iOS missing basic features

[Canyon61]

Hi, I recently switched from Android to iOS and must say that iOS is way behind on Android.

Here is my list of what iOS is missing:

• no multitasking or split screen - no 3rd party app for such feature (only dual browser feature, not your own apps)
• no Close all open apps button - you need to swipe up each app
• no option to turn off wifi/bluetooth from control centre - you can only disconnect from network/devices (workaround - created custom shortcut and added to control centre)
• iOS keyboard doesnt have Numbers row - you need to manually switch between letters and numbers
• you need to manually swipe up lock screen each time when your phone is unlocked using face id
• annoying sound/haptic when you long pressing icons or downloading new app from App Store - these sounds/haptics are impossible to turn off separatly
• you cant easily close notifications from unlocked phone, swiping up/left/right doesnt help, you need to swipe down and then go to lock (notification) screen and swipe notification left
• in Photos app, there is horizontal black line rendered for few seconds (bug)
• no landscape mode for Music, Reminders, App Store and other apps
• Camera cant focus on close object in default 1x zoom
• no option for removing app cache data, you need to reinstall app

Do you guys have any advice on any of these missing features?
Thank you.

 

[brofkand]

Its true that iOS doesn't offer many of these features. You either have to decide if you can live without them or go back to Android.

 

[doogm]

Do you guys have any advice on any of these missing features?

no Close all open apps button - you need to swipe up each app

With iOS there is little reason to close an app unless it is malfunctioning. This isn't Windows 95. iOS suspends apps in the background. Plus a quick way to close all apps is to simply power cycle the phone. (The screen that everyone thinks is showing apps running in the background is actually called the Task Switcher and simply shows the apps that you've last opened in reverse chronological order.)

no option to turn off wifi/bluetooth from control centre - you can only disconnect from network/devices (workaround - created custom shortcut and added to control centre)

I so rarely turn off radios that it's not a big deal for me. Unless the radios are actively being used, they consume little power. But you've obviously found a solution, so you should be all set.

 

[I7guy]

yep, there are a bunch of differences between android and iOS. The right integration of the apple ecosystem puts android to shame.

- notifications are easy to get rid of. Swipe down from the left and press the “x”.
- don’t need to close apps. Maybe a left over habit using android.
- the swipe up is the way iOS works. You can set the timeout so it happens less frequently.
- the app store haptics are just the way it is as well as the lack of landscape mode in some built in apps
- my camera goes into macro mode automatically.
- don’t know about the app cache. But you can remove the app and install it later.
And yep, the iOS keyboard is not a full fledged 102 key keyboard.

Good luck.

 

[Project Alice]

The application control is essentially the same on iOS as it is Android. And every other modern OS for that matter. The OS will handles the apps memory appropriately and if it needs closed (jettisoned, as its referred to in Darwin which iOS is), the same way android does. If you want to close it, you can. If you have 60 app pages open in the switcher you need to rethink your life anyway. The most I ever have is like 6 and if I'm done using it I'll typically close it, just so it doesn't appear there. The OS will probably have closed it already if its been in the background for awhile and it needed the memory space.

I'll agree to the number row, that would be nice. I have a 13 Mini and there's still room for the number row with the bottom part of the display going to the irritating Mic and language button instead.

I'm pretty sure there is an option to delete app data if you go into storage. I know I've used it before. Also, the majority of apps have that option in their settings inside the app too.

 

[UliBaer]

That's iOS, unfortunately you'll have to live with this **** limitations.
Yes, a *real* operating system would give you the options you're asking for, but this is iOS...

BTW: Happy New Year everyone! 🎉

 

[xxFoxtail]

• no multitasking or split screen - no 3rd party app for such feature (only dual browser feature, not your own apps)
• no landscape mode for Music, Reminders, App Store and other apps

For multitasking. I don't hate the current approach with it. I usually don't need two apps side by side when using my phone. If I'm working between a spreadsheet and an email, I'm fine with swiping between the two apps. Though, there are those times I wish I can have them side by side for faster comparisons. I should add that iOS does sort of have stage manager built in, you have to use something like Nugget to access it - makes the iPhone think its an iPad, but this causes all kinds of other problems. Someone's video on it -

https://twitter.com/x/status/1743400544230838320

Sort of ties in with landscape mode. iOS used to have that system wide on the old Touch ID Plus models. I actually used my old iPhone 7 Plus with a Bluetooth keyboard as my full computer replacement for about a year (then the X came out and I wanted that).

So system wide landscape and maybe a revised iPhone version of stage manager have been on my wish list for a while now. This may not be the best experience for everyone, but it would be nice to at least have the option.

 

[jwt873]

Hi, I recently switched from Android to iOS and must say that iOS is way behind on Android.

