaBlaCar's main features directly from their home screen. This cuts down on navigation steps and makes the app easier to use for the 29 million people who use the carpool platform each year.
This page summarizes “Six iOS App Features Explained” by BlaBlaCar, published May 12, 2021. All credit for the original work goes to the authors.
