When you're in the details section of an iMessage it's not obvious that if you press on a pic for awhile you'll get an option to select and save the pictures. You'd think you're on a view-only screen. Considering how important Messages is, they should make this more intuitive or change the way it works.
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Too many secret features
- Thread starter Exile714
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Pressing and holding on things to see some options or for something to happen is one of the fairly fundamental things in iOS and really most touch interfaces. So while not something that is specifically pointed out and obvious, it's not something all that unusual that someone won't come by one way or another at some point.
Tapping on a pic, yes. But a tap and a longer hold on a pic on a pre-iPhone 6s device or iPad to get to the "More" prompt...unlikely that most would find that.
With all the hype over messaging apps these days you'd think Apple would do more to make Messages as solid as possible. I like and think it's pretty good, but also not intuitive that when your message is stuck, a long press will give you the option to send as a text.
Tap and hold has been a staple of iOS and iOS devices for a long time, way before 3D Touch was around.
I will still disagree that it is as well known as you may think. Not everyone is a power user / MacRumors regular.
Many non-power users know about something as basic as tap and hold, after all it's the basic thing that allows people to move or delete apps, which has been around since the early days and in use by many more people than power users.
Again, I'm not saying everything is obvious, but as I've pointed out most things are based on many common actions that people find out about sooner or later. And just because not every common user finds out about something less common right away or for some time, it doesn't mean that it's bad or anything like that. Just because some things aren't simplistic and obvious like a child's toy doesn't mean that they are bad or that something is wrong simply because of that.
I wasn't asking for childlike, I was asking for a bit more intuitiveness on one of Apple's most popular apps. Tap and hold on text to copy paste etc I get. Tap and hold to send my stalled iMessage as a text seemed like a hidden gem.
I think we will have to agree to disagree on this one.
ZEEN0j
macrumors 68000
I really don't see the problem. It's intuitive enough that people that care seem to find the biggest features and the people who don't find it don't care.
I see what you are saying. But making things all too obvious could have a negative effect on common users. What if there where toggles on the top and bottom att all times to indicate cc and nc. It could become overwhelming for some. "Hiding" things that are not essential makes it easier to use imo.
I see what you are saying. But making things all too obvious could have a negative effect on common users. What if there where toggles on the top and bottom att all times to indicate cc and nc. It could become overwhelming for some. "Hiding" things that are not essential makes it easier to use imo.
Armen
macrumors 604
I don't know...I am very curious about iOS. But for years I had no idea that if my iMessage got stalled that I could force it to immediately go as a green bubble text message. Knowing that feature would have saved me a lot of aggravation. I stumbled on it in a message forum. I think of iOS as being mostly about quick taps and swipes. Not long presses with s few exceptions.
To be fair there is an option right in the settings for messages that would automatically take care of it when needed. That aside, if and when I'm aggravated or just curious about something a quick online search usually gives me available information about it.
All that aside, iOS is certainly more than just taps and swipes, since even multitouch is something that was already shown off as one of the very fundamental things back when the iPhone was originally introduced. And certainly long press has been a staple since early on for all kinds of things like moving apps, deleting apps, copying and pasting (a little later but still early on), etc., so it's definitely one of the more basic iOS (and even beyond) interactions.
the thing that conflates the lack of intuitiveness is the other apple user system rule: contextual menus.
by this i mean, a menu item does not appear in situations where it can't be actually used.
in other systems the way that this is handled is the menu item is greyed out, exclusively.
in apple's case, they do grey out many items, but they also simply don't show that menu item in certain contexts.
so you are often saying to yourself: "i know i saw a way to do that someplace before...now where is it". but in that case, it ends up that you wouldn't be able to use that particular menu command so it doesn't show at all, not just greyed out
an example of this is in the OS X Mail app, where unless you move your cursor over the top part of the body of the message you won't see the contextual menu appear to save the attachments.
i am constantly right clicking on everything to see what else can be done, and also option clicking to see what is hidden.
by this i mean, a menu item does not appear in situations where it can't be actually used.
in other systems the way that this is handled is the menu item is greyed out, exclusively.
in apple's case, they do grey out many items, but they also simply don't show that menu item in certain contexts.
so you are often saying to yourself: "i know i saw a way to do that someplace before...now where is it". but in that case, it ends up that you wouldn't be able to use that particular menu command so it doesn't show at all, not just greyed out
an example of this is in the OS X Mail app, where unless you move your cursor over the top part of the body of the message you won't see the contextual menu appear to save the attachments.
i am constantly right clicking on everything to see what else can be done, and also option clicking to see what is hidden.
dk001
macrumors demi-god
That is the issue. There are two iOS's. The "intuitive" and the "dig for it".
Tips ... helpful in a way. It kept telling me things I am already using. And it kept telling me that over and over and ...
