Not Really Loving iOS 14

[tha_man]

I used mixed widgets/icons home screen on my old Android phone and it was great. The only downside was, that on Android widgets doesn't look uniform, because margins and borders are not the same so it looks like it's not perfectly aligned. Judging by iOS 14 screenshots it will look perfect here.

I do hope iOS widget screen will stay as it is, because it's scrollable and I can have more widgets there that I can fit on one screen. But there is one or two widgets that I would like having directly on my home screen.


App library on the other hand is not for me. I have everything neatly organised into a few "thematic" screens and folders and I want my apps fixed where I put them. I do know some people that have absolutely no organisation at all and just leave apps where they land on install, so this will be perfect for them. I just hope it won't get in the way of my organisation.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

If you don’t like the layout of iOS 14 is there no way to keep it the way it has been?

 

[AZhappyjack]

If you don’t like the layout of iOS 14 is there no way to keep it the way it has been?

Just don't use the widgets and don't scroll past you last home screen page. #done

 

[lanzbulldog]

i wish it could be disabled.

I wish, when I search for an app, there would be a reference in which folder the app is located! This is so uncomfortable now. And would like to hide all folders that i don't really use at the moment and conjured up again with a few taps on the back of the iPone.
Maybe a little off topic, but I would also like the current date in the upper menubar on the homescreen😎.This is perhaps one of my biggest wishes since i use an iPhone or iPad!

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

Just don't use the widgets and don't scroll past you last home screen page. #done

I think i’ll like the new setup to be honest but it’s typical Apple not to allow users the choice to have the screens how they’d like them. I can’t wait to try iOS 14.

 

[SocialKonstruct]

Apple's stock apps are, for the most part, pedestrian. That is why there is such a vibrant third party library of apps in the App Store. I suspect that we will see some really good stuff in widgets from the third party app vendors when iOS 14 goes live and developers can submit their updates. I, too, and quite underwhelmed by Apple's widgets to date... but from where I sit, these are more "concept" than functional widgets. Let's give it a few months and see what actual developers give us before we reject the whole concept of widgets on iOS.

That's why Apple needs to introduce theme/custom icons just like in Android. iOS sucks for just expressing who you are.

 

[engelke2010]

After checking out the beta for awhile now, I’m not a big fan of the new features. I won’t revert back, though. Somehow, ios 14 has improved my WiFi where there is a ton less buffering when streaming video and the issues I had with the Hulu app are mostly gone.

 

[jonblatho]

That whole keyboard thing was introduced some time ago (iOS 12 maybe?). Then they took it away for some of the phones and left us with the space bar cursor (probably in anticipation of QuickPath).

QuickPath had nothing to do with it; the removal of 3D Touch had everything to do with it because the “Haptic Touch” version creates a gesture conflict.

Whole keyboard came with iOS 9 on devices with 3D Touch. It was only supported with 3D Touch until iOS 12, when support was added for briefly holding on the space bar to activate the same functionality in anticipation of the iPhone XR and subsequent iPhones, none of which has 3D Touch. A firm press anywhere on the keyboard remained (and remains) supported on all 3D Touch devices.

The Haptic Touch version for devices without 3D Touch can’t happen anywhere on the keyboard because tapping and holding on some letters will bring up the menu of alternate characters for that key (accents and such), which obviously isn’t an issue for the space bar.
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That's why Apple needs to introduce theme/custom icons just like in Android. iOS sucks for just expressing who you are.

Thank goodness my identity, for better or worse, doesn’t hinge on what my phone software looks like.

 

[gwhizkids]

Deleted. Not worth the trouble

 

[AZhappyjack]

That's why Apple needs to introduce theme/custom icons just like in Android. iOS sucks for just expressing who you are.

Apple is Apple. They don't need to do anything. It's up to us to decide whether we want to use iOS or Android.

With that said, the changes that iOS 14 brings is a step in the direction you say Apple needs to take.

 

[mazz0]

I wouldn’t exactly ascribe the beta 1 implementation of a radically new feature as how it’s going to end up. It may not be your cup of tea, but I suspect it’s going to get a lot better at what it’s trying to do, both as they further develop the concept and as machine learning kicks in in organizing the apps.

I think you’re wrong there. I’ve always used betas of iOS releases and in my experience very little changes from first beta to GM. I think Apple like to get it more to=r less how they like it before releasing as a beta, particularly now that non-dev betas are a thing. I expected bug fixes and stability improvements before release but not changes to how things work.

 

[CTHarrryH]

I suspect those who don't know how to organize or find apps today won't be able to with the new features either.

 

[dk001]

I wouldn’t exactly ascribe the beta 1 implementation of a radically new feature as how it’s going to end up. It may not be your cup of tea, but I suspect it’s going to get a lot better at what it’s trying to do, both as they further develop the concept and as machine learning kicks in in organizing the apps.

