Slack has unveiled new iOS app widgets to enhance worker engagement and collaboration.
Slack has introduced four new widgets to its iOS app: “Catch Up”, two versions of “Status”, and “Slack Launcher”, which allow employees to remain engaged with work wherever they are. The first three are widgets for the home screen, while the latter is designed for iOS lock screens, empowering workers to jump immediately into their workflows or projects.
Slack announced the news on X:
Three new Slack iOS widgets are here to make your workday a whole lot easier. Add the Catch Up widget, Status widget, and Slack Launcher widget to your device and stay in the know on the go.”
These solutions compound Slack’s ambition to turn its platform into an all-in-one collaboration and communications service with some of the most sophisticated feature sets on the market.
To access the latest features on Slack for iOS, users should ensure their app is updated to the newest version. Once updated, users only have to press and hold on to their Home or Lock Screen to identify and add the fresh widget options available.
Three 3⃣new Slack iOS widgets are here to make your workday a whole lot easier.
Add the Catch Up widget, Status widget, and Slack Launcher widget to your device and stay in the know on the go. pic.twitter.com/bEak0coGZK
— Slack (@SlackHQ) July 22, 2024
What The Widgets Specifically Do
The new Catch Up widget on the Slack iOS home screen offers a convenient snapshot of unread messages and mentions, allowing users to stay informed without needing to open the app. By tapping the Catch Up widget, users can be taken straight to their missed conversations in the Slack app, enabling them to catch up rapidly on what they’ve missed. The feature aims to provide more detail than the notification badge on the Slack app icon.
The other home screen widgets are pitched as streamlining status updates to keep colleagues informed. The smaller Status widget allows users to jump straight to the status section of the Slack app with a simple tap. The larger version offers the same direct access, plus it includes three preset status options: a one-hour “Focus” status, a “Lunch” break, and a half-hour “Take a break” status. Currently, these preset options are not personalisable.
Slack Launcher allows users to jump straight into Slack from the lock screen rather than needing to find the app on their home screen.
What Else Has Slack Been Up To Recently?
In April, Salesforce announced that Slack AI is now available for all paying customers.
Previously available only to customers on Slack Enterprise plans and limited to US and UK English, Salesforce now emphasises that businesses of all sizes can leverage Slack AI. This tool uses a business’s conversational data to help users work more efficiently and intelligently.
Slack AI was also updated with new features, including an enhanced AI-powered recap that provides morning digest summaries, personalised search answers, advanced conversation summaries, and expanded language support.
Meanwhile, last month, Salesforce announced Slack Lists, a project and task management tool that is integrated directly into its collaboration platform.
Salesforce states that Slack Lists introduces structure to conversations within Slack, enabling teams to manage projects, inbound requests, and top priorities directly on the platform. This feature eliminates the need to switch between multiple apps, streamlining workflows and keeping everything organised in one place.
Earlier this month, Slack revealed plans to delete data that is one year old for free users.
Previously, free users could access data up to 90 days old, with older data hidden and accessible only upon upgrading to a paid account. However, Slack has indicated that it “may” delete data that is a year old. According to Slack, this deletion will specifically apply to messages and shared files in accordance with its service agreement and compliance regulations.
