Why doesn't the homescreen flip to landscape? No, really, why?

[Bawstun]

I can see why they wouldn't think of it in the first version of the iPhone, or the first couple of releases of iOS. But now it's way past the point where they surely have thought of it. Nearly every default app does landscape. Mail, messages, calculator, etc. etc.

The iPad does it. Why not the iPhone? Why is it that I have to turn my phone sideways, and hit the messages app all disoriented just so I can text in landscape? Ditto for mail or any other app I want to open in landscape.

Not a HUGE issue by any means, yet something that seems so simple and intuitive to have.

 

[kenypowa]

I can see why they wouldn't think of it in the first version of the iPhone, or the first couple of releases of iOS. But now it's way past the point where they surely have thought of it. Nearly every default app does landscape. Mail, messages, calculator, etc. etc.

The iPad does it. Why not the iPhone? Why is it that I have to turn my phone sideways, and hit the messages app all disoriented just so I can text in landscape? Ditto for mail or any other app I want to open in landscape.

Not a HUGE issue by any means, yet something that seems so simple and intuitive to have.

Because uncle Steve doesn't want it?

 

[wordoflife]

No one can answer why Apple didn't do it, but because generally you'll be using your iPhone in portrait.

I don't really see the issue here though. I think its fine that it automatically defaults into landscape, because a handful of the apps are landscape, and that is what you will be using most often (even when making phone calls).

Either way, your going to have to flip it so it shouldn't really matter.

 

[xyphr3]

I have thought about that myself. Sometimes I am playing a game and I get a txt message, instead of having to go from landscape to portrait to get to my messages and then back to landscape to type, lots of moving the phone.

 

[Roessnakhan]

Because they need something for the iPhone 5.

 

[Bawstun]

I'm not the type of person to try and turn a small issue into something overblown. I know it's not really a flaw by any means, and I'm sure only 0.0000000001% of iPhone users really want it or would care to see it implemented...but it seems so...expected. Like it is something that should have been added or thought of way before some of these other features they keep adding. I mean, even the iPad can do it and that came way after the original iPhone and runs the same iOS. Seems odd to me.

 

[Rooftop voter]

Not sure why apple didnt include it anywhere, but if you really want it, jailbreak and get Sbrotator.

 

[Small White Car]

Dunno. This sounds terrible to me.

When I hit the home button I want to know exactly what to expect. I can honestly launch most of the apps on my home screen without looking at the phone. This would totally ruin that. What, exactly (besides confusion) does this offer you? I just don't see the advantage.

I mean, even the iPad can do it and that came way after the original iPhone and runs the same iOS. Seems odd to me.

An iPad is more of a laptop device. It's not moving much. When I pick up my phone the motion affects the accelerometer much more than it would on a larger, heavier device. (For example, if I left Safari open I never know which way it will flop first when I pick the phone up.) It makes sense on an iPad, I can't imagine it on a phone.

 

[ryanrich]

Landscape mode on a smartphone is pretty crappy to be honest. My Android phone does it and turn screen orientation lock on to avoid it because it's quite annoying...

 

[lsvtecjohn3]

Not sure why apple didnt include it anywhere, but if you really want it, jailbreak and get Sbrotator.

Sbrotator is garbage I had it and hated it. I wish Apple would allow the home screen and apps to rotate into landscape. Make it available under accessibility.

 

[Rooftop voter]

Sbrotator is garbage I had it and hated it. I wish Apple would allow the home screen and apps to rotate into landscape. Make it available under accessibility.

I wouldn't call it garbage, but it could deffinatly be better. If it was able to automaticly go to landscape when going back to home and not have to go to portrait first, it would be way better. I like landscape way better than portrait for just about everything other than making a phone call, so I would like it a lot if apple came out with this feature.

 

[Pez555]

Dunno. This sounds terrible to me.
What, exactly (besides confusion) does this offer you? I just don't see the advantage.

confusing? really?

 

[kdarling]

Just another thread that wouldn't have to exist, if there was a simple On/Off Settings switch.

That said, it's always possible that Apple has planned a future homescreen that looks best in portrait.

For example, HTC's Sense UI is locked into portrait mode on most/all of their Android phones.

(However, you can replace it with other launchers that do have a flip option.)

 

[Pez555]

when i was jailbroken on 3.1.3 i had a homescreen rotate app installed and it worked an absolute treat. I would love to be able to rotate the homescreen, and have an on/off switch in the settings for those who dont wish to use it.

 

[GaresTaylan]

While the option of turning it on or off may be nice, to me it isnt a big deal. My work deployed me a Droid X - and I hate when the home screen rotates.

 

[George Knighton]

LOL... If anybody's looking, I would also like the ability to have the home screen flip to landscape, at the user's option and discretion.

 

[kdarling]

My work deployed me a Droid X - and I hate when the home screen rotates.

I thought the Droid X didn't rotate its homescreen, because it doesn't have a keyboard.

Perhaps your company installed a different homescreen like LauncherPro? If so, it should have a setting to turn off the rotation.

And of course, you can turn off all orientation change under Settings - Display - Orientation (or Auto-Rotate).

 

[Small White Car]

confusing? really?

When I hit home I know where my Mail program is.

If the screen rotates I wouldn't know where it will be until I look at the screen. That's added time to my day, every time I unlock my phone.

If there was some benefit to having that then it would be worth it. But all I see is a feature that would slow me down and give nothing back in return.

 

[wirelessmacuser]

I'm not the type of person to try and turn a small issue into something overblown.

I think you've got a great idea. I hold my smartphones (iPhone, Android) in the landscape orietation much of the time. It's even more useful with my 4.0" Galaxy S, 4.3" EVO & Droid X phones. The larger display gives one more room to work when composing or responding to email & forums, as I'm doing now. Also at over 6'2" I have relatively large hands, long thin fingers, and find it much more comfortable in that position instead of holding the rather diminuative iPhone in portrait, it's narrowest dimension.

I mean, even the iPad can do it and that came way after the original iPhone and runs the same iOS. Seems odd to me.

This is proof positive it's a very useful feature.

Cheers

 

[wirelessmacuser]

When I hit home I know where my Mail program is.

If the screen rotates I wouldn't know where it will be until I look at the screen. That's added time to my day, every time I unlock my phone.

If there was some benefit to having that then it would be worth it. But all I see is a feature that would slow me down and give nothing back in return.

I must have exceptionally fast hand / eye coordination, since I can't imagine getting disoriented as you are describing.

In my case it would be a time saver. Any improvements to ergonomics is known to make one more comfortable, & more effective.

Landscape mode on a smartphone is pretty crappy to be honest.

I can understand how you would feel this way. It's not for everyone, especially on the relative small iPhone 4. However I find the landscape position of great advantage on my larger Droid X & EVO.

These large screen models are truly stellar. Far more display area for viewing web pages, emails, etc. While not that much larger than an iP4, the increase in usefulness is quite significant.

 

[mrblack927]

I think it's because the icons wouldn't fit the same way in landscape. What I mean is that when you include the icon labels (names), each app takes up more vertical space than horizontal. If you look at the iPad, you notice they include lots of room around each app to account for this. The iPhone screen is just too small to maintain that 4x4 matrix the other way especially if you think about putting the dock below it.

I'm not saying it can't be done, I'm just saying it's a bit more complicated than the homescreen on the iPad. Remember Apple would want to leave pages and dock placements the same in either orientation.

 

[rwilliams]

I think it's because the icons wouldn't fit the same way in landscape. What I mean is that when you include the icon labels (names), each app takes up more vertical space than horizontal. If you look at the iPad, you notice they include lots of room around each app to account for this. The iPhone screen is just too small to maintain that 4x4 matrix the other way especially if you think about putting the dock below it.

I'm not saying it can't be done, I'm just saying it's a bit more complicated than the homescreen on the iPad. Remember Apple would want to leave pages and dock placements the same in either orientation.

This is the best post of the entire thread.

 

[Pez555]

I think it's because the icons wouldn't fit the same way in landscape. What I mean is that when you include the icon labels (names), each app takes up more vertical space than horizontal. If you look at the iPad, you notice they include lots of room around each app to account for this. The iPhone screen is just too small to maintain that 4x4 matrix the other way especially if you think about putting the dock below it.

I'm not saying it can't be done, I'm just saying it's a bit more complicated than the homescreen on the iPad. Remember Apple would want to leave pages and dock placements the same in either orientation.

i can see where you are coming from, but in all honesty it worked perfectly for me when i used it on 3.1.3. It might not be for everybody, however i believe it would be a nice option to have it as an option.

 

[kdarling]

This is not rocket science. Handhelds have been around for a very long time, and the solutions are pretty obvious.

In many other homescreens, the dock moves to a vertical strip on one side, leaving plenty of room for the regular app icons.

E.g.:

 

[mrblack927]

i can see where you are coming from, but in all honesty it worked perfectly for me when i used it on 3.1.3. It might not be for everybody, however i believe it would be a nice option to have it as an option.

When you used... what exactly? Was this a feature on 3.1.3? Or are you talking about the iPad?