Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Are You Using Reachability With iPhone X
- Thread starter AppleRobert
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I would encourage anyone coming from their smaller iPhone to at least try it.
Interesting. Didn’t know you can use it to get to control center! But I use this gesture several times per day.. kinda just hard wired to do certain things coming from a plus. It’s easier to program using a gesture vs learning how to not use it at all
When it’s activated you grab Control Center from the right, over the battery indicator. The hot area moves down with the top edge of the screen.
Personally. I don’t see a problem with the gesture. Once you get it down.. it works as easy as going home.
Yep. It's so much easier to use one-handed. Also used it on my 6s and 7 (non-plus).
I’ve used Reachability on my 7 and now on my X and it really works well for one handed gestures. Makes using it one handed more fluid.
It helps on the X BUT the 7 form factor for me is better for one handed use. I’m having trouble using the X one handed. I think it’s the width. The length I use reachability.
How to customize your own non-awkward Reachability gesture:
You can assign Reachability as an option in Settings > General > Accessibility > Assistive Touch.
For those unfamiliar — Assistive Touch lets you position your own translucent software "button" on the side or bottom of your screen. I position the "button" about halfway up the right side, so it's fairly comfortable for my right thumb. And I set the button at the minimum 15% transparency so it's not too noticeable except when I need it.
I have Reachability as a long-touch in Assistive Touch — and also "home" as a single tap (makes sense, right?), multitasking as a double-tap, and Control Center as a 3-D press.
Best of all, it works within apps too — and even on the unlock screen!
You can assign Reachability as an option in Settings > General > Accessibility > Assistive Touch.
For those unfamiliar — Assistive Touch lets you position your own translucent software "button" on the side or bottom of your screen. I position the "button" about halfway up the right side, so it's fairly comfortable for my right thumb. And I set the button at the minimum 15% transparency so it's not too noticeable except when I need it.
I have Reachability as a long-touch in Assistive Touch — and also "home" as a single tap (makes sense, right?), multitasking as a double-tap, and Control Center as a 3-D press.
Best of all, it works within apps too — and even on the unlock screen!
Last edited:
I'm about to "downgrade" from the iPhone X to a maxed-out iPhone 8. Even with Reachability and tricked-out accessibility settings, the X doesn't really work as a one-handed phone unless you have Andre the Giant hands.
I think the X is a perfect upgrade for people who love the plus series. It just forces a lot of compromises for those of us who love multitasking with our smaller iPhones.
Apple could really help by giving us an optional "bunch controls" setting (let's face it, Reachability is a kludge) — so those who want it can have instant one-handed access to icons, top-screen search fields and more, in both apps and the home screen. That way we could enjoy the intuitive multitasking that we're accustomed to from a premium Apple phone, along with the X's big beautiful screen and outstanding photography.
I think the X is a perfect upgrade for people who love the plus series. It just forces a lot of compromises for those of us who love multitasking with our smaller iPhones.
Apple could really help by giving us an optional "bunch controls" setting (let's face it, Reachability is a kludge) — so those who want it can have instant one-handed access to icons, top-screen search fields and more, in both apps and the home screen. That way we could enjoy the intuitive multitasking that we're accustomed to from a premium Apple phone, along with the X's big beautiful screen and outstanding photography.
Last edited:
A lot of people dislike using it. And I mean dislike, like it’s somehow “wrong”.
Even worse with the X where you have to learn how to do the gesture right.
With that said, I used it often on my 6 and 6S and I use it almost daily on my X, when I’m holding it with one hand.
I down graded too to a maxed out 8 non Plus for pretty much the same reasons as you. I didn’t want to compromise. I actually used reachability a lot on my pre 8 non Plus but it’s a lot different on the X which I didn’t want to compromise.