iPhone SE (2016) iPhone SE Long press quick reply not working?

[Jayson A]

Just updated to iOS 13.5.1 and it's still not fixed... (yes, it's broken in my opinion and I believe Apple just won't admit it)

I'm so sick of this. This was one of my most used features on my iPhone 7 Plus and I'm so disappointed that I can't do it anymore while all other iOS devices have this ability (even iPads).

What could possibly be the purpose of nerfing this?

 

[JPack]

Just updated to iOS 13.5.1 and it's still not fixed... (yes, it's broken in my opinion and I believe Apple just won't admit it)

I'm so sick of this. This was one of my most used features on my iPhone 7 Plus and I'm so disappointed that I can't do it anymore while all other iOS devices have this ability (even iPads).

What could possibly be the purpose of nerfing this?

Not sure why you’re expecting a feature that Apple has explicitly stated as being not available on SE2.

 

[Jayson A]

Not sure why you’re expecting a feature that Apple has explicitly stated as being not available on SE2.

Because what's the point in taking away that feature deliberately even though it's on the iPhone 11 and iPads?

 

[JPack]

Because what's the point in taking away that feature deliberately even though it's on the iPhone 11 and iPads?

Same reason why it's missing Audio Zoom and Dolby Atmos support.

Apple loves to ration features, especially on less expensive devices.

 

[Jayson A]

Same reason why it's missing Audio Zoom and Dolby Atmos support.

Apple loves to ration features, especially on less expensive devices.

I get it when they take away stuff like 3D touch, but it's literally a brand new device that they purposefully dumbed down for an artificial reason? It wouldn't add any extra cost to enable that function in the software and I'm sure they wouldn't lose any sales from other devices because of it.

I can't imagine someone saying "I think I'm gonna go with the 11 Pro since I can tap and hold on a message on the lockscreen"

 

[nordique]

^^^^

One rationale has been that it’s related to the lock screen requiring some sort of security check.

For example, try this. Go to accessibility settings and under hone button, make sure rest to unlock is disabled

are you able to rest your thumb on the home button now so that it unlocks the lock screen (but does not go to the home screen) and now, can you quick reply?

I wonder if the reason you can do it on the 11 series and XR has something to do with Face ID essentially doing that same thing

Apple’s official statement was that the hardware on the SE simply Doesn’t support it (no 3D Touch)

however on the 11 series And XR the software can do that security check with Face ID and thus still supported that way

what I’m wondering is if that’s the reason, as anyone could theoretically take your phone and not unlock it but send texts from the lockscreen otherwise

 

[Jayson A]

^^^^

One rationale has been that it’s related to the lock screen requiring some sort of security check.

For example, try this. Go to accessibility settings and under hone button, make sure rest to unlock is disabled

are you able to rest your thumb on the home button now so that it unlocks the lock screen (but does not go to the home screen) and now, can you quick reply?

I wonder if the reason you can do it on the 11 series and XR has something to do with Face ID essentially doing that same thing

Apple’s official statement was that the hardware on the SE simply Doesn’t support it (no 3D Touch)

however on the 11 series And XR the software can do that security check with Face ID and thus still supported that way

what I’m wondering is if that’s the reason, as anyone could theoretically take your phone and not unlock it but send texts from the lockscreen otherwise

I could do it on my iPhone 7 Plus without Face ID. What's the difference between 3D touch and long pressing? It's not like 3D touch is any more secure than a long press.

 

[JPack]

I get it when they take away stuff like 3D touch, but it's literally a brand new device that they purposefully dumbed down for an artificial reason? It wouldn't add any extra cost to enable that function in the software and I'm sure they wouldn't lose any sales from other devices because of it.

I can't imagine someone saying "I think I'm gonna go with the 11 Pro since I can tap and hold on a message on the lockscreen"

It's about the entire experience of using a low-cost iPhone vs. a regular iPhone.

• Tap to Wake
• Smart HDR (front)
• Extended Dynamic Range (front)
• Audio Zoom
• Dolby Atmos
• Touch and Hold

These are all software features and they cost money to develop. Apple has decided that list of features doesn't belong on a low-cost iPhone.

 

[Jayson A]

It's about the entire experience of using a low-cost iPhone vs. a regular iPhone.

• Tap to Wake
• Smart HDR (front)
• Extended Dynamic Range (front)
• Audio Zoom
• Dolby Atmos
• Touch and Hold

These are all software features and they cost money to develop. Apple has decided that list of features doesn't belong on a low-cost iPhone.

What about the iPhone 8 though?

 

[JPack]

What about the iPhone 8 though?

The iPhone 8 was never introduced as the "most affordable iPhone."

Why are we trying to compare the iPhone 8 introduced in 2017 at $699 with a low-cost iPhone introduced in 2020?

 

[Jayson A]

The iPhone 8 was never introduced as the "most affordable iPhone."

Why are we trying to compare the iPhone 8 introduced in 2017 at $699 with a low-cost iPhone introduced in 2020?

