I work in many different environments and need macOS and iOS versions of pretty much everything. Any plans for an iOS version?
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Yes, that is being planned in conjunction with multi-device syncing of Hook. We can’t provide a precise ETA yet but will try to keep people posted and invite beta testers.
Already today however you can paste links garnered from Hook into documents and fields of objects synced with iOS and third-party apps. For instance, you can use Hook to get Markdown formatted links to web pages or OmniFocus tasks that you paste in an app like Bear or Drafts whose contents sync across devices. As long as the app in the context of which you invoke Hook generates addresses (“URL’s”) that can be resolved on the iOS side, the links will work. Of course links of the form hook:// do not yet port over to iOS.
We’ll publish more about what, even without a Hook iOS client, you can do with these links across devices. Perhaps some of the contributors to the forum will want to share their experience too.
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Perhaps relevant notes could be added to the supported apps page — and maybe that page needs to evolve to a table of available features (can link, can make new, URLs work on iOS)
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So here you indicated that an iOS version was planned, work to be concurrent with the sync feature now in beta. Any update on the iOS version of Hook?
The sync feature turns out have been done as a pre-requisite to the iOS version. We have prioritized other requests with our limited resources (such as upcoming automation, and a bunch of other things), and some other things took longer than expected (the nature of the beast, in my experience). However, the iOS version is still on our roadmap and very much a priority this year. Some of our other Hook software development (some hinted at already, some unannounced) for macOS is also directly relevant to Hook for iOS (meaning the Hook iOS app will benefit from it). I would still rather not put forth an ETA until we have more clarity.
I think the Hook for iOS version will benefit a lot from the time we have taken. There’s lots of interest that we have scoped out that was not apparent to us previously.
I’m very excited by it.
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Thanks for those great updates – that’s extremely exciting.
May I ask a question about file links? I am currently trying to implement a cross-platform workflow to be able to reference my files both on Mac and iOS. I have been thinking of using DEVONthink for that (which provides cross-platform file links), but I’d rather restrict the number of apps I use and simply use files in my cloud services.
Will file links work on the future iOS version of Hook, allowing for universal referencing of files no matter the environment?
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thanks for asking, @KillerWhale. And welcome to the Hook Productivity Forum.
I think it’s best for Hook customers to wait for Hook to be available for iPhone and iPad — with its concept published and proven with some third-party apps — before assuming that they’ll be able to do what they hope with hook://file links on iPhone/iPad. (Or at least its details announced.) Due to limitations in iPadOS/iOS (sandboxing), there will be limits in what iPhone/iPad users will be able to do with hook://file URLs that were generated on macOS and that reside in iCloud.
Apple has been improving iPadOS/iOS, but they still have significant limitations. WWDC is coming up. We’ll all need to assess whether Apple has some relevant progress to announce. Even if it does not, I’m excited about Hook on iOS and we do expect to provide value with respect to hook://file links there. As you can imagine I really wish we could say more at this point 
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Thank you very much for your answer! I do get you cannot say a lot more but allow me to say I’m very excited too and can’t wait to see what the version will bring. Thank you for making such a great app!
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Checking in on the state of adding iOS support to Hook. All the added features are exciting, but until an easily implemented iOS workflow is a part of it, Hook is not as useful.
thanks for asking, @rwread. We plan to provide an update about the iOS product this summer.
Please feel free to add your wishes/wish list for Hook for iOS here or as a PIM if you prefer.
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Count me in someone who would love an IOS version. As the iPad Pros and IOS become more functional, I find that I’m using the iPad more and more, and the Mac correspondingly less. I find that it is easy now to reject using any IOS apps that are not cross-platform. It is ironic that I discovered the wonderful Hook just as I find I’m moving away from the Mac.
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Brand new to Hook, and I just discovered that what I thought would be macOS-only links are working in iOS. Here’s what I did: on my Mac, I linked some notes in my Notes app to existing notes in Evernote. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that they work not only on my Mac, but also on my iPhone. Not sure why they do, so I wanted to ask you – since there is no iOS version yet - how did this happen?
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when you use the Copy Link command, Hook returns a URL that depends on the type of resource. If the app provides a URL scheme ( like DEVONthink:// ) we almost invariably use that scheme ( EagleFiler is an exception, because we feel customers are better served with a hook://file URL: more robust, etc. and theres’ no iOS version of EagleFiler). So if the app is available on iOS, the URL should work. It’s ultimately up to the app to resolve the URL.
Hook is very configurable, so if users want to use a different URL scheme, if it is feasible, they can do that using Hook’s Scripts Preferences pane.
Yes, today you can already paste links garnered from Hook’s Copy Link command anywhere, including in files and items that are synced with iOS. Some examples:
drafts:// , OmniFocus:// , Things:// etc. Too many to name here.
As noted above, we will publish a version of Hook that works on iOS and iPadOS which will sync all bookmarks created by Hook so that you can have access to them on any platform.
We have not yet pronounced ourselves publicly on hook://file links. Those are links to Finder files that can be synced in a cloud service (iCloud, dropbox, etc.) , or even in a version control system. Hook resolves hook://file URLs. The other issue is email. This requires a mail app that exposes an API to resolve emails by their RFC compliant ID. There are several of them on the Mac. Per https://hookproductivity.com/what-mac-apps-are-compatible-with-hook-app page. Thanks all for your patience re iPhone and iPad.
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Continuing the discussion from iOS Version in the future?:
Hi, is there a roadmap or an expected date to have the IOS version?
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I second this! An iOS version would be super amazing. I’m more often on my cell or ipad
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Thanks, this is still on the roadmap. We’ll say more in the new year.
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Any new progress on this or beta’s to play with? I recently been using my iPad more and would love the Hook functionality there.
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I had expected to make an announcement. I had learned the hard way about making predictions about releases dates, and now about even predictions of product road map announcement dates. Sorry we need to continue to be vague about this. However, I can say that our work is in line with the principle of CogSci Apps , which is to deliver inventions (meaning that what we deliver is typically not anticipated by the market and follows from our thinking about software in IDO cognitive science terms), and if all goes according to plan, in Hook 2.3 CogSci Apps will enhance Hook’s usefulness for iOS & iPadOS (and we here too use those platforms extensively, so we understand the importance of this). We have been testing our software enhancement and will seed it to some related parties this week. This is not the iOS variant of Hook however. We expect to issue a lot of communications in March, including this week with many companies that understand the value of contextual computing. I can say that the entire team here has been working hard to help our customers link their digital lives. Thanks for your patience.
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Awesome! Excited to give it a try when it’s ready!
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Hey there, me too, me too!
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