How to Open a Home Screen Link Directly in Atomic (or Any Non-Safari Browser)
iPhone and iPad users who prefer Atomic, or any browser other than Safari, wish they could save bookmarks directly on the Home Screen, like it can be done in Safari, to access web apps and bookmarks directly from a button.
Here is a very simple way to do it, using qoiob, which takes 2 seconds to set up, and works on iPhone and iPad. And no need to jailbreak!
Here is how it works:
(detailed explanations below)
- Find an unused shortcut/keyword on qoiob.
- In Safari, save this free shortcut (in fact, the error page) on your Home Screen.
- Back on the Safari error page, set up this shortcut, using the atomic:// prefix instead of the usual http://
- If needed, validate your shortcut.
That’s all. Easy!
Here are the details and explanations:
- Using Safari, try a shortcut which is probably not already in use, and type it as a web page to visit. For example: in your URL bar type “http://xoxi.net/instapaper_iphone” (without quotes), and if the shortcut is still not allocated, you will land on an error page that says “this keyword doesn’t exist yet, you can create it”.
- This page’s URL will become the shortcut once it will be setup, but for now it’s just an error page, which you can bookmark on your Home Screen. To save it on your Home Screen, tap the button with the arrow (or + sign), and select “Add to Home Screen”.
- Now, you have a Safari shortcut leading to an error page. Go straight back to Safari and fill the destination field on the qoiob.com form, with the URL you want to actually direct your shortcut to. For example “http://instapaper.com”. But instead of using “http://”, type “atomic://” as a prefix, so that Safari will know you want to open the link in Atomic Web Browser. In this example, you would enter “atomic://instapaper.com”.
- Make sure you are either already logged into your qoiob.com account, or simply enter your email address in the bottom field so that you can validate your shortcut (validating a shortcut only requires one click in an email, and ensures it will never expire).
Once you created the shortcut, your Home Screen bookmark will become a link to Instapaper.com, which will first open for a very short instant with Safari, then automatically redirect to Atomic in a new tab.
Safari will not “remember” this empty opened link. And even better, it will not bypass Atomic’s passcode prompt if it’s set up to ask for it (the link will open normally, after you enter your passcode).
As I’m not sure about the protocols/prefixes for other browsers like Opera or iCab for instance, I’d be grateful if you can send them to me at @ZLOK so that I can update this page with more options. Thank you.
If you want to use the same shortcut on more than one device, you can first save to your Home Screen the same error URL, then create your shortcut on one of the devices, when all are ready.
Note: All available domains can be used both on qoiob.com and cauzes.com. But you can’t use the domains “qoiob.com” and “cauzes.com” themselves, since shortcuts can’t be created with them directly.
By the way, you may be extremely unlucky and someone register your keyword in the time between saving to Home Screen and setting up the qoiob shortcut. If that happens, qoiob will give you an error message that this keyword is already taken. If so, don’t panic: all you have to do is delete the bookmark on your Home Screen and start with a fresh one. Choose a keyword a little bit more complicated so that someone else doesn’t have the same idea as you at the same time.
You can choose a relatively long keyword, to be sure it is not already taken, because once it’s set up, you will not have to remember the shortcut anymore, nor to type it ever again. And if you want to remember it, this link will be visible in your qoiob account’s page.
Hope this help. :)
Comments? Questions? Send them to us at @qoiob_com
QR or not QR?
Do you use QR codes?
Popular in Japan, and getting some traction in the US (but not so much in Europe, yet), QR codes are those two-dimensional barcodes readable by mobile phones and smartphones. These black dots arranged in a square pattern contain text information such as a URL, and if you scan the one at the top of this post for example, it will return: http://➪.ws
One use of such code is found in print media, where URLs can easily be scanned, allowing readers to access a web address without having to type it manually in their phone. Another use can be desktop websites offering easy direct access to their mobile version, or to a mobile application (iPhone, Android…) download.
A few days ago, Google announced that their shortcut service goo.gl is now available to the general public, for use with any non-Google URL. At the same time, they also made a small — geeky — announcement that if you simply add “.qr” to the end of any goo.gl URL, it will create a QR code that can be scanned to get the URL.
TechCrunch says it is “very useful”, and I am wondering if users really want such a feature, or if it is more a fun gimmick than anything. Of course, it’s “cool”, but is it really “useful”?
The thing is, unlike in Japan, QR readers are still not installed by default on US and European mobile phones. Yes, it is only a clic away for those who want to install one, but “one clic” is still infinitely more than “zero clic”, and for most people it is a hassle to go to the app store and browse through options, when in fact they wanted to be able to save time with a quick scan.
However, once installed it really is fast and easy to use, and if a big retail company started using QR in their marketing campaigns (e.g., “scan the label of your cola and get your next one free”), smartphones owners would start using QR scanners more readily. Chicken and egg.
What’s puzzling is that on principle, a QR code is already a shortcut, and therefore doesn’t need a shortcut (although, the shorter the URL contained, the simpler the code), but it might be useful for some who want the best of both worlds?
Goo.gl didn’t put this feature forward much, they present it as a cool gadget, and they rather insist on how reliable and fast they are. Which is why I am wondering if it is something worth studying, to see what could be done with it, and perhaps incorporate it into qoiob.
What do you think?
Do you have a QR code reader installed on your phone? Do you use it often? Would you use this feature for your own shortcuts?
How to use qoiob on an iPhone?
qoiob bookmarklet on iPhone
These instructions will help you make a qoiob bookmarklet on your iPhone, so you can shorten links directly from Safari in one click.
Step 1: Bookmark This Page
Tap the plus button at the bottom of the screen, then select Add Bookmark.
Name your bookmarklet something like “qoiob”, save it in your “Bookmarks” folder, then tap Save.
Step 2: Edit The Bookmark
Copy the link below. To do so, simply tap and keep your finger on the text for a few seconds, then choose “Copy”.
[ Copy the link of this text ]
Tap the Bookmarks button at the bottom of the screen.
Find the bookmark you just made. Tap Edit, then tap on the bookmark itself.
To modify the bookmark URL, tap the URL field (it begins with “http:”), erase all content, then replace it with the text you just copied (just tap once in the empty field and then choose “Paste”).
Then, delete everything that comes before “JavaScript:” (i.e., “http://____”).
The finished URL should look like this:
Step 3: Use The Bookmarklet
First, go to qoiob.com and sign into your account. You will only need to do this once, and the system will remember you next time you visit. (You can log out at any time.)
When you’re surfing the web and want make a shortcut link to share or bookmark for later, just tap the Bookmarks button, then tap “qoiob”. The current link will be sent to qoiob, where you can choose a keyword, and share it on Twitter, Facebook, etc.
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Comments? Questions? Tell us what you think at twitter.com/qoiob_com
