There's no shortage of speed dial apps for the iPhone. Web apps like iSpeedDial and native apps like Contact allow phone calls and text messages to be sent quickly and easily. But Launch Center Pro ($2.99) is essentially speed dial for your iOS apps. While it functions just as well for calling and texting people, its differentiating feature is integration with almost all of your iOS apps and their features, allowing you to access them without digging down into the app itself.
Launch Center Pro's simple design is arranged in a four-by-three grid. Icons featuring apps or folders (called groups) adorn the screen and can be arranged any way you want. For apps, you can choose to leave the default icon or customize it with one of hundreds of available icons. Want a distinct icon for messaging your girlfriend? Try a heart on a purple background. Got your landlord on speed dial? Let a hammer be his sigil. The abundance of icons for visual customization is a welcome perk. The inability to alter the gray background, however, is a disappointment, since it changes when you edit your stable of apps. The ability to use your image of choice on an icon is also missing, a feature present on similar speed dial apps.
Still, Launch Center Pro features launch compatibility with an extensive number of apps. According to its developer, App Cubby, “Launch Center will work with any app that has a valid URL scheme.” Setting app shortcuts works almost like Windows Phone, with its ability to pin specific sections of apps as tiles on your start menu.