A Guide On Creating A Universal Magazine Application For All iOS Platforms

Introduction

In the iOS app store, there are many applications that allow you to read PDF files. You will need to download different apps if you want to read the same PDF on all your Apple devices. There are some apps that support reading PDF files on iPhone iPad Mac, but not on tvOS.

​Recently, we encountered a query in an Apple forum about a person with a physical disability who is paralyzed from the shoulders down. For TV OS, he wants an application similar to iBookAside from magazines, he wants to read news and other materials.

We found Some applications Like PDFonTV, and PDF Viewer ON TV but they are for the Apple TV Platform only. For all platforms, only one application was not available in the app store. Also Found Easy PDF Reader for All Cloud that Application is available For iPhone,iPad, and Apple TV but it’s not available on Mac Systems.

Solutions

Reading PDF documents with actual page turn animation is possible with this App for not only iPhone or iPad but also for Mac and Apple TV. Universal Magazine Application is a complete solution to view news via pdf on a large display like a TV, Mac system, and also on iPhone, and iPad devices. Its super intuitive interface makes you feel like you are reading a real book.

Universal Magazine Application supports multiple platforms like iPad, iPhone, Apple TV, and MAC System, and not just that it also gives you the latest news from this app.

Universal Magazine Application screen is smartly designed to keep it super fast and user-friendly, some of the great features include zoom of up to 2x, a preview pane for a quick view, easy file access, thumbnail previews, and much more.

Get Easy news in PDF  format now anywhere and on any Apple Device start using it the way you want, be it in office meetings, class presentations, and or anywhere it fits your needs.

As you can see from the images, this application allows you to read pdf on any iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, or Mac system, as if you were reading a magazine or newspaper in real life.

Application Details

• One Application for TVOS, iOS, and Mac OS. Manage the behavior of all platforms with one program.

• Get Different Types of PDF For Reading with very good Animation.

• You can do Zoom In & Zoom Out as per requirement.

• You can Read horizontally or vertically as per your requirement for iPhone or iPad.

Features

Our goal here is to provide you with a better understanding. You can see how the application will look on different platforms in the images we have included. With this app, you will experience the real effects of reading a book on an iPad also. You can zoom in and out according to your requirement. Rotate the iPad to view pages as singles or doubles. The app simulates the experience of reading a real book on an iPad.

As you can see in the image, the app also runs on tvOS, but it has some limitations. As you can see, there is only one-page view at a time, but you can turn the page with animation, the same as the iPhone or iPad.

There is a different UI for this application in mac os Pdf listings in the sidebar can be opened by clicking any pdf. Mac OS does not have a Page turn animation effect like other systems, but there are many other options you can explore with a right-click to move to the next or previous page, zoom in or out, or view one page at a time. you can also hide unhide sidebar.

Limitations

• For macOS, PDF Animation is not supportable

• TVOS Can not display two pages of pdf at a time

• PDF Display is not supported for WatchOS

Challenges We Believe Need To be Tackeled

• Manage pdf listing UI on all devices.

• Every device had a different user interaction, so managing it was difficult But I achieved it in the end after some struggle.

• The display image from the URL was different for Mac Os.

• The UI controls of different platforms must be managed according to their conditions.

• After a few attempts, it becomes easier to operate the TV remote on the simulator.

• It’s a limitation of Apple that animation is not provided for the Mac platform.

• In tvOS, two pages could be displayed at once as the orientation of the Apple TV’s UI wasn’t supported.

Tech stack

• Xcode Version 14.4 App Development for iPad, iPhone, tvOS, macOS
• iOS 14.0 or above for testing on iPhone
• iOS 14.0 or above for testing on iPad
• tvOS 14.0 or above for testing in Apple TV
• macOS BigSur 11.5.6 or above for testing on Mac
• the framework used for viewing PDFs on macOS

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is a Universal Magazine App?

– It is a magazine reader that can be installed on macOS, iOS, and TVOS. Zoom in or out according to your comfort and flip pages with animation.

Can this app support all Apple devices?

– yes except for the Apple Watch. This app runs on iPhone, iPad, macOS, and tvOS.

Can I Zoom in and Out in this app?

– Yes, zooming out is supportable.

Page animation available in this application?

– real page turn animation except in macros.

How can I use this app on tvOS?

– You can simply control this app by remote.