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Create Android App Shortcuts
Learn about static, dynamic, and pinned shortcuts
In the Android ecosystem, shortcuts are a way to quickly provide specific functionality or features to users. Each shortcut can refer to more than one intent. The type of shortcuts for an app typically depends on the core use cases of the application.
For example, if you take the Gmail application, “compose an email” makes sense as one of the static shortcuts. If you take the Chrome application, “navigate to the most visited website” can be considered an ideal dynamic shortcut.
Types of Shortcuts
Shortcuts in Android are mainly classified into three types: static, dynamic, and pinned shortcuts. Let’s learn about each type.
Static shortcuts
These types of shortcuts deliver consistent behavior to users throughout the lifetime of the application, and they’re not context-sensitive. As discussed in the section above, “compose an email” is the best example of a static shortcut.
Dynamic shortcuts
Dynamic shortcuts are used to perform actions that are context-sensitive. These types of shortcuts can be created dynamically at runtime based on user behavior. Dynamic shortcuts ensure that users can quickly access their favorite features in the application.
Pinned shortcuts
Pinned shortcuts are used to perform specific user-driven actions. These shortcuts will ensure the users can access specific functionalities or features with a single click from the home screen.
For example, users can add a specific website as a pinned shortcut to their home screen via browser applications like Chrome and access that website with a single click. I personally use pinned shortcuts to launch the Roam Research website on my mobile.
Limitations
- Developers can only publish five shortcuts at most when combining static and dynamic shortcuts.
- Although developers can create five shortcuts, most launchers only show four shortcuts.
- Unlike static and dynamic shortcuts, pinned shortcuts don’t have limitations. However, we can’t…