Here is my list of what iOS is missing:

• iOS keyboard doesnt have Numbers row - you need to manually switch between letters and numbers
• Camera cant focus on close object in default 1x zoom

Of all the things you listed. I agree, the lack of a number row is annoying. It's a real pain trying to enter something like a long password with numbers and letters... The rest I can live without.

As for the camera, my iPhone 16 Pro has no problem at all focusing up close using the 1X camera. It takes great macros.

 

[Altis]

There are many things missing from iOS -- seemingly obvious ones, to me. The biggest one for me is the ability to disable (or at least significantly speed up) animations in a way that eliminates the input-blocking delay. I'm so sick of having to repeat half my inputs because iOS wasn't paying attention because it was in an animation (even when they're "reduced").

I wish there was an album or setting so you could view only photos that have not been added to a different album. Similarly with Music, they removed the ability to view "All Songs" by an artist -- now it's all albums, even if it's one song per album, and you can only shuffle all from artist but not just see the song list.

With iOS there is little reason to close an app unless it is malfunctioning. This isn't Windows 95. iOS suspends apps in the background. Plus a quick way to close all apps is to simply power cycle the phone. (The screen that everyone thinks is showing apps running in the background is actually called the Task Switcher and simply shows the apps that you've last opened in reverse chronological order.)

I've heard this before many times, but there's a lot of apps like Facebook that will eat your battery alive if you leave it in the background, in my experience. Who knows what they can get up to when left open but what's the point in having them there.

I so rarely turn off radios that it's not a big deal for me. Unless the radios are actively being used, they consume little power. But you've obviously found a solution, so you should be all set.

There are other reasons to disable wifi and bluetooth than just power. One such is privacy so that your device isn't constantly being pinged off every wifi location you pass. I think part of why Apple changed it to "disconnect" rather than off entirely from CC is to improve their mapping services using our wireless connections.

 

[doogm]

I've heard this before many times, but there's a lot of apps like Facebook that will eat your battery alive if you leave it in the background, in my experience. Who knows what they can get up to when left open but what's the point in having them there.

There is Settings / General / Background App Refresh and turn off Facebook. (There is also simply running Facebook from Safari rather than using the app.)

I have not found that the Facebook app has been particularly using battery in my experience.

There is definitely little reason to force-close every app, and doing so generally uses more battery, as the app needs to go through startup processes rather than restore the last-known state of the app, which is stored unless the app is force-closed.

There are other reasons to disable wifi and bluetooth than just power. One such is privacy so that your device isn't constantly being pinged off every wifi location you pass. I think part of why Apple changed it to "disconnect" rather than off entirely from CC is to improve their mapping services using our wireless connections.

By default iOS hides the actual MAC of the WiFi radio unless you turn on "Fixed WiFi address" for a connection. https://support.apple.com/en-us/102509

BLE also does something similar. https://support.apple.com/guide/security/bluetooth-security-sec82597d97e/web (See Bluetooth Low Energy Privacy.)

Right, using WiFi for location services can allow faster location than relying solely on the GPS radio which is slower. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assisted_GNSS

 

[Laggy]

1. Terrible design choices in software:

• Photos app allows customization but in an awkward way.

• Customization in Photos app could have been better, similar to how widgets are handled in SpringBoard.


2. Contacts app:

• Should be merged into the Phone app.

3. Messages app:

• Copying text behaves in a confusing and inconsistent manner.

4. Maps app:

• Always displays a large search bar, even when exploring the map.

• Suggested improvement: Use a search icon in the corner instead.

5. Settings app:

• Search functionality is ineffective.

• Categories are poorly organized and misplaced.

• Important settings are hidden under Accessibility options.

6. Notes app:

• Awkward design.

• Printing a PDF is not straightforward or intuitive.

7. Files app:

• Fails to recognize any SMB servers on the network.

8. Podcasts app:

• Syncing issues, such as always downloading new episodes despite the feature being turned off.

9. Control Center:

• Behaving weirdly; once you place a shortcut, it misplaces others.

10. App Store:

• Lacks a Wish List feature, like on Steam.

• Localizations or descriptions are often only in English, which is problematic for people who don’t speak English.

• Despite Apple providing its own Translate app, they still don’t use it to translate app descriptions in the App Store.

11. iTunes app:

• Should be merged with the Music app; this seems obvious.

12. Sound management:

• It’s unclear why the sound of playground sounds on iPhone can’t be adjusted while on FaceTime or any VoIP apps.

13. Notifications:

• Extremely messy with no categorization. How is that even possible?

14. Uneven Regional Features:

• Apple does not offer the same amount of features across regions.

15. Siri’s Limited Language Support:

• Siri is unavailable in many languages, especially compared to competitors.