It has haptic feedback. If they really wanted to screw us, they would've just excluded haptic feedback all together and make it more like an iPad.

There's literally no point in purposefully disabling the ability to reply from the lock screen. Also, it's such a stupid little feature because it's still there, you just have to swipe like it's 2014 again.

 

[Jayson A]

Does iOS 14 have this feature yet?

 

[freeagent]

Guys, you bought a stripped down iPhone, and now you are upset because it doesn’t have the same features as the more expensive models? You didn’t compare specs and features? A stripped down iPhone comes with a stripped down experience. It’s still an upgrade to older phones, sorta.. but that’s it.. it is what it is.. it has the A13 yes, but it doesn’t have a lot of ram, doesn’t have the camera system, doesn’t have the screen, so it can’t have all the same features. If it did they would have shot themselves in the foot. The original SE was aimed at a different crowd than this SE. Some of the features you guys want just don’t have the hardware to drive it ??‍♂️

 

[lkalliance]

Although it's easy and cathartic to look at something that a model of iPhone doesn't do and say, "Apple is intentionally hobbling your experience!" I'm pretty comfortable with the idea that there is a technical barrier (or security barrier) at some level. Just looking at a different phone that appears to be similar and has a function that is lacking in my phone doesn't mean that I know everything in the decision. Is there a component that has changed that makes it impossible? What is that component, why was it changed? I am sure it was changed to accrue some benefit (lower price, more efficient operation?), and this feature was a tradeoff. Might it be something in the firmware, lower than the OS?

All that's really important as the consumer is: what am I getting for what I am being charged? This happens to be something we didn't get, and this along with all the other things that the SE didn't get but that exist on other iPhones is in exchange for a $400 phone. Why they aren't there isn't important: what's important is whether what IS there is worth the $400.

 

[Homme]

if you think this is bad. wait until you see the next feature Apple removed from the SE but the 7 and the 8 get in iOS 14

iOS 18

iOS 18 makes iPhone even more personal, with deeper customization, new ways to connect, easier-to-find photos, and support for Apple Intelligence.

www.apple.com

scroll all the way down under 12. notice how A10,11,12 and 13 powered iPhones get this but no mention of SE.

this is in reference to App Clips. so hopefully this is a mistake or its deliberate, like long press for SE

 

[JPack]

if you think this is bad. wait until you see the next feature Apple removed from the SE but the 7 and the 8 get in iOS 14

iOS 18

iOS 18 makes iPhone even more personal, with deeper customization, new ways to connect, easier-to-find photos, and support for Apple Intelligence.

www.apple.com

scroll all the way down under 12. notice how A10,11,12 and 13 powered iPhones get this but no mention of SE.

this is in reference to App Clips. so hopefully this is a mistake or its deliberate, like long press for SE

Prepare yourself for the "But wait! Why won't they enable such a simple feature?" replies.

At some point, it becomes tiresome trying to explain feature rationing.

 

[Homme]

It's about the entire experience of using a low-cost iPhone vs. a regular iPhone.

• Tap to Wake
• Smart HDR (front)
• Extended Dynamic Range (front)
• Audio Zoom
• Dolby Atmos
• Touch and Hold

These are all software features and they cost money to develop. Apple has decided that list of features doesn't belong on a low-cost iPhone.

In regards to smart hdr at the front of the camera.. I’d thought SE didn’t have that because it doesn’t have TrueDepth camera, but other FaceTime HD cameras (Air 3 and Mini 5) don’t have smart HDR as well

Prepare yourself for the "But wait! Why won't they enable such a simple feature?" replies.

At some point, it becomes tiresome trying to explain feature rationing.

yeah but I think this feature is cool though for it?

 

[JPack]

In regards to smart hdr at the front of the camera.. I’d thought SE didn’t have that because it doesn’t have TrueDepth camera, but other FaceTime HD cameras (Air 3 and Mini 5) don’t have smart HDR as well

Smart HDR doesn't use TrueDepth because all the iPhones have Smart HDR on the rear camera. The feature simply takes multiple photos with different exposure level settings and combines them.

 

[Homme]

Smart HDR doesn't use TrueDepth because all the iPhones have Smart HDR on the rear camera. The feature simply takes multiple photos with different exposure level settings and combines them.

ah ok. So Apple could just enable the ones with auto hdr to be smart hdr then in a future software update

 

[C DM]

Yeah what purpose does blocking it on 1 device have??? It would be so simple to enable it as it’s probably just a flag somewhere. I think they goofed and used the iPhone 8 iOS for the SE and since the iPhone 8 doesn’t need tap to hold, now the SE can’t do it either.

By the way, if you turn off 3D Touch on any iPhone, it does not enable tap to hold on the lock screen.

Not sure why Apple isn't making Haptic Touch (or basically long press) that is essentially a fundamental and basic thing not available across any/all devices. If 3D Touch is turned off on a device, why doesn't long press work everywhere it otherwise would (given that it certainly works in many places)?
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It's about the entire experience of using a low-cost iPhone vs. a regular iPhone.

