Apple no longer "just works," chapter 43: iOS10's stupid behavior for Contacts

[Tozovac]

Was this behavior in place before iOS10? Is there an easier way to edit a Contact when you access a Contact from the iPhone search results?

When you swipe down from an iphone's "home" screens (the screens showing the apps) and then type in a Contact's name, you're presented with the option to call or text them, or you can press their name for the Contact info. But, this is a new translucent representation of the Contact's info and it's not the "typical" representation of a Contact which allows you the opportunity to revise the Contact.

if you wish to revise or update the info, which is often why I've searched for a contact by pulling down on a iPhone home screen, there's no easy way to edit it right where you're at and instead you're forced to back out of where you're at (action #1), open the phone app (action #2), then contacts (action #3), then re-find the Contact (action #4), then press the Contact, (action #5), then press to edit it (action #6).

As usual thanks to Jony Ive ever since iOS7, it's now more cumbersome to do something that was so simple before, now taking 6 actions to do what used to take 1.

Am I missing something, or is this just yet another one of genius designer Jony Ive's team making something harder than it used to be just to be different?

 

[Knowlege Bomb]

Was this behavior in place before iOS10? Is there an easier way to edit a Contact when you access a Contact from the iPhone search results?

When you swipe down from an iphone's "home" screens (the screens showing the apps) and then type in a Contact's name, you're presented with the option to call or text them, or you can press their name for the Contact info. But, this is a new translucent representation of the Contact's info and it's not the "typical" representation of a Contact which allows you the opportunity to revise the Contact.

if you wish to revise or update the info, which is often why I've searched for a contact by pulling down on a iPhone home screen, there's no easy way to edit it right where you're at and instead you're forced to back out of where you're at (action #1), open the phone app (action #2), then contacts (action #3), then re-find the Contact (action #4), then press the Contact, (action #5), then press to edit it (action #6).

As usual thanks to Jony Ive ever since iOS7, it's now more cumbersome to do something that was so simple before, now taking 6 actions to do what used to take 1.

Am I missing something, or is this just yet another one of genius designer Jony Ive's team making something harder than it used to be just to be different?

It does indeed seem there's no way to edit a contact or jump into the corresponding contact card from spotlight search results and I agree that there should be. I suggest reporting it as a bug/feature request.

 

[C DM]

Was this behavior in place before iOS10? Is there an easier way to edit a Contact when you access a Contact from the iPhone search results?

When you swipe down from an iphone's "home" screens (the screens showing the apps) and then type in a Contact's name, you're presented with the option to call or text them, or you can press their name for the Contact info. But, this is a new translucent representation of the Contact's info and it's not the "typical" representation of a Contact which allows you the opportunity to revise the Contact.

if you wish to revise or update the info, which is often why I've searched for a contact by pulling down on a iPhone home screen, there's no easy way to edit it right where you're at and instead you're forced to back out of where you're at (action #1), open the phone app (action #2), then contacts (action #3), then re-find the Contact (action #4), then press the Contact, (action #5), then press to edit it (action #6).

As usual thanks to Jony Ive ever since iOS7, it's now more cumbersome to do something that was so simple before, now taking 6 actions to do what used to take 1.

Am I missing something, or is this just yet another one of genius designer Jony Ive's team making something harder than it used to be just to be different?

As I recall this has been brought up before and that is basically how it is so far. Seems like the idea is that when it comes to that type of information retrieval is that it's more for purposes of viewing and taking action (placing a call, starting a message, etc.) rather than a full equivalent of accessing something within the Contacts/Phone app where more options related to it all exist.

Seems like at least sometimes there's a "Search in App" option that is presented that would allow to view the results/contact from within the Contacts app where the contact can be edited.

 

[cynics]

What model iPhone do you have?

If you have an model with force touch (6S or higher) search your contact in spotlight, long press on the resulting name, tap on the contact name again it will open in the contacts app where you can edit it.

If you don't have an iPhone with force touch then spot light contacts.app, and search the persons name from there. Yeah, not as easy but it might be easier then searching through all your apps looking for Contacts.

 

[Tozovac]

It does indeed seem there's no way to edit a contact or jump into the corresponding contact card from spotlight search results and I agree that there should be. I suggest reporting it as a bug/feature request.