• Comparison of Language Support:

• ChatGPT: Supports over 50 languages with high accuracy and contextual understanding.

• Siri: Supports far fewer languages, with notable gaps in availability and functionality in non-English regions.

16. Slow Rollout of Features:

• Apple is known for rolling out features slowly, often leaving users in certain regions waiting significantly longer.

17. Bugs and Unpolished Software:

• Recent software updates have shown an increase in bugs and unfinished features, which negatively affect the user experience.

18. Need for Extended Developer Testing:

• Apple should test new software with developers for longer periods before final releases to ensure higher quality and fewer issues.

 

[Altis]

There is Settings / General / Background App Refresh and turn off Facebook. (There is also simply running Facebook from Safari rather than using the app.)

I have not found that the Facebook app has been particularly using battery in my experience.

There is definitely little reason to force-close every app, and doing so generally uses more battery, as the app needs to go through startup processes rather than restore the last-known state of the app, which is stored unless the app is force-closed.

I run Facebook through both the app and Chrome -- installed just for FB so I can keep pages in tabs, something the app doesn't let you do. FB is such hot garbage but I have to use it for lost/found pet pages.

But they both drain battery if not forced closed, and I have background app refresh disabled completely. It takes a while to suspend and some apps like FB I believe still trigger something to prevent them from being suspended.

Also, what's the harm in closing them? By the time I go back to them, the suspended state is moot and it's shows a picture of what it used to look like before eventually changing to the fresh boot state anyways. It's more confusing than just opening it from scratch.

By default iOS hides the actual MAC of the WiFi radio unless you turn on "Fixed WiFi address" for a connection. https://support.apple.com/en-us/102509

BLE also does something similar. https://support.apple.com/guide/security/bluetooth-security-sec82597d97e/web (See Bluetooth Low Energy Privacy.)

Right, using WiFi for location services can allow faster location than relying solely on the GPS radio which is slower. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assisted_GNSS

In this case, it's Apple that can collect data (for use in maps, I suspect). Doesn't change that Apple quietly changed the CC settings years ago from turning things off to leaving them on. Again, if I am pressing those buttons why would I want them to stay on, and just for them to reconnect at some point after on their own?

It's better for Apple, but how is it better for the user? They could let us choose the behaviour but it's Apple, after all...

 

[Ctrlos]

I like Android and happily keep one around as a backup phone. But it’s not all roses here either:

- Google Pay just refuses to work 50% of the time. It either doesn’t register or triggers the NFC loop too soon. This wasn’t a bug as it happened on an S23, Pixel 8 Pro and Nothing 2a which are or were top phones in their brackets.

- No system-level Wallet integration. Google Pay is just another app rather than being part of the OS. Nowhere near as slick as Apple’s solution.

- Complete lack of NFC payment security. Google Pay uses the phone lock screen as the barrier meaning that in theory somebody could just tap something against my unlocked phone as I’m just using it to take a payment without authorisation. Apple require an additional ID check beyond the Lock Screen. Good job it only pays for things half the time!

- Customisation is largely superfluous and pointless. Few phones let you change things at a system level meaning icon packs are skin deep and a different theme of launcher upsets the homogeneity of your phone. Spending ages on home screen customisation is like painting a hallway. Sure it looks nice but you don’t spend any time there.

- Less frames of animation on the OS mean things never appear as smooth or as ‘solid’ as they do on iOS.

- System controls require 3-4 extra interactions to get to because Google insist on using laughably huge icons.

- It’s either the pointless, attention sucking Google Feed or nothing on most launchers. I’d like an extra page for widgets, please.

- Chrome is just a terrible, data sucking browser. The Samsung Internet one should be any users first install as you can run Adblock on it in a click.

- The universal Google search is nowhere near as in-depth as Spotlight

- Complete lack of battery health stat on any handset. This makes buying anything secondhand and older than 2 years an absolute minefield. You have no idea whether the battery is shot until you get it out of the store and use it for a week.

- The game selection on Android is awful. There are just as many F2P cash grabs on both markets but the range of premium titles on iOS, from classics like Tiny Wings to new titles like Death Stranding puts Android to shame. I see online reviews of these ‘gaming handsets’ like the ASUS ROG Phones and they look really cool until the reviewer starts testing them with Genshin Impact for the 50th time and I think about how it has all that power and nothing to play on it! My old Nothing 2a I ran earlier this year could play PS2 and GameCube titles at full speed for £400.

 

[doogm]

2. Contacts app:

• Should be merged into the Phone app.

It is - it's a tab in the Phone app, and I think always has been. If not always, for longer than I've been using iPhones.

Also, what's the harm in closing them? By the time I go back to them, the suspended state is moot and it's shows a picture of what it used to look like before eventually changing to the fresh boot state anyways.

