Having used Windows Phone for a while now I have come to appreciate one of its features that isn’t found on the other major mobile platforms, iOS and Android. “Deep links” allow you access content or application functions that are buried beneath the surface.
For instance, you can pin links to your frequently access documents and spreadsheets from your SkyDrive to your Start Screen saving you the hassle of going in through the Office app and browsing through your folders. Other applications like “4th and Mayor” will allow you to pin a check-in tile to your Start Screen as well as any number of places which might come in handy for those frequent destinations. Normally, you’d need to load the app, go to the check-in function, let the app obtain your location and download the nearby places and then select the place from the list.
Of course, apps need to be designed to allow the use of deep links. However, as developers better understand how Windows Phone works and how they can provide multiple landing points within their apps we should start to see this feature becoming more common in both new and existings apps. It really does build upon the concept of the shortcut that was seen back in Windows 95.
Follow Us!