Ok thanks. Though reporting this bug/feature request would be 1 out of 100 I could report; I'd like to just ask they stop thinking so hard and stop tinkering/reinventing just to reinvent, and return to thinking like how the customer uses their products rather than think like a Marketing person who feels the need constantly dabble and provide something different which often doesn't work as good as back when they prioritized function over form. But I was mostly curious to see if I was missing something obvious here, since to me, it seems obvious there should be a quick easy way to access/edit a Contact if not reach out to the Contacts app then & there.

As I recall this has been brought up before and that is basically how it is so far. Seems like the idea is that when it comes to that type of information retrieval is that it's more for purposes of viewing and taking action (placing a call, starting a message, etc.) rather than a full equivalent of accessing something within the Contacts/Phone app where more options related to it all exist.

Thanks. As usual, today's Apple seems to no longer think like the customer. See my rant above.

 

[oneMadRssn]

I've reported this to Apple feedback recently. I agree there should at least be a way to easily jump to the contacts app from the spotlight results where the contact can be edited.

 

[C DM]

Ok thanks. Though reporting this bug/feature request would be 1 out of 100 I could report; I'd like to just ask they stop thinking so hard and stop tinkering/reinventing just to reinvent, and return to thinking like how the customer uses their products rather than think like a Marketing person who feels the need constantly dabble and provide something different which often doesn't work as good as back when they prioritized function over form. But I was mostly curious to see if I was missing something obvious here, since to me, it seems obvious there should be a quick easy way to access/edit a Contact if not reach out to the Contacts app then & there.



Thanks. As usual, today's Apple seems to no longer think like the customer. See my rant above.

I think Apple sees different use cases for different things in different places. Now, whether everyone agrees with their take on it or not, that's certainly another aspect to it all.

 

[KUguardgrl13]

Why not simply open Contacts, search or scroll for the contact you're looking for, click on their name, and edit? To me, that's the most logical and straightforward way to edit contacts. Although to be honest I don't really use Spotlight Search. I usually search within an app when I need to find something rather than searching the whole phone.

 

[cynics]

I think Apple sees different use cases for different things in different places. Now, whether everyone agrees with their take on it or not, that's certainly another aspect to it all.

I tend to agree. I guess the easiest alternative would be to just open it up the name searched directly in the contacts app. But like you mention that doesnt seem to be the intended purpose of that search.

MacOS is similar, if you search a contact you cannot edit it from spotlight directly. However if (much like the iPhone with force touch) you press enter with the name highlighed it will open the contact in the contact app. Regardless you cannot edit contacts without being in the contacts app itself.

So maybe they are going for more a unified ecosystem here.

 

[Tozovac]

I think Apple sees different use cases for different things in different places. Now, whether everyone agrees with their take on it or not, that's certainly another aspect to it all.

True. It's just that I find myself disagreeing with 90% of how Apple's done things since 2013 compared to how I agreed with 90% of they did things from 2005 until 4Q2013. Is Apple the "problem" or am I the "problem" for this role reversal. A compelling question.
[doublepost=1490133880][/doublepost]

Why not simply open Contacts, search or scroll for the contact you're looking for, click on their name, and edit? To me, that's the most logical and straightforward way to edit contacts. Although to be honest I don't really use Spotlight Search. I usually search within an app when I need to find something rather than searching the whole phone.

I'd say because getting somewhere with less taps/swipes would be better, in my mind. The spotlight search used to lead you to the Contact which you could edit with one button press. You used to get to it in 1-2 actions vs. now needing the five or six I describe above. (Requiring 2-3x as many swipes/presses to do things in Jony Ive's world vs. the 1 press req'd when Steve Jobs / Scott Forestall were around is a major beef I have with Apple nowadays. Also now I'm often left wondering where a function is hidden behind some menu, vs. it being intuitively placed before. No longer as fun to use as before).

[doublepost=1490134918][/doublepost]

MacOS is similar, if you search a contact you cannot edit it from spotlight directly. However if (much like the iPhone with force touch) you press enter with the name highlighed it will open the contact in the contact app. Regardless you cannot edit contacts without being in the contacts app itself.

So maybe they are going for more a unified ecosystem here.

Thanks for the reply. I have no issue with not being able to edit at the spotlight results on my 5s - rather, I don't understand why there's no ability to get to the Contacts app from there (which I'd say would actually be a more unified ecosystem). I rant quite often about my dissatisfaction with Apple's hardware/software decisions since iOS7, especially UI, but once again this is today's Apple not making things "just work" for a broader audience and instead focusing on a niche/smaller audience (most often, those with the newest/latest phones with force-touch). Today's Apple says the only way to link a Contacts app from spotlight results is to use force-touch...yesterday's it-just-works Apple would have enabled at least a link to get to the same contact in the Contacts app for me using my 5s, and then allow editing, rather than require the 6 presses I mention above.

