iPhone X Owners Complain About Keyboard's 'Wasted Space'

[MacRumors]

As early adopters began to experience the iPhone X for the first time this past weekend, many users took to the MacRumors forums, Reddit, and Twitter to discuss the gap that exists below the keyboard within iOS 11 on iPhone X. As some users pointed out, this space was likely meant as a way to more easily swipe up to go Home, and potentially for ergonomics reasons since a lower keyboard could be more difficult to type on, but many iPhone X owners are still getting used to the way the keyboard looks across all apps on the device.

The iOS keyboard on iPhone X​

On the new keyboard, the Globe or Emoji icon and the Dictation icon both sit below the space bar at the very bottom of the screen. Between these two buttons is a wide, empty gray area that isn't sitting well with some iPhone X owners, and which some early reviews of the device pointed out last week.

BuzzFeed, for example, wondered why Apple didn't do more with this space, potentially including adding "common punctuation, frequently used emojis, or literally anything."

It's when the keyboard, in any app, is on screen (which, for me, is most of the time): There's all this dead space on the bottom, where Apple could have put common punctuation, frequently used emojis, or literally anything, but instead left it blank. Other full-screen apps on other phones put navigation or other design elements in that area, and it doesn't look crowded or crammed. It looks fine. It's puzzling why Apple didn't put something more useful down at the bottom, or why it didn't add a row of numbers or emojis up top and push down the keyboard to make it more thumb-accessible.

Alex Muench, a UI/UX designer for apps like Todoist and Twist, went a step further and created a mockup of how this could look on future versions of iOS on the iPhone X. Muench likened this space on iPhone X to be a potential area for recently used emojis, "like Touch bar on Mac."

Unused space on the iPhone X keyboard could be used for frequently used emojis like Touch bar on Mac. ?? pic.twitter.com/OZx48cSVWl - Alex Muench (@alexmuench) November 6, 2017

Twitter user @Yespur asked third-party keyboard SwiftKey if the company will "fill the bottom part of the screen," to which SwiftKey responded: "We'll have to look into it. Nothing to comment on beyond that." It's unclear whether third parties will have any ability to design for this area of iOS on iPhone X. In the Human Interface Guidelines for the new smartphone, the only direct mention of the keyboard asks developers to not duplicate the Globe and Dictation keys.

Don't duplicate system-provided keyboard features. On iPhone X, the Emoji/Globe key and the Dictation key automatically appear beneath the keyboard--even when using custom keyboards. Your app can't affect these keys, so avoid causing confusion by repeating them in your keyboard

The iPhone X comes with a variety of new interface gestures, features, and interactions that take some time getting used to following years of the traditional iPhone experience. Without a Home Button, unlocking the iPhone X requires you to swipe up from the bottom edge of the device, and also rearranges some physical commands like taking a screenshot by pressing the Side Button and Volume Up Button. For more information on Apple's newest smartphone, check out our iPhone X Roundup.

Article Link: iPhone X Owners Complain About Keyboard's 'Wasted Space'

 

[PastaPrimav]

Why do we have to shove things in there? I really don't want stuff in that close proximity to the Home Bar. There's enough screen in use already.

 

[joshwenke]

Apple is really slipping in the quality control department recently...

 

[alwaysbeincontact]

Apple will probably update this soon.

 

[Steve121178]

Easily fixed via a software update.

 

[randymac09]

I saw somewhere else someone mentioned that iOS 11 is really like iOS 1 for the X. It’s a completely new device and needs a different OS than the others. These things will get worked out. I’m not taking the blame away from Apple, but I think come iOS 2 for the X (i.e. iOS 12) we will see a much improved UI.

 

[djcerla]

Alternate universe headline: “iPhone X users complain about inadvertently entering symbols while using home gesture”.

 

[Apple blogger]

Don't worry people, Apple might be working on a fix, because apparently, that's what've been doing lately...

 

[PastaPrimav]

Apple is really slipping in the quality control department recently...

Totally irrelevant, uninformed comment. That would imply Apple just didn't know it looked like this. They know. And its on purpose. Try reading their Human Interface Guidelines. You're not supposed to crowd content close to the Home Bar, and precisely zero users would want them (or other devs) to do so.

Unfortunately, most "users" don't know what they want until they see it and try it. But, Apple isn't going to give you something bad just so you can decide for yourself that it was right the first time.

 

[Nick A]

I think it’s fine the way it is. It’s neat and clean and doesn’t look cluttered like it does in that mock-up pic with the emojis.

The keyboard on the X is also sits in the natural position your thumbs go when holding the phone.

I do wish Apple would fix the bug that keeps changing my “I” to an A with a question mark though!!

 

[verniesgarden]

Honestly ios11 on the X feels like an in between operating system. Something to ease us users into the future ui changes. I’m excited to see what ios12/13 bring

 

[GabrielMoro]

They should add a toggle between "Man" or "Woman" to reduce Emoji clutter, alongside changing all Emoji colors based on this previous choice. It would be so simple to implement.

 

[M.PaulCezanne]

Reserved for advertisements.