I've already said the harm. What you describe I rarely see - only when I open apps for the first time in a long time.

I think closing individual apps is probably fine. The initial post was about a Close All button. For almost every app on iOS, it's unnecessary. I do it occasionally myself when apps are acting up, and maybe a handful of times a year I notice weird battery drain, look in settings / battery and see an app at the top of the list that I'e hardly used, so I force-close it.

It's better for Apple, but how is it better for the user? They could let us choose the behaviour but it's Apple, after all...

I know that Apple collects a lot of usage and usability info, plus they get a lot of support calls, and IIRC when they made this change (iOS 13?) there were reports that they were getting a lot of support calls from people who were having issues that were caused by having the radios off.

Of course it's also a benefit to users of many devices in the Apple ecosystem (like me - iPhone, iPad, Macs, Apple Watch, Apple TVs) who use technologies like the Apple Watch, plus handoff between devices. (It's incredibly useful to me to be able to cut on one device and almost instantly paste on another.)

It's not so hard to go into the Settings app to turn off the radios for the ultra-privacy or ultra-battery saving crowd. Or use a Shortcut to automate it, or long-press the control center icons to quickly get to settings to turn them off (turning them back on just takes a tap in control center.) For most users, particularly for less tech-friendly ones, Apple probably has the right design.

 

[Dieseldk]

For the number row in the keyboard, just use something like swiftkey.

 

[Digital Dude]

iOS has always been a bastard OS, but I’ve learned to live with it—sort of. 🤷‍♂️

 

[MacCheetah3]

• no multitasking or split screen - no 3rd party app for such feature (only dual browser feature, not your own apps)
• no Close all open apps button - you need to swipe up each app

With iOS there is little reason to close an app unless it is malfunctioning. This isn't Windows 95. iOS suspends apps in the background. Plus a quick way to close all apps is to simply power cycle the phone. (The screen that everyone thinks is showing apps running in the background is actually called the Task Switcher and simply shows the apps that you've last opened in reverse chronological order.)

The application control is essentially the same on iOS as it is Android. And every other modern OS for that matter. The OS will handles the apps memory appropriately and if it needs closed (jettisoned, as its referred to in Darwin which iOS is), the same way android does. If you want to close it, you can. If you have 60 app pages open in the switcher you need to rethink your life anyway. The most I ever have is like 6 and if I'm done using it I'll typically close it, just so it doesn't appear there. The OS will probably have closed it already if its been in the background for awhile and it needed the memory space.

Similar. I just like it cleaned up as I indeed use it as intended, a current/recent task switcher, not because apps typically require being ‘closed’.

As for the split-screen… I agree with Apple that (even with phablets becoming mainstream) it still doesn’t belong on a smartphone. The functionality is — and I’ve utilized it plenty of times — available on iPad.

Open two apps in Split View on iPad

On iPad, split the screen into two resizable views.

support.apple.com

• no option to turn off wifi/bluetooth from control centre - you can only disconnect from network/devices (workaround - created custom shortcut and added to control centre)

Even though turning ‘off’ Wi-Fi in Control Center for example, doesn’t disable the hardware (e.g., Apple Watch will remain connected), I don’t see that as a problem albeit somewhat misleading.

There are other reasons to disable wifi and bluetooth than just power. One such is privacy so that your device isn't constantly being pinged off every wifi location you pass.

Use private Wi-Fi addresses on Apple devices - Apple Support

To improve privacy, your device uses a different MAC address with each Wi-Fi network.

support.apple.com

• iOS keyboard doesnt have Numbers row - you need to manually switch between letters and numbers

I agree on that inconvenience.

• you need to manually swipe up lock screen each time when your phone is unlocked using face id

It’s to accommodate this privacy feature/option:

How to always show notification previews on iPhone Lock Screen

Find out how to always see previews for notifications on the Lock Screen on your iPhone without having Face ID authenticate you first.

www.idownloadblog.com

• Camera cant focus on close object in default 1x zoom

Take macro photos and videos with your iPhone camera

Learn how to take macro photos and videos with the iPhone camera.

support.apple.com

• no option for removing app cache data, you need to reinstall app

I assume, you’re primarily referring to social media apps that can occupy gigabytes of storage space with cache files. As a relatively rare user of social networking platforms, I can share that apps like Instagram do clean cache files, but the process is quite slow. For instance, it may take several hours or even days of complete app inactivity or no activity at all, depending on the extent of the accumulated cache. One of the suggested ‘solutions’ is to use the Web version as it seems to be cleared out quicker. As far as I'm aware, on iOS, this falls on the developer. And, based on feedback, they should integrate setting preferences for cache duration and probably even an erase all option.