 

[keysofanxiety]

but once again this is today's Apple not making things "just work" for a broader audience and instead focusing on a niche/smaller audience (most often, those with the newest/latest phones with force-touch). Today's Apple says the only way to link a Contacts app from spotlight results is to use force-touch...yesterday's it-just-works Apple would have enabled at least a link to get to the same contact in the Contacts app for me using my 5s, and then allow editing, rather than require the 6 presses I mention above.

You're claiming Apple are focusing on a niche audience, yet cite an esoteric lack-of-feature as proof of this.

Sure, it would be neat for them to implement this. But get some perspective. There are plenty of workarounds already mentioned in this thread. And a vast majority of active iOS 10 devices already have Force Touch features, so it's far from niche; the sales of the 6S/7 against all iPhones sold since 2007 is proof enough of this.

Plus this "yesterday's it-just-works Apple" that you so wistfully crave for didn't even have copy/paste function. Or video recording without jail breaking.

Sure, it sucks that they don't have the feature you want in the way you want it. And what you described is a good idea. But a hyperbole-seasoned rant based on that is nothing short of ridiculous.

 

[Tozovac]

You're claiming Apple are focusing on a niche audience, yet cite an esoteric lack-of-feature as proof of this.

Sure, it would be neat for them to implement this. But get some perspective. There are plenty of workarounds already mentioned in this thread. And a vast majority of active iOS 10 devices already have Force Touch features, so it's far from niche; the sales of the 6S/7 against all iPhones sold since 2007 is proof enough of this.

Plus this "yesterday's it-just-works Apple" that you so wistfully crave for didn't even have copy/paste function. Or video recording without jail breaking.

Sure, it sucks that they don't have the feature you want in the way you want it. And what you described is a good idea. But a hyperbole-seasoned rant based on that is nothing short of ridiculous.

Ha, I don't consider my questioning "why limit an obvious need by not linking a spotlight search result to the actual full Contact" to be esoteric. Sure there are workarounds but they require more work than the obvious/missing easy solution, and Apple's recent tendency to require more clicks & swipes than necessary to meet some misguided fascination with a "clean" interface is to me a very aggravating "feature" of the UI since iOS7. Other spotlight searches link back to the base app, so why not Contacts for non-force-touch phones?

I disagree with your "just work" comment, you're applying hindsight poorly. Yesterday's Apple did "just work" just fine for the time. Sure it got better and added functionality like cut/paste but overall, it was a lot more intuitive than the flat stuff we have now. Maybe others feel differently, and lucky for them.

I admit I rant. It's therapeutic and I enjoy hearing from others who agree with me. I hate most everything Jony Ive did in software since he was crazily given power to over-minimialize and remove a lot of what I personally considered to be core Apple UI, functionality, & appearance. Oh well, it is what it is. More clicks, more swipes, more non-intuitiveness, more wasted white space, more "it doesn't just work."

 

[typicaluser]

Was this behavior in place before iOS10? Is there an easier way to edit a Contact when you access a Contact from the iPhone search results?

When you swipe down from an iphone's "home" screens (the screens showing the apps) and then type in a Contact's name, you're presented with the option to call or text them, or you can press their name for the Contact info. But, this is a new translucent representation of the Contact's info and it's not the "typical" representation of a Contact which allows you the opportunity to revise the Contact.

if you wish to revise or update the info, which is often why I've searched for a contact by pulling down on a iPhone home screen, there's no easy way to edit it right where you're at and instead you're forced to back out of where you're at (action #1), open the phone app (action #2), then contacts (action #3), then re-find the Contact (action #4), then press the Contact, (action #5), then press to edit it (action #6).

As usual thanks to Jony Ive ever since iOS7, it's now more cumbersome to do something that was so simple before, now taking 6 actions to do what used to take 1.

Am I missing something, or is this just yet another one of genius designer Jony Ive's team making something harder than it used to be just to be different?

I am lucky to have iphones on ios 5 to remind me how good the old days were. Whenever I open the old system, familarity of overwhelms, and my brain only has to work half as hard as on today's so called modern design of ios. There is no translucent **** or confusing labels that acts as a button. See below for what I am talking about.

I am lucky to have iphones on ios 5 to remind me how good the old days were. Whenever I open the old system, a feeling of familarity with physical objects overwhelms, and my brain only has to work half as hard as on today's so called modern design of ios. There is no translucent s**t or confusing labels that acts as a button. See below for what I am talking about.

