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This secret iOS 8 feature will make your lock screen more useful than ever

Published Jun 3rd, 2014 3:00PM EDT
iOS 8 Location-Based App Alerts
Image: MacRumors

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As much as Apple shared with us about iOS 8 on Monday during its WWDC keynote, there are still plenty of features we haven’t yet seen in action. We put together a list of all the features Apple didn’t have time to cover during the event, but now that the first beta build of the new software is out in the wild, users are beginning to find even more hidden updates. MacRumors readers are the latest to discover an interesting addition to iOS 8: location-based app notifications on the lock screen.

In the image above, we can see that a small button has appeared in the bottom left corner of the iOS 8 lock screen, indicating that an app installed on the device can be used in conjunction with a nearby store location. For example, you can use your iOS device to make a purchase at either an Apple Store or a Starbucks. With iOS 8, that functionality is one tap away.

One Twitter user noticed a similar icon’s appearance at his local train station, giving him easy access to the station’s app which would allow him to view his ticket. There’s no telling how many of these icons have been implemented into the new version of iOS, but if you’ve already updated your device, be sure to be on the lookout for more.

Jacob Siegal
Jacob Siegal Associate Editor

Jacob Siegal is Associate Editor at BGR, having joined the news team in 2013. He has over a decade of professional writing and editing experience, and helps to lead our technology and entertainment product launch and movie release coverage.