The reason why Apple may never offer quick settings controls

[joejoejoe]

My view is that Apple strives to make a phone that anyone can use. The iphone is meant to be incredibly simple and hard to F up.

I'm starting to think that the main reason apple doesn't offer quick settings controls is because there's a good chance that people who don't know any better will turn 3G/LTE off without realizing what they've done or what that means, leading to headaches for both the consumer and apple.

Or better yet, people turning on airplane mode without realizing it, then handing it to apple when they miss out on important emails or calls.

I hope I'm wrong, I would love nothing more than to be able to control brightness on the fly--just trying to make sense of why Apple's never included this highly demanded feature (which a lot of mockups show in iOS 7).

What do you guys think?

 

[ionjohn]

So from your pov, most people don't know what airplane mode is? Or what 3g/wifi is?

Everyone does so it wouldn't make sense not to add it 'cause of that

 

[joejoejoe]

So from your pov, most people don't know what airplane mode is? Or what 3g/wifi is?

Everyone does so it wouldn't make sense not to add it 'cause of that

My parents and their friends don't care to know. They want to pick up their phone and use it. I've seen people turn off bluetooth and then freak out when their phones don't connect to their cars, etc.

Our community here obviously knows how to access all of these controls and settings, and is aware of the benefit of turning off 3G for example.

Notice that in the settings app, Apple has short sentences explaining the effects of what turning off 3G might do to your phone (slower speeds, increased battery life). There is no room for this in a quick settings control pane.

Do you see what I'm trying to get at?

Not trying to say my claim is correct, just trying to make sense of apple's decision from their POV.

Don't forget that in the beginning we didn't have multitasking, not to mention third party apps...

 

[kmj2318]

I totally agree. Tim Cook basically said this at D11. The truth is that a small percentage of consumers (enthusiasts) may want to fiddle with the workings of their phone, but the masses want Apple to make everything work for them. It's much more valuable to the majority for Apple to focus on making sure the settings work for the broad majority of cases, and eliminate the need for people to even be aware of it.

 

[xcodeaddict]

I totally agree. Tim Cook basically said this at D11. The truth is that a small percentage of consumers (enthusiasts) may want to fiddle with the workings of their phone, but the masses want Apple to make everything work for them. It's much more valuable to the majority for Apple to focus on making sure the settings work for the broad majority of cases, and eliminate the need for people to even be aware of it.

We all know who those "enthusiasts" are, and BOY do they get "enthused"! They can tinker around on "the other" platform, that's what it's for - to allow you to mess it up, so when you fix it you feel all superior and smart

 

[cynics]

What the difference of making a faster way to do setting people already have?

Why isn't this a major problem for smart phone manufacturers that offer this?

Cookie jar on a high shelf approach only works with kids not strong enough to move the chair.

Besides people HAVE to go in there anyway. How do you select which wifi? Settings. How do you select Do not Disturb? Settings. Select your car or Bluetooth headset? Settings. How do you do anything? Settings. I find it annoying its one of my most used apps.

So its not like apple is thinking "well if we hide it in here no one will mess with it". These are features of a phone. And while I agree certain people shouldn't mess with them that doesn't mean we all should be punished.

 

[xcodeaddict]

"Advanced" (?) settings are well hidden for a reason; just look at how quickly a novice manages to mess up an Android handset, become utterly baffled which leads to frustration, which leads to throwing it in a drawer, unused.

 

[cynics]

Actually I just thought of the perfect compromise! Quick toggles can be turn on or off by default its off. To turn it on you go into SETTINGS!! Lol

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"Advanced" (?) settings are well hidden for a reason; just look at how quickly a novice manages to mess up an Android handset, become utterly baffled which leads to frustration, which leads to throwing it in a drawer, unused.

Nearly fell out of my chair.

There's a thread in 'Alternatives' outlining how more people with college degrees and make more money use Apple devices.

But the phone is designed for morons? It's comforting knowing when the pilot says "put on your safety belts and set your phone to airplane mode" most of the people are stumped.

I understand what you guys are saying and in a sense I agree. But that doesn't mean there is an intuitive and easily explained way Apple could integrate this.

 

[JoeyCloverfield]

I think it's just that Apple wants to give the impression that these settings don't have to be constantly toggled on and off (that's how it should be, no?). In my personal experience, it doesn't do anything to my battery when I leave Wifi and 3G on permanently.

My sister had an Android phone and according to her the device only lasted two to three hours if she left 3G and/or Wifi on. Now she has an iPhone 5 and she still toggles the settings. Habit, I guess.

 

[KUguardgrl13]

My view is that Apple strives to make a phone that anyone can use. The iphone is meant to be incredibly simple and hard to F up.

I'm starting to think that the main reason apple doesn't offer quick settings controls is because there's a good chance that people who don't know any better will turn 3G/LTE off without realizing what they've done or what that means, leading to headaches for both the consumer and apple.

Or better yet, people turning on airplane mode without realizing it, then handing it to apple when they miss out on important emails or calls.

I hope I'm wrong, I would love nothing more than to be able to control brightness on the fly--just trying to make sense of why Apple's never included this highly demanded feature (which a lot of mockups show in iOS 7).

What do you guys think?

I can totally believe this. My dad dropped close to $1000 on a 64gb Verizon LTE iPad for my mom. She thought turning LTE off would save on her data. Sigh... This is why she has 20-something year old children to fix things. I also help her with her 17" MBP doing things like transferring photos from her camera.

 

[DavidBlack]

I totally agree too some people are computer illiterate or iOS illiterate. I think a workaround would be to have a option in the settings app to have toggles on or off and have it default to off.