 

[Tozovac]

I am lucky to have iphones on ios 5 to remind me how good the old days were. Whenever I open the old system, familarity of overwhelms, and my brain only has to work half as hard as on today's so called modern design of ios. There is no translucent **** or confusing labels that acts as a button. See below for what I am talking about.

I have an iPad 1 as well as an early iPhone with ios5/6 that I use as security cameras, so I feel this feeling too from back when getting things done just happened almost automatically using an interface that was both attractive and intuitive but would then blend into the background instead of constantly demanding your attention to figure things out. One of the biggest things I miss is the keyboard - the iOS 6 keyboard just seemed more easy to engage with and use.

If Jony Ive was a good enough designer to realize his job was not to express himself with a new & unique OS/iOS as the center stage focus but instead continue focusing on the user's ability to efficiently get the job done intuitively and without needless distractions of a UI constantly getting in the way, then none of this garbage since iOS7 would have ever happened.

The only thing that's maybe gotten easier is the job of a developer or designer, who now can slap together a flat, unintuitive interface that doesn't require true artistry or mastery of UI, unfortunately reflected in way too many websites now too.

 

[JM]

Yeah, I HATE the contact behavior in search.... I want to be able to edit the contact from swipe down search. Much quicker this way.

 

[aristobrat]

What model iPhone do you have?

If you have an model with force touch (6S or higher) search your contact in spotlight, long press on the resulting name, tap on the contact name again it will open in the contacts app where you can edit it.

Holy crap, I had no idea you could do that. For me, that's definitely a ton faster than opening up Contacts to edit them (although I wish they'd put the damn Edit button back like how it used to be). Thank you thank you thank you!!!

 

[Tozovac]

Yeah, I HATE the contact behavior in search.... I want to be able to edit the contact from swipe down search. Much quicker this way.

I just realized today that spotlight gives you two results when you search for a contact. A Top Hit, which provides no link to the Contacts app, and then immediately below, a few more contacts but this time with a link to the Contacts app. Why the hell they don't add a link to the Contacts app at the Top Hit too or just forgo the Too Hit all togather without a special label and just put the top hit at the very top of the contacts results is beyond me. Another distracrung example of Jony Ive's team trying to be different to be different instead of to be good.

 

[C DM]

I just realized today that spotlight gives you two results when you search for a contact. A Top Hit, which provides no link to the Contacts app, and then immediately below, a few more contacts but this time with a link to the Contacts app. Why the hell they don't add a link to the Contacts app at the Top Hit too or just forgo the Too Hit all togather without a special label and just put the top hit at the very top of the contacts results is beyond me. Another distracrung example of Jony Ive's team trying to be different to be different instead of to be good.

That's what I mentioned in one of my initial replies. Seems like top hit is just a quick shortcut to what iOS think is the most likely information you are looking for, and then more app-specific options are usually provided that can be used to go into their respective apps.

 

[bopajuice]

Was this behavior in place before iOS10? Is there an easier way to edit a Contact when you access a Contact from the iPhone search results?

When you swipe down from an iphone's "home" screens (the screens showing the apps) and then type in a Contact's name, you're presented with the option to call or text them, or you can press their name for the Contact info. But, this is a new translucent representation of the Contact's info and it's not the "typical" representation of a Contact which allows you the opportunity to revise the Contact.

if you wish to revise or update the info, which is often why I've searched for a contact by pulling down on a iPhone home screen, there's no easy way to edit it right where you're at and instead you're forced to back out of where you're at (action #1), open the phone app (action #2), then contacts (action #3), then re-find the Contact (action #4), then press the Contact, (action #5), then press to edit it (action #6).

As usual thanks to Jony Ive ever since iOS7, it's now more cumbersome to do something that was so simple before, now taking 6 actions to do what used to take 1.

Am I missing something, or is this just yet another one of genius designer Jony Ive's team making something harder than it used to be just to be different?

I agree. Just as we get used to something they change it. Not because it didn't work, not because there was a bug... it's just make a change any change for the sake of change and call an improvement.

 

[I7guy]

I am lucky to have iphones on ios 5 to remind me how good the old days were. Whenever I open the old system, familarity of overwhelms, and my brain only has to work half as hard as on today's so called modern design of ios. There is no translucent **** or confusing labels that acts as a button. See below for what I am talking about.

