Delete button needed in App Store "updates" tab

[C DM]

I'm not opposed to a choice to clear the listing at all but I just don't see the point in separating them now as the primary function of the Updates tab is to see what has already been updated rather than to see what needs updated.

I don't even get a notification badge on the App Store now about pending updates, it just does them...and I only know they are done as it appears in the NC. After that I can go to Updates to see the changes.

When I *do* catch updates in the App Store before they're applied they have a "Update" button next to them which seems enough of a differentiator.

As far as iOS is concerned, for years, until iOS 7, the primary function of the Update tab has always been to see what needs to be updated. That is how it is in Windows Phone, OS X (at least until Mavericks), Windows Update, and how it is on most other update systems as well.

Now, with the introduction of automatic updates (which, by far, not even close to everyone will actually use or even want to use) having a list of recently updated apps becomes that much more useful and important, but that doesn't really mean the whole purpose of the Update tab suddenly changes from what's available to update to what was already updated. It's clear the two need to coexist due the new features that are introduced, but there are better ways that it can be accomplished rather than simply taking over the already existing tab with known and previously established (for a long time) functionality and almost repurposing it for something else, or at the very least sort of throwing multiple things into a single pile.

 

[jtfolden]

Now, with the introduction of automatic updates (which, by far, not even close to everyone will actually use or even want to use)

Actually, I'd bet dollars to doughnuts that the vast majority of iOS 7+ users will NEVER alter this setting from it's defaults.

having a list of recently updated apps becomes that much more useful and important, but that doesn't really mean the whole purpose of the Update tab suddenly changes from what's available to update to what was already updated.

Ummm.... but that's exactly what it means because it's already happened.

It's clear the two need to coexist due the new features that are introduced, but there are better ways that it can be accomplished rather than simply taking over the already existing tab with known and previously established (for a long time) functionality and almost repurposing it for something else, or at the very least sort of throwing multiple things into a single pile.

The only reason they would need to equally coexist is if both methods were being given equal attention by Apple... but that's not the case. It's obvious that Apple fully intends for auto-update to be the default. It's not an alternative to exist alongside the old way of doing things, it's meant to be the new and improved way and I think it is.

For this reason, the listing/log of recently updated apps should not be shuffled off to a separate screen like Purchases because this listing is the primary use of that tab now. It would make no sense to have the Updates screen only show pending updates because it will almost always be blank now.

I think providing a way to clear the list is really the biggest concessions that should even be made here and I'm not sure Apple will do that... certainly not in 7.0 i don't think.

 

[SakuraSuki]

No, the default in iOS 7 is to do auto-updates, so the "Updates" tab is mainly so you can check to see what has updated recently and what the changes were (which is why oldest updates eventually fall off the list).

How else would you know what apps have auto-updated if a log wasn't available?

No no. When people check update, they expect only update to show up. Display already updated app along with app needs to be apdate p, it sill confuse people.

Also people don't need to know the app is being updated and notification centre shows you which app being updated.

 

[jtfolden]

No no. When people check update, they expect only update to show up. Display already updated app along with app needs to be apdate p, it sill confuse people.

Have you actually been running iOS 7? Updates generally doesn't show apps that need updating because it's already been done... that's the point... and when it does there's no confusion because it's immediately obvious which ones have yet to be installed.

Also, I think you're being rather unkind to the intellect of iPhone users as Android users have lived with a similar system for years now without issue or confusion.

 

[C DM]

Actually, I'd bet dollars to doughnuts that the vast majority of iOS 7+ users will NEVER alter this setting from it's defaults.



Ummm.... but that's exactly what it means because it's already happened.



The only reason they would need to equally coexist is if both methods were being given equal attention by Apple... but that's not the case. It's obvious that Apple fully intends for auto-update to be the default. It's not an alternative to exist alongside the old way of doing things, it's meant to be the new and improved way and I think it is.

For this reason, the listing/log of recently updated apps should not be shuffled off to a separate screen like Purchases because this listing is the primary use of that tab now. It would make no sense to have the Updates screen only show pending updates because it will almost always be blank now.

I think providing a way to clear the list is really the biggest concessions that should even be made here and I'm not sure Apple will do that... certainly not in 7.0 i don't think.

The Updates tab for years has been (and still is in most other OSs) something that lists only available updates, not those that have already happened. If you are saying that automatic updates suddenly made that tab have a different meaning, well, even if that's the case, then what at least some of some of the people are saying that it could have been done better than simply taking what that tab used to be and is typically is and simply adding other items into the mix. That's really what it comes down to. The fact that Apple might think that most people want auto-updates or don't care about things being mixed in, doesn't mean that the way they went about the design is good or at least couldn't be better.

 

[SakuraSuki]

The only reason they would need to equally coexist is if both methods were being given equal attention by Apple... but that's not the case. It's obvious that Apple fully intends for auto-update to be the default. It's not an alternative to exist alongside the old way of doing things, it's meant to be the new and improved way and I think it is.

For this reason, the listing/log of recently updated apps should not be shuffled off to a separate screen like Purchases because this listing is the primary use of that tab now. It would make no sense to have the Updates screen only show pending updates because it will almost always be blank now.

I think providing a way to clear the list is really the biggest concessions that should even be made here and I'm not sure Apple will do that... certainly not in 7.0 i don't think.

If the tab intended to show you the list of already updated apps, then shouldn't it named as Updated not Updates?

 

[C DM]

Have you actually been running iOS 7? Updates generally doesn't show apps that need updating because it's already been done... that's the point... and when it does there's no confusion because it's immediately obvious which ones have yet to be installed.

Also, I think you're being rather unkind to the intellect of iPhone users as Android users have lived with a similar system for years now without issue or confusion.

It might already been done for those who might have auto-updates on, and even for those people the auto-updates don't happen on a continuous basis, so they can still catch an available update before it's been automatically updated on their phone.

Plenty of people don't/won't care for auto-updates, just like plenty do/will, and just like plenty that won't care either way. But, again, none of that means that the way the tab suddenly changed meaning and the way it's been all sort of lumped together is a good one or at least couldn't be better.

 

[jtfolden]

If you are saying that automatic updates suddenly made that tab have a different meaning, well, even if that's the case, then what at least some of some of the people are saying that it could have been done better than simply taking what that tab used to be and is typically is and simply adding other items into the mix. That's really what it comes down to. The fact that Apple might think that most people want auto-updates or don't care about things being mixed in, doesn't mean that the way they went about the design is good or at least couldn't be better.

I completely understand the idea that the new way may not be a great fit for every last user but the reality is that Apple doesn't offer a lot of choices in most instances and this seems like one of the last places they would begin to do that.

In reality, if a clear/delete option were added to the screen then I can't see how that wouldn't appease those that want to manually install updates. You could clear the screen immediately after installing your updates and the Updates tab would work essentially just like it always has...

 

[C DM]

I completely understand the idea that the new way may not be a great fit for every last user but the reality is that Apple doesn't offer a lot of choices in most instances and this seems like one of the last places they would begin to do that.

In reality, if a clear/delete option were added to the screen then I can't see how that wouldn't appease those that want to manually install updates. You could clear the screen immediately after installing your updates and the Updates tab would work essentially just like it always has...

Sure, an option like that would be useful...that's essentially (at least part of) what this thread is about.

And it's not so much that new might not be fitting to some, but that the new part can be done better since right now in this case it's sort of mixing old and the new together without a way to even clear that up if the user wishes to, which doesn't create for as good of an experience.