 

[ThisIsNotMe]

My view is that Apple strives to make a phone that anyone can use. The iphone is meant to be incredibly simple and hard to F up.

I'm starting to think that the main reason apple doesn't offer quick settings controls is because there's a good chance that people who don't know any better will turn 3G/LTE off without realizing what they've done or what that means, leading to headaches for both the consumer and apple.

Or better yet, people turning on airplane mode without realizing it, then handing it to apple when they miss out on important emails or calls.

I hope I'm wrong, I would love nothing more than to be able to control brightness on the fly--just trying to make sense of why Apple's never included this highly demanded feature (which a lot of mockups show in iOS 7).

What do you guys think?

Precisely.

I consider myself an "enthusiast" who loves to tinker.
Built several OSX86 machines just to tinker/because I could.

Phones are consumer electronics devices NOT computers.
(yes they are computers in the technical sense but so are DVD players, modern refrigerators, ect.)

The tech crowd mistakenly confuses them with computers while the general public sees them as consumer electronics devices - devices that you just pick up and use - no tinkering.

When I pick up my phone I want to check email, send texts, make calls, maybe play a game on BART, but most importantly get business done. I don't have time to fiddle with settings.

 

[GoCubsGo]

Summary, toggles won't happen because the OP thinks people are stupid? I disagree.

 

[joejoejoe]

Summary, toggles won't happen because the OP thinks people are stupid? I disagree.

Hilarious, I never said anyone was stupid. I don't think my mother is stupid for not knowing what it means to turn LTE off. Nor do I think it's worth her time to learn something so trivial that us nerds can't help but get enthused over.

Apple wants to create an experience that does not necessitate fiddling with settings, toggling options on and off. Their goal is to build technology that does not get in the way of the information and content we want to consume. For this I in fact applaud them.

 

[5aga]

At this point I don't consider too many people as "novice" users.

Tbh a lot of people would have an easier time coping with the settings if they were presented as quick toggles. In my experience with helping others the frustration usually stems from scrolling through endless settings menus.

As others have said the option for quick settings is the best solution.

 

[Mackan]

Hilarious, I never said anyone was stupid. I don't think my mother is stupid for not knowing what it means to turn LTE off. Nor do I think it's worth her time to learn something so trivial that us nerds can't help but get enthused over.

Apple wants to create an experience that does not necessitate fiddling with settings, toggling options on and off. Their goal is to build technology that does not get in the way of the information and content we want to consume. For this I in fact applaud them.

I agree with this. Some people here lack perspectives.

 

[Random 995K]

Actually I just thought of the perfect compromise! Quick toggles can be turn on or off by default its off. To turn it on you go into SETTINGS!!

Genius

 

[Knosrac]

I also think Apple won't introduce this feature.

How often do you guys honestly change these settings?

Unless I'm traveling (and 99% of people aren't traveling 99% of the time) I never change my WiFi, Bluetooth, etc. settings.

My iPhone 4S never dies before the end of the day and I expect future iPhones to have even better batteries.

Frankly if it were in an easily accessible, it would be a waste of interface space with a small benefit for most users — and could surely be used for something more useful.

Maybe something along the Google Now lines.

Can't wait for iOS 7!

 

[oiuh151]

All they need to add is fast brightness control like on the iPad for the iPhone. Absolutely ridiculous that I need to go to settings each time I want to change it. Auto brightness is not a solution to this problem.

 

[Icaras]

Hilarious, I never said anyone was stupid. I don't think my mother is stupid for not knowing what it means to turn LTE off. Nor do I think it's worth her time to learn something so trivial that us nerds can't help but get enthused over.

Apple wants to create an experience that does not necessitate fiddling with settings, toggling options on and off. Their goal is to build technology that does not get in the way of the information and content we want to consume. For this I in fact applaud them.

I couldn't agree more. Well said, sir.

 

[Hagrid]

How about an Advanced User Mode

Never understood why there wasn't a standard settings mode and an advanced settings mode (possibly needing an authentication) where us "enthusiasts" can have the flexibility we want to tinker.

We could then enable "quick toggles" or any other mods we find convenient.

 

[Knosrac]

All they need to add is fast brightness control like on the iPad for the iPhone. Absolutely ridiculous that I need to go to settings each time I want to change it. Auto brightness is not a solution to this problem.

Completely agree. It really bugs me that Apple gives us a volume slider even though there are buttons on the phone to do exactly that

 

[irDigital0l]

Why not have a Notification widget that people can choose to turn on or off.

Its off by default, people that want it know what to do.

Everyone is happy.

 

[lewismayell]

Maybe, in the settings app, if they did introduce quick toggles, you can just choose what you want, that way, we get what we want and the others stay away from playing with their data stuff

 

[jabingla2810]

I agree, and have said it plenty of times in the past.

The future isn't quick settings, it's not having to think about settings.

The phone should be used, not managed.

People say, "Whats the problem with having them more visible?"

By having them more visible, you're bringing them to the attention of users, and giving the impression that the phone has to managed.

Apple have been transparent in saying these are "Post PC" devices, they need to be easier and more intuative to use.

Other phone developers are either too scared or not forward thinking enough to think outside the box, and use old PC features as a crutch. File Systems, Quick settings, removable storage and batteries etc.

These features are not moving us forward, they are holding us back, and it's upto Apple to "Think Different", grow some balls again and leapfrog past the idea that we need to manage these devices.

(On Monday, I may well be proved wrong, and Apple will introduce a file system and quick settings... but if they do either, its a BIG step backwards, not forwards.)