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Gav2k

macrumors G3
Jul 24, 2009
9,216
1,608
I found simple trick. Which is not so, obvious for all people.
YouTube: video

That's existed for a long time and I'm pretty sure if you look at the quick tips book in your iPhone box this information is there too
 

willmtaylor

macrumors G4
Oct 31, 2009
10,313
8,198
Here(-ish)
It will never be as useful as the android solution as it will not cycle back through different apps.

This is handy, indeed, though I wish it would go back into the previous app as well.

It's not like double-clicking the home button is so horrible inconvenient or difficult though.

And what's the Android solution? A dedicated button? If so, no thanks.
 

geoff5093

macrumors 68020
Sep 16, 2014
2,251
2,564
Dover, NH
It's not like double-clicking the home button is so horrible inconvenient or difficult though.

And what's the Android solution? A dedicated button? If so, no thanks.
Yes it is a software button that appears on the phone when in apps. Of course the big perk is you can go back between apps.

Say you are in Instagram, you get a facebook notification and want to check it out, when you're done hit back and you are back in Instagram.
 

Tsuchiya

macrumors 68020
Jun 7, 2008
2,310
372
I do miss the back button, it was incredibly useful.

I wonder if Apple will address the issue in future iOS updates. I don't mean copying the "back" button, but the design language of iOS itself. Having the "back" option in the top left corner becomes less user friendly when you increase the size of the device to the point that one handed use requires holding the bottom half.
 

smoledman

macrumors 68000
Oct 17, 2011
1,943
364
This is one of those things that make me think twice(thrice) about switching from Android to iPhone. I am really used to the back button and task-view buttons. OTOH, the Apple home button would give me TouchID, no more entering 4-digit pin codes 12 times a day. OTOH, Google native apps are the best on Android. OTOH, Apple has the best overall app catalog. OTOH, I like the look of Android 5.0 Material Design better than iOS 8 which looks ugly to me in general.

I wish I could take the best aspects of iPhone, Android & Windows Phone into one device. That would be the perfect phone.
 

lyceumHQ

macrumors 65816
Aug 4, 2010
1,458
625
I find the back button thing really odd.

Was using my friends galaxy s5 a few days back and because I've had iPhones for so long I automatically double clicked the home screen to go back to the previous app. Obviously that has a totally different function. And as an iPhone user I found not having a double click home button completely foreign.

Just as my friend kept hitting next to the home button to go back. And found it utterly strange that there was no back button.

I think both ways work perfectly well and I've never once thought to myself 'god I wish this thing had a back button'.
 

nickchallis92

macrumors 6502a
Mar 4, 2012
906
469
London
You're right though - the back button for me on Android has become second nature, in the same way double tapping on iOS has for you.

Like I said before, a back button would be useless on iOS given apps cannot talk to each other
 

flyinmac

macrumors 68040
Sep 2, 2006
3,579
2,464
United States
I do miss the back button, it was incredibly useful.

I wonder if Apple will address the issue in future iOS updates. I don't mean copying the "back" button, but the design language of iOS itself. Having the "back" option in the top left corner becomes less user friendly when you increase the size of the device to the point that one handed use requires holding the bottom half.

It took Apple 20 years to get around to giving their mice more than one button, despite PC's having had them for decades. Apple preferred holding a key on the keyboard while you clicked instead of simple right clicking on a mouse.

Don't expect Apple to move away from 1 button on the phone until Cell phones are a distant memory.
 

p3ntyne

macrumors 6502
Jan 10, 2014
406
3
Sydney, Australia
It's not like double-clicking the home button is so horrible inconvenient or difficult though.

And what's the Android solution? A dedicated button? If so, no thanks.

But it could be easier. Why would the back button be in the top left for apps such as settings?

And, let me guess, a dedicated back button is not useful... Until iPhone's get it. Then suddenly, it's Apple's innovative new feature.
 

Kauai

macrumors 6502a
Oct 13, 2010
504
1
I couldn't stop looking at his cuticles... Idk what that says about me, LOL, but people who model things with their hands close up should take better care. :p
 

willmtaylor

macrumors G4
Oct 31, 2009
10,313
8,198
Here(-ish)
But it could be easier. Why would the back button be in the top left for apps such as settings?

And, let me guess, a dedicated back button is not useful... Until iPhone's get it. Then suddenly, it's Apple's innovative new feature.