• Tap to Wake
• Smart HDR (front)
• Extended Dynamic Range (front)
• Audio Zoom
• Dolby Atmos
• Touch and Hold

These are all software features and they cost money to develop. Apple has decided that list of features doesn't belong on a low-cost iPhone.

There are features (some that even require additional/different hardware or implementations), and then there are fairly basic and in today's world essentially fundamental functionalities. Would it somehow make sense to specifically remove something as fundamental as right-click support on cheaper Macs?

 

[Jayson A]

Not sure why Apple isn't making Haptic Touch (or basically long press) that is essentially a fundamental and basic thing not available across any/all devices. If 3D Touch is turned off on a device, why doesn't long press work everywhere it otherwise would (given that it certainly works in many places)?
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There are features (some that even require additional/different hardware or implementations), and then there are fairly basic and in today's world essentially fundamental functionalities. Would it somehow make sense to specifically remove something as fundamental as right-click support on cheaper Macs?

Yes exactly. I'm not asking for some huge exclusive feature. There's haptic touch EVERYWHERE ELSE, except for the lock screen? Why? If it works on iPads and all other non-3D touch device, then it should work the same on the SE. There's no reason to keep that one thing exclusive to everything else.
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Guys, you bought a stripped down iPhone, and now you are upset because it doesn’t have the same features as the more expensive models? You didn’t compare specs and features? A stripped down iPhone comes with a stripped down experience. It’s still an upgrade to older phones, sorta.. but that’s it.. it is what it is.. it has the A13 yes, but it doesn’t have a lot of ram, doesn’t have the camera system, doesn’t have the screen, so it can’t have all the same features. If it did they would have shot themselves in the foot. The original SE was aimed at a different crowd than this SE. Some of the features you guys want just don’t have the hardware to drive it ??‍♂️

It's such a standard feature that I've gotten used to for 4 years and it's weird to have it suddenly taken away just because I wanted a slightly newer phone. By the way, if you have a 3D-touch device and deactivate 3D touch, it works exactly the same as the iPhone SE (2nd gen). I think it was an oversight from them stripping out 3D touch from the iPhone 8 (which the SE is based on). So they got rid of 3D touch, but they forgot that long presses on the lock screen don't work without 3D touch.

 

[JPack]

There are features (some that even require additional/different hardware or implementations), and then there are fairly basic and in today's world essentially fundamental functionalities. Would it somehow make sense to specifically remove something as fundamental as right-click support on cheaper Macs?

Is replying from the Lock screen with a single tap a fundamental feature? I think Touch and Hold is convenient, but not fundamental.

Users can achieve the same thing by swiping left and tapping View.

iOS 14 has a "Back Tap" feature that relies on the gyroscope and accelerometer. It's unavailable on the SE2. This is another convenience feature that fits in the same category as Touch and Hold.

 

[Jayson A]

Is replying from the Lock screen with a single tap a fundamental feature? I think Touch and Hold is convenient, but not fundamental.

Users can achieve the same thing by swiping left and tapping View.

iOS 14 has a "Back Tap" feature that relies on the gyroscope and accelerometer. It's unavailable on the SE2. This is another convenience feature that fits in the same category as Touch and Hold.

Why did they make touch and hold work everywhere else in the OS then? If they're gonna dumb something down, then dumb it down... don't make it work everywhere else. It seems more like an oversight than a stripped feature.

 

[C DM]

Is replying from the Lock screen with a single tap a fundamental feature? I think Touch and Hold is convenient, but not fundamental.

Users can achieve the same thing by swiping left and tapping View.

iOS 14 has a "Back Tap" feature that relies on the gyroscope and accelerometer. It's unavailable on the SE2. This is another convenience feature that fits in the same category as Touch and Hold.

Seems like something fairly longstanding like long-press on a touchscreen device is pretty much as fundamental and widespread as right-click on a mouse. Having it set up not to work specifically in some places where it normally does just because a device is "cheaper" is rather random and pretty much nonsensical.

Something new and specific like a "back tap" feature might involve some additional hardware or processing power or something else of that nature that is needed where it might not apply to some devices with different hardware. That doesn't really apply to long-press given that it's present on those same devices in other places and something that's been around in the OS for a long time as far as a basic supported interaction. So that type of comparison is kind of neither here nor there.
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Why did they make touch and hold work everywhere else in the OS then? If they're gonna dumb something down, then dumb it down... don't make it work everywhere else. It seems more like an oversight than a stripped feature.

That's basically it. If it works in other places in the OS then there isn't much logic for it not work everywhere that it's supported.

 

[JPack]

Why did they make touch and hold work everywhere else in the OS then? If they're gonna dumb something down, then dumb it down... don't make it work everywhere else. It seems more like an oversight than a stripped feature.

Because Touch and Hold everywhere else, like on the Home screen, is the only way to "right click."

On the Lock screen, you have a choice to "right click" by swiping left. Apple offers two methods for premium iPhones: swipe left or Touch and Hold. SE2 only has one method.