A new iOS application, available since the beginning of the year, is a hit: it allows you to send photos to your loved ones directly on the home screen of their iPhone. Here’s how to use it.
Share photos with a loved one other than via instant messaging and in a more direct way? This is exactly what Locket Widget offers. This iOS app was developed by Matthew Moss, a fresh out developer from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
The purpose of this application was to allow him and his girlfriend, also a student and about to return to college, to easily send photos directly to the screen of home of their respective iPhones during this forced distance relationship.
The application, completely free, however requires registration using a mobile number. Once your account is registered, you will be able to send and receive photos in a widget pinned to your iPhone screen with up to five people.
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1. Download Locket Widget
If you haven’t already, start by downloading the Locket Widget app on your iPhone and inviting your loved ones to do the same. The app is free, without ads or in-app purchases, but requires registration to work.
Download Locket Widget for iPhone
2. Set up your account
Open the app on your iPhone and tap Set up my Locket. To work, Locket requires registration using your phone number. Enter it in the field provided and press the Continue button.
You should then receive a validation code by SMS. Enter it at the Verify your number step and press Continue. Then fill in your first name then your last name and confirm by pressing the Continue button.
3. Import your contacts
In order to be able to send images to your loved ones, Locket requires the import of your contacts. Press the Enable contacts button then in the pop-up authorizing access to your contacts, touch the OK button to accept.
Locket automatically detects contacts from your address book using the app. Press the +Add button displayed in front of each contact directly to invite them to join your group.
If you want to use Locket with a contact who has not yet used the application, directly search for their name in the Search your contacts field and press +Add. Locket will then automatically generate an invitation to download the application to be sent via message.
Once your contacts have been added (or invited), press the Continue button and close the application. Note that Locket is a micro social network and the number of friends you can add is very limited. You can only share your photos with a maximum of 5 people.
4. Add the Widget to the home screen
Go to a page on your home screen with enough free space and tap and hold it to enter edit mode. Then press the + button at the top left of the screen to access the Widgets available on your iPhone.
Select the Widget Locket, then choose one of the two widgets offered by the application and press the button to Add the widget to pin it on the home screen of the iPhone and press the OK button at the top to right to save your changes.
5. Complete the setup
Now that the application is configured on your iPhone and that your relatives have done the same, you must finalize the configuration of the application.
To do this, tap the widget on your home screen which should say Tap to setup, and tap the Finish button. To make sure you don’t miss the arrival of a new image in the widget, Locket asks for permission to show notifications.
In the permission pop-up displayed on the screen, tap Allow to accept, then OK to allow the app access to your iPhone camera.
6. Send photos
You should now be able to send and receive photos in the widget. When the Locket widget is opened, it directly opens the iPhone camera. Trigger a shot then, if you are satisfied with the result, press the send button represented by a paper airplane.
The photo is then automatically sent and displayed in the Locket widget pinned to your friends’ iPhone home screen. All photos sent and received via Locket are logged in the app’s History section and can be saved to the iPhone’s camera roll via the share button.