 

[bchery21]

Meh, I don't mind the space down there. That said, wouldn't surprise me if Apple decides to add something in an update...

 

[iapplelove]

I’m just happy Face ID works as flawless as it does. Also the screen is real nice!

 

[shplock]

As early adopters began to experience the iPhone X for the first time this past weekend, many users took to the MacRumors forums, Reddit, and Twitter to discuss the gap that exists below the keyboard within iOS 11 on iPhone X. As some users pointed out, this space was likely meant as a way to more easily swipe up to go Home, and potentially for ergonomics reasons since a lower keyboard could be more difficult to type on, but many iPhone X owners are still getting used to the way the keyboard looks across all apps on the device.

The iOS keyboard on iPhone X​

On the new keyboard, the Globe or Emoji icon and the Dictation icon both sit below the space bar at the very bottom of the screen. Between these two buttons is a wide, empty gray area that isn't sitting well with some iPhone X owners, and which some early reviews of the device pointed out last week.

BuzzFeed, for example, wondered why Apple didn't do more with this space, potentially including adding "common punctuation, frequently used emojis, or literally anything."
Alex Muench, a UI/UX designer for apps like Todoist and Twist, went a step further and created a mockup of how this could look on future versions of iOS on the iPhone X. Muench likened this space on iPhone X to be a potential area for recently used emojis, "like Touch bar on Mac."

​

Twitter user @Yespur asked third-party keyboard SwiftKey if the company will "fill the bottom part of the screen," to which SwiftKey responded: "We'll have to look into it. Nothing to comment on beyond that." It's unclear whether third parties will have any ability to design for this area of iOS on iPhone X. In the Human Interface Guidelines for the new smartphone, the only direct mention of the keyboard asks developers to not duplicate the Globe and Dictation keys.
The iPhone X comes with a variety of new interface gestures, features, and interactions that take some time getting used to following years of the traditional iPhone experience. Without a Home Button, unlocking the iPhone X requires you to swipe up from the bottom edge of the device, and also rearranges some physical commands like taking a screenshot by pressing the Side Button and Volume Up Button. For more information on Apple's newest smartphone, check out our iPhone X Roundup.

Article Link: iPhone X Owners Complain About Keyboard's 'Wasted Space'

There probably is a good reason why Apple did not fill the empty space with 'stuff' because as you type on the keyboard it makes it more likely to create a spurious input by accident. Then all these people complaining about empty space would complain about errors. SHUT UP MOANING!

 

[pat500000]

Give me dark mode....and everything will be find.

 

[HardRain]

Apple will probably update this soon.

Give them a year or two..

How many years did it take them to remove the huge volume sign from the middle of the screen?

 

[imaginex20]

Hopefully Apple fixes this in a .X update instead of iOS 12...

 

[Apple blogger]

Alternate universe headline: “iPhone X users complain about inadvertently entering symbols while using home gesture”.

Alternate universe quotes by Apple "we don't know what you want, first you say you want less space, then you say it's coming in the way, what is it that you want?"

Steve jobs from heaven: "You can't just ask customers what they want and then try to give that to them. By the time you get it built, they'll want something new."

 

[Rogifan]

First question. Do we know more could be done with this space that wouldn’t cause other issues? It’s easy to do mockups that look good but has anyone been able to test out their mock-up on the phone?

 

[borgqueenx]

There's so much more missed oppurtunity by apple to make the device better.... Don't get me wrong i enjoy it alot but here is a list of stuff alot of people want:

1. Bring up the status bar information so it fits better next to the notch, if needed make the font of it smaller.
2. Add an option to unlock the phone without swiping up.
3. Add control center to the multitasking screen instead of stretching your thumb every time.
4. Force close apps by swiping up instead of holding one down first. One can simply swipe from bottom to get back.
5. Get back battery percentage in the status bar.
6. Make safari landscape mode wider on the iPhone X.
7. Customize lock screen force touch buttons.
8. Hide the "home" bar.
9. Dark mode is even more important for the X due to OLED burn-ins.

This empty wasted keyboard space is just another one to add to the list.

 

[jonnyb098]

Hopefully Apple fixes this in a .X update instead of iOS 12...

Doubtful. This unfortunately has to be done in baby steps. If apple did even more drastic changes to iOS on top of people having to learn new ways of using the phone it would be an even bigger mess.

Remember the main tag lines and marketing say "The future". Which means this phone isn't going to be mainstream with iPhone users for at least a year.

 

[bruinsrme]

Complaining about empty space?
I’m sure there would be complaints if apple shoved a bunch of crap in there.

I could just picture the eye rolls when people open up that screen. “Ah there it is, that empty space, this phone is horrible and completely unusable”

This complaint deserve to be flushed along with my recent activity, if you know what I mean.

Back to work

 

[Mudcrutch]

Other quibbles...

• No clock indicator to show that you have an alarm set
• Face ID doesn't work well when lying on a desk
• No indicator that wifi/data is being used (spinning cog)
• Cannot set battery to show % - you have to swipe down the control panel to see it