"Easier"? Meh, maybe, maybe not. Seems about the same to me, but at the cost of aesthetics and design (hardware and software) conistency. No thanks.

Nope, you guessed wrong. I've stated several times that I'd be disappointed if Apple added this. Feel free to carry on with your straw man assumptions though, mate. ;)
 

p3ntyne

macrumors 6502
Jan 10, 2014
406
3
Sydney, Australia
"Easier"? Meh, maybe, maybe not. Seems about the same to me, but at the cost of aesthetics and design (hardware and software) conistency. No thanks.

Nope, you guessed wrong. I've stated several times that I'd be disappointed if Apple added this. Feel free to carry on with your straw man assumptions though, mate. ;)
Easier. You'll see when you use one.

Take my phone for example, it has a back button, but is consistent and unnoticeable. You seem to believe that because Samsung have a capacitive, ugly, illuminated button, every phone's back button is bad.
 

mib1800

Suspended
Sep 16, 2012
2,859
1,250
Easier. You'll see when you use one.

Take my phone for example, it has a back button, but is consistent and unnoticeable. You seem to believe that because Samsung have a capacitive, ugly, illuminated button, every phone's back button is bad.
You can have capacitive buttons not lit up when pressed as well on Samsung phone too.

Newer touchwiz has back/home buttons on the side panel as well so there is no need to use the bottom capacitive buttons if you don't want to.
 

p3ntyne

macrumors 6502
Jan 10, 2014
406
3
Sydney, Australia
You can have capacitive buttons not lit up when pressed as well on Samsung phone too.

Newer touchwiz has back/home buttons on the side panel as well so there is no need to use the bottom capacitive buttons if you don't want to.
I know but, turning the light off does not make it go away.
 

Woochifer

macrumors 6502a
Apr 22, 2007
771
51
A universal back button embedded into the apps would come in handy, for the simple reason that the home buttons can and will wear out, like they did on two of our other iOS devices. While replacing a worn home button is one of the less expensive repairs, Touch ID makes things considerably more complicated.

As part of Touch ID's security model, the home button's hardware identifer must match the processor identifier. While this adds a layer of security that prevents unauthorized access, it also means that if you replace just the home button on a device with Touch ID, that feature will no longer work. The only way to replace the home button, and keep Touch ID, would be to replace the home button and the motherboard as a matched pair. This obviously makes the repair a lot more expensive.

I've had my 5s for over a year, and while the home button shows no obvious signs of wear, I still try to reduce its usage whenever I can (for example, by using the power button to wake from standby, instead of the home button).
 

darngooddesign

macrumors P6
Jul 4, 2007
16,531
7,475
Atlanta, GA
This is handy, indeed, though I wish it would go back into the previous app as well.

It will never be as useful as the android solution as it will not cycle back through different apps.

I don't want it to go back to the previous app.

If I am reading an email, switch to Safari to check something and go back to my email, I want the gesture to take me back to the inboxes, not back to Safari.
 

Delmar

macrumors 6502
May 10, 2012
308
11
Texas
A universal back button embedded into the apps would come in handy, for the simple reason that the home buttons can and will wear out, like they did on two of our other iOS devices. While replacing a worn home button is one of the less expensive repairs, Touch ID makes things considerably more complicated.

As part of Touch ID's security model, the home button's hardware identifer must match the processor identifier. While this adds a layer of security that prevents unauthorized access, it also means that if you replace just the home button on a device with Touch ID, that feature will no longer work. The only way to replace the home button, and keep Touch ID, would be to replace the home button and the motherboard as a matched pair. This obviously makes the repair a lot more expensive.

I've had my 5s for over a year, and while the home button shows no obvious signs of wear, I still try to reduce its usage whenever I can (for example, by using the power button to wake from standby, instead of the home button).

I didn't know about this, thanks for posting it.
 

lordofthereef

macrumors G5
Nov 29, 2011
13,152
3,707
Boston, MA
I don't want it to go back to the previous app.

If I am reading an email, switch to Safari to check something and go back to my email, I want the gesture to take me back to the inboxes, not back to Safari.

That's fine. I am talking about if you are at the beginning of the app. As it stands if I open a fresh safari page, using the swipe will not do anything. The same is true with email. What I am saying is, if I am on the first page "within the app" and I swipe back, I would like to go to the previous app.

That is exactly how android does it. In your scenario it would, indeed, take you to your inboxes. If you hit back again, it will take you to whatever was opened prior to the mailbox. iOS will not currently register said swipe back.
 
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