Apple Acquires iOS App Workflow To Boost Automation Offering

Apple has completed the acquisition of Workflow, an iOS app that lets users automate common actions and create workflows on iPads, iPhones and Apple Watch.

The app essentially allows users to string together a series of linked actions and then complete that chain just by tapping one button. The app has proved to be very popular and even received an Apple Design Award in 2015 for its “outstanding use of iOS’ accessibility features”.

Workflow will, somewhat unusually, continue to be available on the app store, and will now be free to download after previously costing £2.99.

Apple + Workflow

Workflow developers Ari Weinstein, Conrad Kramer, Ayaka Nonaka and Nick Frey will all be moving over to Apple and will continue to work on the app, which is now likely to play a central role in Apple’s future automation innovation.

“We are thrilled to be joining Apple,” Weinstein said. “We’ve worked closely with Apple from the very beginning, from kickstarting our company as students attending WWDC to developing and launching Workflow and seeing its amazing success on the App Store. We can’t wait to take our work to the next level at Apple and contribute to products that touch people across the world.”

Apple spoke very highly of the app in a statement confirming the deal, praising  the”outstanding implementation for VoiceOver with clearly labeled items, thoughtful hints, and drag/drop announcements, making the app usable and quickly accessible to those who are blind or low-vision”.

The announcement coincided with the release of Workflow’s latest update, which saw the removal of several Google-related integrations. For example, the app can no longer be used with the iOS version of Chrome, Apple Maps is now used for the mapping feature and a translate tool was changed to use Microsoft Translate.

This is the second acquisition in a month for Apple, after its recent purchase of Israeli facial recognition authentication specialist RealFace, the fourth company it has bought from the country’s vibrant tech scene.

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