View attachment 693359 View attachment 693360
I am lucky to have iphones on ios 5 to remind me how good the old days were. Whenever I open the old system, a feeling of familarity with physical objects overwhelms, and my brain only has to work half as hard as on today's so called modern design of ios. There is no translucent s**t or confusing labels that acts as a button. See below for what I am talking about.

My son bought an iPhone 3GS on eBay. While playing with it I am reminded how much better in all aspects iOS 10 is. The older iOS versions were just that, yesterday's news. Comparing them side by side gave me all the perspective I need. However kudos to Apple, iOS is still iOS.
[doublepost=1490449168][/doublepost]

Holy crap, I had no idea you could do that. For me, that's definitely a ton faster than opening up Contacts to edit them (although I wish they'd put the damn Edit button back like how it used to be). Thank you thank you thank you!!!

I've found by 3dt in various places places Apple provides unexpected support. 3dt clear in notifications and you get clear all for example.

 

[Tozovac]

Seems like at least sometimes there's a "Search in App" option that is presented that would allow to view the results/contact from within the Contacts app where the contact can be edited.

I agree. Just as we get used to something they change it. Not because it didn't work, not because there was a bug... it's just make a change any change for the sake of change and call an improvement.

Yeah I see that now! Though at the time I didn't realize you were talking about this particular Contacts app. I truly don't believe Contacts showed up before for me, and just top hit did for the person I was looking for. Hopefully not to sound like continued whining, but yet again, another example of focusing on visual tidiness instead of thinking for the user and allowing an option to revise that top hit contact you pick. Or, just get rid of the top hit separate entry, and just put the top hit at the very top of the contacts that shows up.

Tim Cook, if you want to hire me to fix all the cluttered, unintuitive, and boring to look at mess of a UI that Jony Ive birthed, do you know where to get a hold of me.
[doublepost=1490450917][/doublepost]

My son bought an iPhone 3GS on eBay. While playing with it I am reminded how much better in all aspects iOS 10 is. The older iOS versions were just that, yesterday's news. Comparing them side by side gave me all the perspective I need. However kudos to Apple, iOS is still iOS.
[doublepost=1490449168][/doublepost]
I've found by 3dt in various places places Apple provides unexpected support. 3dt clear in notifications and you get clear all for example.

Glad you are enjoying iOS 10 ! As a satisfied user can I ask-would you be at all put off or even find experience worse if buttons still looked like buttons, and the visual representation of the UI looked like somebody put at least a little bit of talent into it, instead of the all-white low contrast hidden-tools experience it is? I'm not saying this to be a jerk or to try to trick somebody, I just don't understand why all the improvements need to be in such a flat looking experience, where so many things are hidden and unintuitive. Or worse - are cumbersome by taking more steps to perform what used to be accomplished in just one or two clicks.

New and fresh are always nice but other than radically changing the UI in iOS 7 to suit JI's personal minimalism preference, I have yet to read one good argument for the current overly simplified UI.
[doublepost=1490451255][/doublepost]

I agree. Just as we get used to something they change it. Not because it didn't work, not because there was a bug... it's just make a change any change for the sake of change and call an improvement.

This approach is why I blissfully left Microsoft for Apple in 2005. The Apple at that time just seemed to quietly get it right from the start and then just refine, refine, refine while Microsoft's radical new operating systems every couple years was to me an unspoken admission that their last OS was a complete disaster and complete redesign was the only option. Ios7 = complete disaster.

When friends ask me why I still use Apple products, I tell them now it's in spite of what they do, and no longer because of what they do. They're still a better option than Microsoft, but barely anymore.

 

[I7guy]

..
Glad you are enjoying iOS 10 ! As a satisfied user can I ask-would you be at all put off or even find experience worse if buttons still looked like buttons, and the visual representation of the UI looked like somebody put at least a little bit of talent into it, instead of the all-white low contrast hidden-tools experience it is? I'm not saying this to be a jerk or to try to trick somebody, I just don't understand why all the improvements need to be in such a flat looking experience, where so many things are hidden and unintuitive. Or worse - are cumbersome by taking more steps to perform what used to be accomplished in just one or two clicks.

New and fresh are always nice but other than radically changing the UI in iOS 7 to suit JI's personal minimalism preference, I have yet to read one good argument for the current overly simplified UI.\
..

Is it better to stay stagnant because some people like looking at skeuomorphic representations of Steve's leather chair? The digital designs of today, are different and should be different than those of a few years ago. Change for the sake of change is just as bad as staying stagnant for the fear of change.

