Safari
Any URL starting with http:// which does not point to maps.google.com or www.youtube.com is sent to Safari:
NSString *stringURL = @"http://wiki.akosma.com/"; NSURL *url = [NSURL URLWithString:stringURL]; [[UIApplication sharedApplication] openURL:url];
Apparently feed:// opens http://reader.mac.com in Safari.
Maps
URLs starting with http://maps.google.com open up the "Maps" application automatically:
NSString *title = @"title"; float latitude = 35.4634; float longitude = 9.43425; int zoom = 13; NSString *stringURL = [NSString stringWithFormat:@"http://maps.google.com/maps?q=%@@%1.6f,%1.6f&z=%d", title, latitude, longitude, zoom]; NSURL *url = [NSURL URLWithString:stringURL]; [[UIApplication sharedApplication] openURL:url];
It seems that maps:// also opens up the Maps application.
Phone
The phone links start with "tel:" but must not contain spaces or brackets (it can contain dashes and "+" signs, though):
NSMutableString *phone = [[@"+ 12 34 567 89 01" mutableCopy] autorelease];
[phone replaceOccurrencesOfString:@" "
withString:@""
options:NSLiteralSearch
range:NSMakeRange(0, [phone length])];
[phone replaceOccurrencesOfString:@"("
withString:@""
options:NSLiteralSearch
range:NSMakeRange(0, [phone length])];
[phone replaceOccurrencesOfString:@")"
withString:@""
options:NSLiteralSearch
range:NSMakeRange(0, [phone length])];
NSURL *url = [NSURL URLWithString:[NSString stringWithFormat:@"tel:%@", phone]];
[[UIApplication sharedApplication] openURL:url];
SMS
To open the SMS application, just use the sms: protocol in your URL:
NSString *stringURL = @"sms:"; NSURL *url = [NSURL URLWithString:stringURL]; [[UIApplication sharedApplication] openURL:url];
You can specify a phone number, but apparently not a default text for your message:
NSString *stringURL = @"sms:+12345678901"; NSURL *url = [NSURL URLWithString:stringURL]; [[UIApplication sharedApplication] openURL:url];
The same restrictions apply as for phone URLs, regarding spaces, brackets and dashes.
These URLs launch Mail and open the compose message controller:
NSString *stringURL = @"mailto:test@example.com"; NSURL *url = [NSURL URLWithString:stringURL]; [[UIApplication sharedApplication] openURL:url];
You can also provide more information, for a customized subject and body texts:
NSString *subject = @"Message subject"; NSString *body = @"Message body"; NSString *address = @"test1@akosma.com"; NSString *cc = @"test2@akosma.com"; NSString *path = [NSString stringWithFormat:@"mailto:%@?cc=%@&subject=%@&body=%@", address, cc, subject, body]; NSURL *url = [NSURL URLWithString:[path stringByAddingPercentEscapesUsingEncoding:NSUTF8StringEncoding]]; [[UIApplication sharedApplication] openURL:url];
You might also omit some information:
NSString *subject = @"Message subject"; NSString *path = [NSString stringWithFormat:@"mailto:?subject=%@", subject]; NSURL *url = [NSURL URLWithString:[path stringByAddingPercentEscapesUsingEncoding:NSUTF8StringEncoding]]; [[UIApplication sharedApplication] openURL:url];
For more complex body texts, you might want to use the CFURLCreateStringByAddingPercentEscapes() function, as explained above in this page.
YouTube
URLs starting with http://www.youtube.com open up the "YouTube" application automatically:
NSString *stringURL = @"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZH30T99MaM"; NSURL *url = [NSURL URLWithString:stringURL]; [[UIApplication sharedApplication] openURL:url];
It also works with this URL (which normally brings the Flash video player used by YouTube):
NSString *stringURL = @"http://www.youtube.com/v/WZH30T99MaM"; NSURL *url = [NSURL URLWithString:stringURL]; [[UIApplication sharedApplication] openURL:url];
iTunes
To open up iTunes, use this URL:
NSString *stringURL = @"http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?i=156093464&id=156093462&s=143441"; NSURL *url = [NSURL URLWithString:stringURL]; [[UIApplication sharedApplication] openURL:url];
App Store
Very similar to the iTunes URLs:
NSString *stringURL = @"http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=294409923&mt=8"; NSURL *url = [NSURL URLWithString:stringURL]; [[UIApplication sharedApplication] openURL:url];
iBooks
(source: http://akos.ma/aqdr)
NSString *stringURL = @"itms-books:"; NSURL *url = [NSURL URLWithString:stringURL]; [[UIApplication sharedApplication] openURL:url];
NSString *stringURL = @"itms-bookss:"; NSURL *url = [NSURL URLWithString:stringURL]; [[UIApplication sharedApplication] openURL:url];
Third Party Applications
Most URL schemes in this list come from App Lookup.
