iPhone X Will Default to Hiding Text Previews of Your Notifications on the Lock Screen

[MacRumors]

As we get closer to the iPhone X's launch on Friday, November 3, more tidbits about the device are beginning to emerge thanks to the first wave of impressions, reviews, and hands-on coverage that hit this morning. Within his first impressions, Steven Levy shared an interesting aspect of the iPhone X's software, which turns on hiding text previews for your notifications by default instead of making you turn this privacy feature on yourself.

As an explanation, with the launch of iOS 11 Apple introduced a way for you to hide text previews of all apps at once within Settings. With this turned on, you'll notice when you have a notification for apps like Messages and Snapchat, but the actual content of the notification is hidden until you "unlock" the iPhone with Touch ID or a passcode. Then, you can read the content, and tap the Home Button to enter your iPhone. This feature has to be turned on manually on current iPhones.

After Face ID unlock, iPhone X will show text previews in notifications​

According to Levy, iOS 11 on the iPhone X defaults to hiding text previews for all of your apps, automatically providing an extra bit of privacy for users on the new smartphone. So, when you raise the iPhone X in front of you, it'll unlock with Face ID, and any notifications will then be filled out to show the full content of each message. This way, if someone picks up your iPhone and looks at it, Face ID won't unlock and show notification previews. Of course, you can revert to the traditional text previews functionality in Settings.

Levy said that he used this feature as a way to confirm that Face ID had unlocked the iPhone X. Here's the part from his review concerning text previews on the iPhone X Lock Screen:

I then see if the little lock icon on the screen has released its latch. Alternatively, a good way to see when you've been recognized is to notice the generic messages on the lock screen saying "you have a notification" from Facebook, Gmail, or wherever. When you and your iPhone X make that turn-on connection, those flesh out with the actual content of the message. (This feature--withholding potentially private alerts until the phone was unlocked--had previously been available as an option but now is the default.)

It's also worth noting that sometimes the iPhone X review unit would unlock with Face ID and go "straight to where [Levy] left off," while other times the UI asked him to swipe up to unlock the iPhone X, as has been showcased in marketing for the smartphone. Levy didn't have an explanation for this part of his experience with the new iPhone, further stating that he was "mystified" as to why it would sometimes say swipe up after Face ID unlock, and other times simply open the iPhone.

Check out more information on the iPhone X in our Roundup.

Article Link: iPhone X Will Default to Hiding Text Previews of Your Notifications on the Lock Screen

 

[OldSchoolMacGuy]

Don't see why this is an issue. I wouldn't want them visible by default.

 

[jonnysods]

It makes sense. I like this feature as it's currently easy for anyone to preview my messages

 

[Urbanpixels]

Good to know you can get straight into the home screen. Swiping up everytime will get boring super fast.

 

[dannyyankou]

This is clever, I didn’t even know it was a feature on iOS 11. Just enabled it.

 

[whyamihere]

This is a good idea (assuming it works fast and flawlessly). Can't wait to try it out in 2-3 weeks

 

[cgriffis753]

What if you have an Apple Watch? will it apply to those notifications as well?

 

[offdutyrockstar]

If the phone autolocked, it goes straight to where it was.

If it was manually locked with the side button, you swipe up.

It's really not that difficult, this geezer must get mystified often.

 

[Bredwards34]

Sounds like the Face ID equivalent of Touch ID and rest to unlock feature. Sometimes you could rest your finger on the home button, but it wouldn’t always leave the notification page. Then, you would have to press the home button to actually get past the notification page and into the phone.

 

[djcerla]

Very good.

 

[profets]

This is one of the great things about attention awareness with Face ID.

 

[testcard]

If the phone autolocked, it goes straight to where it was.

If it was manually locked with the side button, you swipe up.

It's really not that difficult, this geezer must get mystified often.

Makes sense.

 

[fokmik]

this is why touchid wasnt able to do that, because Apple had to put the sensor beneath the entire display panel !
From 6s until 8, everyone could 3d touch on your iMessage notifications and interact with it...now, its impossible until its unlocked

 

[itsmilo]

Can this be turned off? Sounds especially annoying as a Apple Watch user

 

[yanksfan114]

Can this be turned off? Sounds especially annoying as a Apple Watch user

Yes

 

[xpxp2002]

What if you have an Apple Watch? will it apply to those notifications as well?

No, there’s a separate setting in the Watch app to hide notification previews.

 

[adamjackson]

I'm in the auto-hide camp already. My notifications just show the application and "notification".

 

[pat500000]

Nobody can preview my texts....

 

[Scottsoapbox]

Gasp!

Oh wait, I already have text previews disabled. #NosyPeople

 

[iapplelove]

I never show my text messages on the front. Always just a brief description of who it’s from.

 

[ShawnTXDFW]

How do you enable this feature?

 

[testcard]

Notifications > Show Previews > Never.

 

[ShawnTXDFW]

Notifications > Show Previews > Never.

Thank you. I’m assuming the one iPhone X is using here is ‘When Unlocked?’

 

[mariusignorello]

Might not be a bad idea. Right now I don’t hide previews.

 

[csurfr]

Thank you. I’m assuming the one iPhone X is using here is ‘When Unlocked?’

Yep, and it works the exact same way on my 7+.

As long as you don’t change the accessibility option for the home button to “rest finger to open”, the notification will change to displaying the contents once you authenticate with Touch ID. Works well.