Designs change over time.

The conversation is a bit like do you like chocolate or vanilla better?

But I don't see where things take longer. Let's say I want to put my iphone into battery saving mode. 3dt settings, battery, done. That is just one minor example. I'm not aware of what your universe of use cases that now take longer to perform than before. Maybe you can list them and we can go through them one by one and based on our own use cases, see how the matter in terms of priority for each of us.

When friends ask me why I still use Apple products, I tell them now it's in spite of what they do, and no longer because of what they do. They're still a better option than Microsoft, but barely anymore.

Nobody I know is Microsoft free and nobody asks why I use any phone or any computer. Even Mac owners run parallels. If your universe of use cases are small enough, you don't have to run Microsoft software; ie check facebook, check emails, write small documents, small spreadsheets, etc. You can get away with Ubuntu. But if your work is typical back-office fortune 500 stuff, you will be using Windows.

 

[Evelyn Harthbrooke]

Yeah I see that now! Though at the time I didn't realize you were talking about this particular Contacts app. I truly don't believe Contacts showed up before for me, and just top hit did for the person I was looking for. Hopefully not to sound like continued whining, but yet again, another example of focusing on visual tidiness instead of thinking for the user and allowing an option to revise that top hit contact you pick. Or, just get rid of the top hit separate entry, and just put the top hit at the very top of the contacts that shows up.

Tim Cook, if you want to hire me to fix all the cluttered, unintuitive, and boring to look at mess of a UI that Jony Ive birthed, do you know where to get a hold of me.
[doublepost=1490450917][/doublepost]

Glad you are enjoying iOS 10 ! As a satisfied user can I ask-would you be at all put off or even find experience worse if buttons still looked like buttons, and the visual representation of the UI looked like somebody put at least a little bit of talent into it, instead of the all-white low contrast hidden-tools experience it is? I'm not saying this to be a jerk or to try to trick somebody, I just don't understand why all the improvements need to be in such a flat looking experience, where so many things are hidden and unintuitive. Or worse - are cumbersome by taking more steps to perform what used to be accomplished in just one or two clicks.

New and fresh are always nice but other than radically changing the UI in iOS 7 to suit JI's personal minimalism preference, I have yet to read one good argument for the current overly simplified UI.

I'd rather have the current design of iOS that it is now than have the old iOS 1.x-6.x style. I hated that style so much. It was quite ugly in my opinion. Android was the same until Android 5.x. Android migrated to Material Design and everything looked soooo much better than in the old Holo-esque design it was previously. And to be fair, things take the same amount of time to access that they did in iOS versions previous to iOS 7 in my experiences. I don't know why you're bashing iOS 7 and higher so much though.

 

[Tozovac]

I'd rather have the current design of iOSI don't know why you're bashing iOS 7 and higher so much though.

If you've read my posts in this thread as well as others who noted that things just worked more intuitively and easier before, and you still have no idea of my personal rationale and tastes and critiques, there's no use in me repeating them.

There's also no reason for me to bash anyone's personal taste if you love Material Design and Jony Ive flat design, and we're all out our own opinion. I'm realizing that most people who really like the ios UI since ios7 *and* truly dislike anything prior tend to be the types who really like the idea of noticing the UI and focusing on it and how different or special it is, instead of being the type who just wants the UI/iOS to work well and intuitively and efficiently and let you focus on the app you're using, and then otherwise disappear into the background. The user's ability to use an app should be the main focus instead the iOS's trying to look so unique and new and distinguished and "different than before."

 

[Evelyn Harthbrooke]

If you've read my posts in this thread as well as others who noted that things just worked more intuitively and easier before, and you still have no idea of my personal rationale and tastes and critiques, there's no use in me repeating them.

There's also no reason for me to bash anyone's personal taste if you love Material Design and Jony Ive flat design, and we're all out our own opinion. I'm realizing that most people who really like the ios UI since ios7 *and* truly dislike anything prior tend to be the types who really like the idea of noticing the UI and focusing on it and how different or special it is, instead of being the type who just wants the UI/iOS to work well and intuitively and efficiently and let you focus on the app you're using, and then otherwise disappear into the background. The user's ability to use an app should be the main focus instead the iOS's trying to look so unique and new and distinguished and "different than before."

I want iOS and apps to work well and for iOS to blend into the background. And, to be honest, it does those things amazingly well. Again, I don't know why you're complaining. If you don't like how iOS does things, just move to Android or another mobile operating system. Fairly simple solution in my opinion.