AirSharing
Launch the application:
NSString *stringURL = @"airsharing://"; NSURL *url = [NSURL URLWithString:stringURL]; [[UIApplication sharedApplication] openURL:url];
Alocola
Launch the application:
NSString *stringURL = @"alocola://"; NSURL *url = [NSURL URLWithString:stringURL]; [[UIApplication sharedApplication] openURL:url];
Appigo Notebook
Launch the application:
NSString *stringURL = @"appigonotebook://"; NSURL *url = [NSURL URLWithString:stringURL]; [[UIApplication sharedApplication] openURL:url];
Appigo Todo
Launch the application:
NSString *stringURL = @"appigotodo://"; NSURL *url = [NSURL URLWithString:stringURL]; [[UIApplication sharedApplication] openURL:url];
Create a new task:
NSString *template = @"appigotodo://com.example.xyzapp/import?name=%@¬e=%@&due-date=%@&priority=%@&repeat=%@"; NSString *name = @"Buy%20some%20milk"; NSString *note = @"Stop%20on%20the%20way%20home%20from%20work."; NSString *dueDate = @"2009-07-16"; NSString *priority = @"1"; NSString *repeat = @"101"; NSString *stringURL = [NSString stringWithFormat:template, name, note, dueDate, priority, repeat]; NSURL *url = [NSURL URLWithString:stringURL]; [[UIApplication sharedApplication] openURL:url];
Duo
Launch the application and pre-populate the update field with your desired Tweet/Facebook update. Optional: Provide Duo with the custom URL and return path to your app to provide the user with a button to return to your app.
NSString *appID = @"Your Apps Name"; NSString *updateInfo = @"The Tweet/Status Update"; NSString *returnScheme = @"Your Apps Return URL Scheme"; NSString *returnPath = @"Your/Apps/Return/Path"; NSString *baseURL = @"duoxx://updateFaceTwit?"; NSString *encodedUpdateInfo = [updateInfo stringByAddingPercentEscapesUsingEncoding:NSASCIIStringEncoding]; NSString *urlString = [NSString stringWithFormat:@"%@BLappID=%@;BLupdateInfo=%@;BLreturnScheme=%@;BLreturnPath=%@", baseURL, appID, encodedUpdateInfo, returnScheme, returnPath]; NSURL *url = [NSURL URLWithString:urlString]; [[UIApplication sharedApplication] openURL:url];
The Cartographer
Launch app and add a placemark at given coordinate:
NSString *title = @"Placemark title (optional)";
NSString *summary = @"Placemark description (optional)";
CLLocationCoordinate2D coordinate = CLLocationCoordinate2DMake(123.0, 12.0);
title = [(id)CFURLCreateStringByAddingPercentEscapes(NULL, (CFStringRef)title, NULL, (CFStringRef)@";/?:@&=+$,", kCFStringEncodingUTF8) autorelease];
summary = [(id)CFURLCreateStringByAddingPercentEscapes(NULL, (CFStringRef)summary, NULL, (CFStringRef)@";/?:@&=+$,", kCFStringEncodingUTF8) autorelease];
NSString *cartographerURL = [NSString stringWithFormat:@"cartographer://placemark?coordinate=%lf,%lf&title=%@&summary=%@",
coordinate.latitude, coordinate.longitude, title, summary];
NSURL *url = [NSURL URLWithString:cartographerURL];
[[UIApplication sharedApplication] openURL:url];
Launch app and load either a KML source or a Google My Map:
NSString *sourceURL = @"http://....";
// e.g. http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=208320711678395936256.00046bbcfdcd1f3ebf64b&z=5
// Optional:
MKCoordinateRegion region = ...;
sourceURL = [sourceURL stringByAppendingFormat:@"&ll=%lf,%lf&spn=%lf,%lf",
region.center.latitude, region.center.longitude, region.span.latitudeDelta, region.span.longitudeDelta];
NSURL *url = [NSURL URLWithString:[sourceURL stringByReplacingOccurrencesOfString:@"http://" withString:@"cartographer://"]];
[[UIApplication sharedApplication] openURL:url];
ChatCo
NSString *stringURL = @"irc://irc.example.domain/roomName"; NSURL *url = [NSURL URLWithString:stringURL]; [[UIApplication sharedApplication] openURL:url];
NSString *stringURL = @"irc://irc.example.domain/Nickname@roomName"; NSURL *url = [NSURL URLWithString:stringURL]; [[UIApplication sharedApplication] openURL:url];
NSString *stringURL = @"irc://irc.example.domain/Nickname!Realname@roomName"; NSURL *url = [NSURL URLWithString:stringURL]; [[UIApplication sharedApplication] openURL:url];