Apple's website and the manual are handy. However doesn't that play against the "intuitive" aspect?
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That's kind of lame. The problem I see is if you don't know, you don't know what to ask or even to ask. Like the OP's flight info on Notes.. I would never even think to ask that.
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Actually they usually aren't. Remember WiFi Assist? I found that via a tech site article about issues with that feature.
I have found some useful and not so useful ones. I have found a few I wished I knew about up front.
We need a better method of discovery. 😉
A feature "hidden" and not used is technically "bloat".
Not everything is supposed to be just completely obvious and intuitive. It seems that people have a misconception that that's how it all should be or at the very least can even realistically be.
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ZEEN0j
macrumors 68000
I don't think you can ever make an OS where all your users are using all features available. I think people who want to know more but some reason can't seem to find this info is in a minority. Sure the tips app could be better and updated more frequently. But the problem with that is that the tips app is for people who don't know. A guide with 300 pages will go over people's heads. One tip here and there will stick though. So the tips app is imo doing what it is supposed to.
orioncrystalice
macrumors 6502
From a very rooted position, I agree with the basic sentiment here, but I also think that advancing the OS was inevitable, and I would never ever want to go back. I do think things are more obvious in iOS 9 than in 8. There are a few problem areas that need attention, but I don't have the answer either. I don't think you can completely escape a learning curve with any OS.
dk001
macrumors demi-god
I would love to see something like a "tips/tricks" menu option in apps like Note or iMessage or...
The current method of letting people "discover hidden..." is a broke joke.
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I absolutely agree. Still, there needs abetter way for users to discover/uncover these "hidden" features.
How many times have you heard "I wish my iPhone could / would do ..." only to find it can and the feature is not really documented for easy discovery nor intuitive?
And that's part of how people find out about things. Applies similarly to a lot of other things in life as well.
BeeGood
macrumors 68000
Why is this a problem? The OP bought the phone without knowing about the flight info feature. He was happy with his purchase before now, and now he's annoyed after stumbling across something he essentially got as a freebie.
Everyone buys the iPhone without taking into consideration everything it can do, because you can't know/remember everything it does the moment you're buying it. Yet we still buy it, so it's totally bizarre to me that people are upset about getting more than what they thought they paid for.
dk001
macrumors demi-god
You don't buy a smartphone knowing everything about it. You generally buy out of loyalty, impulse, or research. Knowing that in most cases it can do more than you need and you will need more as your use evolves.
Having an easier way to discover all its' abilities leads to better usage and efficient use.
Just my perspective.
As an engineer, I am always looking for simpler and more efficient. Having to discover can be an opportunity missed.
Or an opportunity gained as while you discover something you might discover something else as well and/or get yourself more into the mindset of discovering and trying things more rather than just relying on what's a given and not bothering to look beyond. Depends on how one looks at it all.
Yes, I'm aware of that setting and have it enabled. I'm referring to times when I'm on the train or in an office (both have their share of weak signal areas, where my phone says LTE or 4G (when I had At&T) and an iMessage still hangs and doesn't convert to text right away. Yes, when I'm in a better coverage area I can troubleshoot and Google why iMessage takes so long to turn into SMS. But a subtle visual clue at those times would have been helpful to indicate that I could force it to go as text. That's all.
ZEEN0j
macrumors 68000
They could have tips that showed when needed. But I don't think thats something apple would do. Having tips showing up would suggest their software is complicated. Who at apple would agree with that? And I think a normal non tech savvy user in that situation would either think that "oh well I'll try again later, something is wrong"(but I don't actually care about what the problem is or the solution as I know I can try when I have better coverage). Or the message would fail and you get a red (i) which I think most people will understand is something you can interactive and maybe have something todo with the failed message.
I don't think people want to be trained on how to use their device. They use it, discover features about things they do with their device. And they don't find the things they don't care about, mostly. I know many people who don't know and don't care about moving apps around. The iPhone is intuitive enough to make it so people who have never used an iPhone will be able to grasp the concept pretty quickly. And that's fine. Word of mouth is also very beneficial for apple, or any company. So many people have used the iPhone since 2007 that you can almost ask anyone and they will be able to help.
I've never liked apps that have 10 pages on how to use the app before you can start using it. The basic functions should be pretty obvious. And other more advanced features should be easily discoverable.
bushido
Suspended
you know what i dont understand? on Mac you can delete all iMessage attachements of a contact by going details > delete all. on iPhone you have to click on every single one of them before you can delete them. you know what a pain in the ass this is when your mum has 20 GB of iMessage crap? i dont get why there is no "delete all" should be the most obvious thing. oh and u cant even swipe over to highlight them as you can do on the photo app so u have to go tap tap tap tap scroll tap tap tap
