Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

iOS 11.2 Beta 3 Introduces Pop-up to Explain Control Center Wi-Fi/Bluetooth Functionality

MacRumors

MacRumors

macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
63,522
30,800



With iOS 11, Apple changed the way the Bluetooth and Wi-Fi toggles in Control Center work. The two buttons are no longer standard on/off switches, and instead disable Bluetooth and Wi-Fi only for a set period of time.

In the new iOS 11.2 beta released this morning, Apple has added new informational pop-ups to let users know exactly how these toggles work. The new pop-ups explain that Bluetooth and Wi-Fi will be disabled temporarily rather than permanently.

controlcenterwifitoggles.jpg

Prior to today's update, the Control Center toggles for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth could be somewhat confusing, because there was no on-device explanation. Apple outlined how the toggles work in a support document, but if you didn't see it, you might wonder why Wi-Fi or Bluetooth were turning themselves back on after being disabled via Control Center.

These new messages will appear the first time the Control Center toggles are used. Subsequent uses will show a message at the top that reads "Disconnecting Nearby Wi-Fi Networks Until Tomorrow" or "Disconnecting Bluetooth Devices Until Tomorrow."

bluetoothwifidisconnectingmessage.jpg

While Apple's new pop-ups offer a better explanation than was previously available, there are other situations where Wi-Fi or Bluetooth might be turned back on sooner than one day. When you use the Wi-Fi toggle in Control Center, Wi-Fi is disabled until one of the following conditions occurs:

- Wi-Fi is reactivated using Control Center
- You connect to a Wi-Fi network using Settings > Wi-Fi
- You walk or drive to a new location
- It's 5:00 a.m. local time
- Your iOS device is restarted

When you use the Bluetooth toggle in Control Center, Bluetooth is disabled until one of the following conditions occurs:

- Bluetooth is reactivated using control Center
- You connect to a Bluetooth accessory in Settings > Bluetooth
- It's 5:00 a.m. local time
- Your iOS device is restarted

To more permanently disable Bluetooth and Wi-Fi on an iOS device running iOS 11, it's necessary to go to the Settings app and toggle these features off in the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth sections. Apple likely made the change to Control Center in iOS 11 for a better overall user experience, as some iPhone and iPad owners might not realize the impact that turning Wi-Fi and Bluetooth off can have when it comes to iOS features like GPS directions, Continuity, and more.

In addition to introducing a message to let users know how Bluetooth and Wi-Fi work in Control Center, on the iPhone X, there's also a small UI change designed to make the Control Center gesture more obvious. Whenever you're on the Lock screen, there's a small bar underneath the icons on the right side of the device, letting you know there's more to see there. The bar is not displayed on the Home screen of an unlocked iPhone X, nor is it displayed within apps.

lockscreencontrolcenterbar.jpg

For those unfamiliar, accessing the Control Center on the iPhone X is done from a swipe down on the top right side of the device rather than a swipe upwards from the bottom.

Article Link: iOS 11.2 Beta 3 Introduces Pop-up to Explain Control Center Wi-Fi/Bluetooth Functionality
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2017/11/13/ios-11-2-beta-3-control-center-explanations/
theelysium

theelysium

Suspended
Nov 18, 2008
562
360
They are turned off to SAVE BATTERY DURPA-DURRRR Apple!

I want my OFF toggles back. I understand how to manage my antennas I don't need to be antenna coddled by Apple's OS.

We should be able to swap the toggles out or HOLD on the WiFi Bluetooth to switch them OFF!

So STUPID.
 
  • Like
Reactions: jaisonline, B4U, H818H and 39 others
spazzcat

spazzcat

macrumors 68040
Jun 29, 2007
3,679
4,767
Derekeys said:
I understand what they’re trying to do, but I believe it’s unnecessary.

Off should be off, on should be on.

Keep it simple stupid.
Click to expand...

The new way is much better. When I get to my car for example at work, it has a very weak connection to wifi. I don't want to turn off wifi, I want to just disconnect from work. The old way I would forget to turn wifi back on.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ohio.emt, Jaish, mijail and 26 others
A

AbSoluTc

Suspended
Sep 21, 2008
5,104
4,002
spazzcat said:
The new way is much better. When I get to my car for example at work, it has a very weak connection to wifi. I don't want to turn off wifi, I want to just disconnect from work. The old way I would forget to turn wifi back on.
Click to expand...

Same here. Parking lot at work, sucks as it's on the cusp and won't connect to either. Turn it off and forget to turn it back on when I get home, except now, thats no longer an issue with the new way :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: jhfenton, Jax44, LeadingHeat and 4 others
spazzcat

spazzcat

macrumors 68040
Jun 29, 2007
3,679
4,767
MattJessop said:
I much much much prefer the new functionality, and it makes my life so much easier (I travel a lot for work and make frequent use of personal hotspot/watch).

However - I also understand the confusion, and think there could have been a better way to demonstrate this.
Click to expand...

I think they need to come up with a comprised, I like the new way much better, but I get other may not. Maybe a third press turns it off?
[doublepost=1510602077][/doublepost]
theelysium said:
You enjoy your needlessly drained battery & your body saturated in antenna radiation for no reason?
Click to expand...

Turning off wifi doesn't save battery, and I hate to be the one tell you this, but you are always being saturated with wifi and other radio waves...
 
  • Like
Reactions: ohio.emt, cyanite, LeadingHeat and 10 others
C

cablecartman

Cancelled
Jan 5, 2006
27
38
Yeah, this indirectness or 'we know best' is disappointing. Advanced users who want to be able to disable wireless radios should not be required to dig through the labyrinth of Settings to do so. Change the Control Centre to be intuitive - its either on or off. If you don't want to do this by default, make it a Settings change to enable this what-you-see-is-what-you-get behaviour.
 
  • Like
Reactions: B4U, motulist, !!! and 12 others
appleofmyibook

appleofmyibook

macrumors regular
May 31, 2016
115
186
I love Apple so much but this is the one thing that makes me so mad.

Users are not stupid. If we press to turn off WiFi and Bluetooth then that’s what we want. I don’t think it’s a far stretch to know what each one means what their functions are.

I always toggle on and off to try and preserve as much of my battery as possible as I do find when they are both on and I am not in a WiFi zone, the battery drains faster. It’s very unlike Apple to do this and really surprises me. I just 3D Touch the settings page now and go into each one to turn on or off.
 
  • Like
Reactions: jaisonline, motulist, splitpea and 12 others
Y

yanksfan114

macrumors 6502
Jul 30, 2011
365
1,020
OldSchoolMacGuy said:
Technically MacRumors is in violation of the Apple Developer agreement by disclosing this information. This opens them to legal action from Apple. Journalistic freedom doesn't apply here.
Click to expand...
Lmao get out. It’s publicly available it doesn’t matter. Not like Apple has ever gone after someone for it anyway. Plus MR doesn’t claim that they have the betas, maybe it’s from a reliable source
 
  • Like
Reactions: motulist, !!!, cyanite and 16 others
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom