I’ve got no problem with the iPhone X’s new home indicator and its swiping gestures. In fact, I quite like them. Swiping up to go home feels like second nature after just a few days using the phone. Same for getting to the app switcher by pausing after that upward swipe.
But I’m not a big fan of how far away Control Center feels now. That upper right corner is a stretch for my thumb — even with my big hands. So yesterday I thought about trying a different method to reach those useful shortcuts, and it’s a trick that has been in iOS for years: it’s called AssistiveTouch. AssistiveTouch is a feature in the accessibility settings (under the “general” section) of iOS that puts a floating, virtual home button on your screen that you can drag wherever you want.
You can configure the button to perform four different actions based on whether you tap, double tap, 3D Touch, or hold it down. And you can pick your own opacity for the virtual button so that it won’t draw attention or distract from your apps when inactive. I’ve got a free space for it on my home screen. But if you don’t, it might be tough to find a good spot for the button to live. Also, enabling AssistiveTouch doesn’t turn off or get rid of the swiping gestures; you can switch between them as you please.
I’ve got mine set to act like the old home button whenever it’s tapped once. So if you’re tired of swiping your lock screen up every time you use your phone, you can just tap on the virtual button instead. I don’t know that it’s any faster than swiping up on the indicator. It seems about equal, and Face ID works extremely quickly in both cases.
A double-tap will pull up the multitasking menu — just like the old home button shortcut. And if I 3D Touch on the virtual button, Control Center appears. I’ve chosen screenshot for the “long press” move, which feels appropriate for the task. You can also configure one of those initial button actions to activate a secondary menu with even more shortcuts. But I think these are all I really need.
It’s convenient, but I doubt that I’ll keep the virtual button enabled permanently. Maybe it’ll just be a nice tool if my thumb gets tired of all that swiping from time to time. Apple does a superb job keeping accessibility near the top of its priority list, but it turns out AssistiveTouch is also pretty helpful for the lazy among us.
Comments
I think this hack will be used more than some think. People will eventually tire of swiping to go home etc
By on2a on 11.09.17 5:09pm
The 3D touch for control center looks cool, but not worth having the floating button around all the time. Apple should add a "home bar" 3d touch action that can bring up control center.
By jclardy on 11.09.17 5:20pm
This actually seems like a great idea. You should try to get this to Apple somehow…
By OneZweiThree on 11.09.17 5:27pm
I turned on reachability so it’s two quick swipes for control center. Swipe down on the home bar and then swipe down on the now easily reachable corner. Takes half a second to do.
By jack.mastersons on 11.10.17 1:46am
This is exactly the same conclusion I came to when pondering the issue today
By oddie on 11.09.17 5:32pm
Also, when using Safari in landscape, the area to the left and right of the actual webpage should be grey, not white, as it makes websites like those of the New York Times look strange, misaligned, ill composed… Many were asking for black bars, but those make the screen look smaller, which Apple apparently doesn’t want, but like this, you’d still be aware you’re looking at a big screen while also being able to appreciate the composition of webpages.
By oddie on 11.09.17 5:43pm
Or they could bring back linen
/s
By flamin'pom on 11.10.17 1:24pm
Definitely a good idea to begin with. Although that 3D Touch on the Home Bar must’ve been assigned to Home Screen instead of carbon-copying Palm Pre gestures. You know, the original iPhone way. And then swipe up for Multitasking, down for reachability with blank space filled with control centre’s most essential icons such as connectivity toggles, music controls, brightness adjustment, etc. For the rest? Slide down one more time… Swipe from the top would still be a thing as well. The first is just for single hand use cases. That would be my ideal solution. Oh and I would kill the notch in OLED darkness. Top-Notch Youtoobers might get used to it but I grind my teeth every time it takes a bite out of my content.
I’m 100 percent sure they will use that 3D Home Bar functionality for some lame gimmick in a year or two. My bets are on a Siri-esque half-a.s AR portal
By Omega_in_Nutshell on 11.09.17 6:38pm
or possibly do something similar to what pixel does and squeeze the sides or something like that
By cdm89 on 11.09.17 10:43pm
Not sold on control center change on the X and I think you have an excellent idea. When the phone was leaked there were a lot of stories about this "gesture area" and as it is, it’s not that exciting. I would LOVE if they made it more useful like w 3D Touch.
By davepbass on 11.09.17 11:04pm
I think the 3d touch on the home bar should be the home button and swiping up should still just do control center.
By Jacropolis on 11.11.17 1:38pm
Nobody will actually use this virtual Home button, as swipe up is much faster than having to move your finger out of the screen to reach a button, lift, click then back.
Once you get used to the combo swipe up + FaceID all the rest is clunky Ancient History, including, sadly, my iPad Pro.
By DJ CERLA on 11.09.17 5:21pm
People will use it out of it being the default. Most people probably don’t customize or even really know advantages to setting up shortcuts or custom tools on their devices.
Not to mention they don’t comprehend the benefits. Just as you seem to think it’s "much faster" to swipe up. My Assistive Touch with the Home set as the Single Tap is all that’s required to unlock the device…rather than reaching down and swiping up I simply tap the AT floating button and it’s been much easier and convenient. Why Apple required a swipe up from the very bottom of the display is odd when they allowed you to raise to wake and rest your finger on Touch ID before. Simply tapping the display or raising to wake should allow Face ID to unlock.
Regardless, the single tap where your thumb naturally sits is faster than a swipe up.
It’s objectively not clunkier than the swipe up.
By Matty Mack on 11.09.17 11:51pm
Oh, also, my Control Center is set as double tap, Notifications as Long Press, and Lock Screen as 3D Touch. The lock is perfect for 3D Touch because of the fact you "feel" when you just locked the device.
I set AT up the day after I got the X and I would be really annoyed if I had to go back to just the home bar and gestures.
It’s also useful that if you tap the AT twice but not fast to trigger the "double tap" with Home set as single tap it will pull up multitasking. Basically a slow double tap rather than a quick one. I’ve found it more useful than the multitasking gesture.
If you set this up for a day and tell me it’s slower than gestures and the swipe up, I honestly think you’re just wanting to argue and in denial.
The home bar should honestly be customizable just like Assistive Touch. Even making it a "floating" moveable bar that can be placed anywhere around the edge of the display could be extremely useful. Why AT is more customizable and thought out is beyond me…it’s a simple software fix at least, if they do it.
By Matty Mack on 11.09.17 11:59pm
Dont just assume things. Atleast where i live, almost everyone here has been using assistive touch for years myself included when i used iphone. Its crazy fast and its learning curve aint steep. Plus the fact that you can perform many more actions on it makes it worth
By AmritCod_ on 11.10.17 2:14am
Who was assuming things? I understand you’re just using hyperbole but the few handful of people you know that use Assistive Touch are definitely not the majority of iPhone users.
Not that I’m in disagreement with the use of it, just that you’re assuming because you know some people who use it that most people where you live use it, lol…an even worse assumption.
By perry1mm on 11.10.17 12:40pm
No, u misinterpreted my reply. Probably my mistake cause english is my 3rd language. The original commentor said that "NOBODY WILL" use this feature, which was a bad assumption. I never said that everyone will use it cause people in my area use it, so u stating that my assumption was even worse is a wrong statement since i never stated that everyone will use it, i just corrected his statement
By AmritCod_ on 11.11.17 2:00am
Swipe as an action is more time heavy than touch. Its why using touchid to unlock your phone is faster than the old swipe to unlock.
Also great to see you speak for everybody… I know a few people already using the virtual home button
By on2a on 11.10.17 5:05am
A lot of my friends with iPhones have been using this since the 5, a phone where you really wouldn’t need anything like this. I imagine a bunch of people with the X will at least be giving a shot, especially with that stupid multitasking gesture
By beans! on 11.10.17 6:52am
Why would I ever get tired of swiping to go home when it’s actually a smoother, quicker and more natural motion than pressing the home button?
By rdlink on 11.09.17 7:58pm
couple of reasons:
1. time, given that we unlock our phones hundreds of time a day it all counts for something…
2. rsi. definitely a thing when using phones. not sure if it’ll be come an issue in this case but increases chances
By on2a on 11.10.17 5:08am
You actually don’t have to keep swiping back to go home like everyone seems to think. Just a quick swipe up from the bottom of the screen will take you directly home.
By mjfadaway on 11.10.17 11:53am
Literally nobody thinks you have to keep swiping back to go home.
By perry1mm on 11.10.17 12:42pm
I am ansolutely in love with my iPhone X and one BIG reason for this are the fantastic gesture controls. I was skeptical at first, but Apple has landed a homerun here. I’ve never unlocked, gotten home, entered multitasking and switched between apps as fast with any other phone (incl. Androids) as I have with the X. Whoever is opting for the virtual home button instead of using gesture control is really, really missing out on something.
By tomkupper on 11.09.17 5:57pm
I agree. Except…
The gesture for Control Center is uncomfortably out of the reach of a lot of users, myself including when using the phone one-handed.
By rdlink on 11.09.17 8:01pm