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Reachability sucks

L

lulumink

macrumors regular
Original poster
Sep 20, 2012
136
23
I don't know what the software designer were thinking when implementing this feature.

The half screen returns to its original position after every finger input.
It should stay where it is until I click the home button. Sometimes, I just want to operate in half screen mode for a while without double tapping the home button.

Seems to be an easy feature to do, but they just fuked it up so bad.
 
That would actually make it far more annoying and less useful for me. 95% of the time, it's just a single button near the top of the screen I need to press, and then I'm good. Making it persistent would add another step that would probably just cause me not to use the feature at all. The whole idea is it's supposed to be really, really quick to use.
 
It's quirky, and there are times where it jumps back before I do what I need to do, but for now I'm glad to have it as is than to not have it at all.

I prefer Reachability to the only other solution I've seen, the Note's, which shrinks down the whole screen.
 
I agree. I don't use it. For example, you want to type in a URL in Safari. You double tap to get the address bar down and tap on the area and it pops back up. This makes no sense. Somehow, this is what I've come to expect from Apple these days.

It would be great if you could double tap to "release" the screen from the edges of the bezel. You could then drag it around anywhere until you double tap again or hit the home button.
 
It is meant to be done if you have just one hand available and don't need to do a ton of tapping. For instance, I use it a lot when I'm reading twitter and I pull up a link and have to close it to continue on.

It is not meant to be used when you have a lot of input required and you need to reach the top of the screen several times. Unfortunately, there is not iOS solution for that, it is currently a trade off we are making when we purchased an iPhone 6+.
 
odditie said:
It is meant to be done if you have just one hand available and don't need to do a ton of tapping. For instance, I use it a lot when I'm reading twitter and I pull up a link and have to close it to continue on.

It is not meant to be used when you have a lot of input required and you need to reach the top of the screen several times. Unfortunately, there is not iOS solution for that, it is currently a trade off we are making when we purchased an iPhone 6+.
Click to expand...

I think tapping an address bar in Safari is a fairly basic action. What's not basic is having to double tap twice to enter one in. And is why it's easier just to use 2 hands and not even use reachability.
 
kas23 said:
I think tapping an address bar in Safari is a fairly basic action. What's not basic is having to double tap twice to enter one in. And is why it's easier just to use 2 hands and not even use reachability.
Click to expand...

Yes, it would be nice if it would have some predictive ability like that. It seems like sometimes it holds its place for a little longer as if it might be trying to do that, but I haven't found it to be great at knowing when I need to make two taps close together.
 
odditie said:
Yes, it would be nice if it would have some predictive ability like that. It seems like sometimes it holds its place for a little longer as if it might be trying to do that, but I haven't found it to be great at knowing when I need to make two taps close together.
Click to expand...

I guess we'll wait until iOS 9. I can see it now:

"Predictive Reachability. Your iPhone knows before you."
 
Wow, I actually wonder if I'm using the same phone and software. I use it all the time and have absolutely no issues with it. It's probably my #1 new feature other than widgets and quick reply.
 
gordon1234 said:
That would actually make it far more annoying and less useful for me. 95% of the time, it's just a single button near the top of the screen I need to press, and then I'm good. Making it persistent would add another step that would probably just cause me not to use the feature at all. The whole idea is it's supposed to be really, really quick to use.
Click to expand...

I get your point. But sometimes you want to use only your thumb to operate the screen a little longer not just clicking the top left button.

It shouldn't go up automatically. It should return when I tell it to. That's my point.

Like the others said, why not use two hands? Well then we just lost the whole idea of this reachability feature.
 
lulumink said:
I get your point. But sometimes you want to use only your thumb to operate the screen a little longer not just clicking the top left button.

It shouldn't go up automatically. It should return when I tell it to. That's my point.

Like the others said, why not use two hands? Well then we just lost the whole idea of this reachability feature.
Click to expand...

Apple needs to implement:
-double tap touchID for reachability (like normal)
-one more tap (triple tap touchID) for reachabililty 'caps lock' to permanently activate reachability
----in this 'locked' mode, double tapping touchID deactivates reachability

Note, double tapping touchID for reachability won't include a delay in order to wait for a possible third tap (like what happens with the home button triple-click) because as soon as you double tap, reachability activates. If you tap a third time, it 'locks.'

