Is there such a thing as a fake App?

[SPROINGY]

I was browsing, with Safari, my Life Insurance's website, and it offered the option of an App, so I thought 'Why not?' and downloaded it.

But when I checked my App Store purchases, it's not there! If it's a real App, it should be, right?

For anyone interested, the website is sunlife.ca, and the link to their App is found after tapping 'Contact Us.'

Most strange...

 

[dhewson777]

Any link to an iOS app should take you to the App Store to download.

When checking the Purchases list, do you have it set for Not on this IPad? If so, it will only show apps that are not currently installed.

 

[twerppoet]

From your description, It might be a web app. Unlike apps from the App Store, web apps are just links to sites that are designed to look like apps. The get rid of the browser interface, and store enough local data to make them a bit more usable than a normal web site.

If it is a web app, it probably prompted you to use the Add To Home Screen action. This will add an icon to the home screen that looks just like an app icon; however it is just a shortcut to Safari. But with a web app, you won't see the Safari interface.

At any rate, you won't have gone through the App Store, and that means that you won't see that app in your purchased list.

If you did go through the App Store (hard to miss), then it's a different issue. My best guess is that the app is actually an iPhone app. iPads will run most iPhone apps, though they won't look quite right.

In that case to back to the Purchased tab in the App Store. Near the tip right it will say iPad Apps. Tap on this and change it to iPhone Apps. You should then see any iPhone apps you've purchased from the iPad store.

There are four kinds of apps in the App Store.

1) iPhone apps that will only run on an iPhone, usually because the app needs some feature that only exists on the iPhone.

2) iPhone apps that will work on an iPad, but are not optimized for it. The screen with be the same as for an iPhone, either blown up larger, or shrunk to a portion of the iPad's screen.

3) Universal apps that are optimized for both iPhones and iPads. They switch interfaces depending on what device they are on.

4) iPad apps. They only work on an iPad.

Note: Apps for the iPod Touch would be either type 2 or 3.

 

[SPROINGY]

Thanks, guys. Very much appreciated!!

 

[twerppoet]

No problem.

Don't know why I didn't check before, but it does look like Sun Life has an iPhone app. Something to do with catastrophe claims.

 

[SPROINGY]

*Thanks for your reply! They say you can use the App to send a secure message, which was what I wanted. I'm sure it does more than that.

 

[twerppoet]

Probably a different app then.

 

[SPROINGY]

Strangely, Sun Life won't allow registration on a mobile device- only laptops. My iPad Air's much more secure than my 5 year old Netbook.

I'll do without their app!

 

[twerppoet]

Too bad.

 

[SPROINGY]

Nah, I don't care, I just have a policy with them and the annual payment due date usually slips my mind, and a missed 'due date' could have dire consequences.

I just noted the due date in 'Calendar,' that should take care of my faulty memory!

 

[twerppoet]

Nah, I don't care, I just have a policy with them and the annual payment due date usually slips my mind, and a missed 'due date' could have dire consequences.

I just noted the due date in 'Calendar,' that should take care of my faulty memory!

I set up all my re-occurring bills in a Bills list in Reminders, with a first of the month alert. That works better for me, since the red badge on the Reminder's icon doesn't go away until I check them off in the list.

When you ignore a calendar alert it just goes away. Given my memory, and tendancy to put things off just a bit longer, that's not a good thing.

 

[SPROINGY]

Good point. I'll tinker with it. Thanks!

 

[twerppoet]

No problem.