The above wouldn't detrimentally affect Apple's existing reachability functionality whatsoever.
 
kas23 said:
I agree. I don't use it. For example, you want to type in a URL in Safari. You double tap to get the address bar down and tap on the area and it pops back up. This makes no sense. Somehow, this is what I've come to expect from Apple these days.

It would be great if you could double tap to "release" the screen from the edges of the bezel. You could then drag it around anywhere until you double tap again or hit the home button.
Click to expand...

Am I misreading this? Why don't you just type the address in after tapping in the address bar? Are you saying if you missed it?
 
Just a simple function like Cap lock.

Double tap, normal reachibility.

Triple tap, reachibility lock.

And then problem fixed!
 
lulumink said:
I don't know what the software designer were thinking when implementing this feature.

The half screen returns to its original position after every finger input.
It should stay where it is until I click the home button. Sometimes, I just want to operate in half screen mode for a while without double tapping the home button.

Seems to be an easy feature to do, but they just fuked it up so bad.
Click to expand...

If reachablity was as you wanted it I would never ever ever ever ever use it. I only use it to tap things at the top of the screen as it was intended. So the developer where thinking...

----------
h9826790 said:
Just a simple function like Cap lock.

Double tap, normal reachibility.

Triple tap, reachibility lock.

And then problem fixed!
Click to expand...

:eek: do you happen to work at Apple? They need some one like you...
 
My main gripes with Reachability:

1. Long lag/delay from when function is selected --> execution.
2. Still can't access incoming notification banners using it. Very annoying.
 
kas23 said:
I agree. I don't use it. For example, you want to type in a URL in Safari. You double tap to get the address bar down and tap on the area and it pops back up. This makes no sense. Somehow, this is what I've come to expect from Apple these days.

It would be great if you could double tap to "release" the screen from the edges of the bezel. You could then drag it around anywhere until you double tap again or hit the home button.
Click to expand...
You tap on the address bar, it goes up and displays the keyboard at the bottom so you can type. Some people just see problems where there are none.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
mangomind said:
Apple needs to implement:
-double tap touchID for reachability (like normal)
-one more tap (triple tap touchID) for reachabililty 'caps lock' to permanently activate reachability
----in this 'locked' mode, double tapping touchID deactivates reachability

Note, double tapping touchID for reachability won't include a delay in order to wait for a possible third tap (like what happens with the home button triple-click) because as soon as you double tap, reachability activates. If you tap a third time, it 'locks.'

The above wouldn't detrimentally affect Apple's existing reachability functionality whatsoever.
Click to expand...

Very nice solution, totally agree!
 
Here's something I observed -
Double tap to enable reachabilty.
Then just wait, don't do anything.
In five seconds the screen returns to normal position.

As for preferences in this thread, maybe a toggle in the reachabilty settings that says "Reachabilty stays on till next double tap of touch ID button"

Software developers have a range of choices for functionality. They choose one logical thing they think will work, then wait for real world user feedback and adjust. (ie- reinstating camera roll).
In this case we are discussing exactly what will help them adjust.
Would be cool if Apple really touted a feedback loop with users. Call it "Suggestion Box" and encourage people to use it. I bet their devs would be amazed at the smart (and dumb!) ideas out there.
The public is a living, thinking, reacting mass brain.
 
kas23 said:
I agree. I don't use it. For example, you want to type in a URL in Safari. You double tap to get the address bar down and tap on the area and it pops back up. This makes no sense. Somehow, this is what I've come to expect from Apple these days.

It would be great if you could double tap to "release" the screen from the edges of the bezel. You could then drag it around anywhere until you double tap again or hit the home button.
Click to expand...

Scroll up a little or tap bottom of screen to make bar appear before using reach ability. Was that so hard?
 
Agree.

There should be an option to reconfigure double tapping the Touch ID and make multitask show up instead.

I hate double pressing the Touch ID for multitasking to pop up. Its unnecessary ware on the home button.
 
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