But what exactly is it trying to do? What is it such an improvement on?
That aspect escapes me.
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Any word on if mail was fixed with Exchange accounts and emails showing properly in All Inboxes?

That wlould be a big ... no. 🥺

 

[gwhizkids]

But what exactly is it trying to do? What is it such an improvement on?
That aspect escapes me.

2 things: surface apps you use at times you are likely to want them, based on location, time of day, etc... The other is to more or less automatically organize your apps based on the apps’ metadata, usage patterns, how recently you downloaded it, etc...

A lot of people (myself included) download apps but just let the system assign them their location on the device. I have a few folders for certain categories of apps (photography related, messaging, etc...) but a great number of apps just sit where they were downloaded. Most people, I would think, use a few apps most of the time, and a larger number of apps less frequently and then an indeterminate number almost never or very infrequently. The App Library creates some structure around all of this, again, surfacing stuff that you use frequently and relegating to a comparatively lower level, apps you don’t use as much. But it assigns them category classifications so that at least you have a chance of finding them relatively quickly.

This may work for some users while others, like you, may find it anathema, preferring your own methods for locating apps and starting them up.

As I’ve said elsewhere: you can choose to use them or not use them. If the latter, you suffer nothing for them existing and can simply ignore them.

 

[dk001]

I agree that the widgets aren’t exactly as smart as they could be, but I keep telling myself that as the betas get closer to a GM release, they’ll improve. I find that Siri Suggestions as a whole are pretty solid, they seem to know what I want before I even think to do it. The Widgets just don’t seem to be fully integrated yet, see the Maps widget never loading for me except once when I was already using Maps.

As for the App Drawer, I had all my apps organized into folders prior to iOS 14, then removed them all from the folders and threw them into the App Drawer. Why? I used Spotlight almost exclusively because it was faster for me to get the exact app I need that way. This was I don’t need any apps on my home screen, just the widgets I want and spotlight.

Widgets ... as long as they have been around in the mobile world and the time Apple has had to define their path forward, you would think these would have been something a bit more than what was rolled out in beta ....
It’s like Apple decided to “roll them out” and dusted off an old design.

 

[gwhizkids]

I suspect those who don't know how to organize or find apps today won't be able to with the new features either.

In my own case, I just have never bothered to organize my apps (just like i haven’t yet bothered to organize my shortcuts). Part of me knows that my life would be much easier if I did, but I limp on by knowing where most of my apps are and enduring the occasional frustrating time when I can’t remember an app name. But I am liking this auto organizational structure. It did for me that which I never did for myself.

 

[AZhappyjack]

Widgets ... as long as they have been around in the mobile world and the time Apple has had to define their path forward, you would think these would have been something a bit more than what was rolled out in beta ....
It’s like Apple decided to “roll them out” and dusted off an old design.

Just remember that beta 1 ≠ final release

 

[dk001]

2 things: surface apps you use at times you are likely to want them, based on location, time of day, etc... The other is to more or less automatically organize your apps based on the apps’ metadata, usage patterns, how recently you downloaded it, etc...

A lot of people (myself included) download apps but just let the system assign them their location on the device. I have a few folders for certain categories of apps (photography related, messaging, etc...) but a great number of apps just sit where they were downloaded. Most people, I would think, use a few apps most of the time, and a larger number of apps less frequently and then an indeterminate number almost never or very infrequently. The App Library creates some structure around all of this, again, surfacing stuff that you use frequently and relegating to a comparatively lower level, apps you don’t use as much. But it assigns them category classifications so that at least you have a chance of finding them relatively quickly.

This may work for some users while others, like you, may find it anathema, preferring your own methods for locating apps and starting them up.

As I’ve said elsewhere: you can choose to use them or not use them. If the latter, you suffer nothing for them existing and can simply ignore them.

Wow. I would have suspected you were a bit more structured

I allow only critical notifications on my lockscreen
Widgets (old style) are those items I can glance at for quick info when I want.
Page 1 is apps I use throughout my day
Page 2 is apps I use on a “daily” basis
Page 3 are my useful but as I need them apps
Page 4 is all folders including 2 iCrap folders. The folder names are very descriptive. Kind of like my pc Desktop

When I look at the new iOS 14, I am not seeing how these are going to improve on what I have. I really need the basics to work better than they do. That is my current “need” on an iPhone.

Hence my question - I’m not seeing what this new version does for me or improves on what I have.

Thanks for the quick answer.
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Just remember that beta 1 ≠final release

I’m not. I just expected a bit more in functionality and build from there.

 

[zorinlynx]

Does app drawer mean that you can't pull down on the home screen and type in the name of an app to quickly launch it anymore? Do you have to swipe over to the app drawer?

I heard someone in this thread say something that suggested this might be the case, which would really irritate me.

 

[C DM]

Does app drawer mean that you can't pull down on the home screen and type in the name of an app to quickly launch it anymore? Do you have to swipe over to the app drawer?

I heard someone in this thread say something that suggested this might be the case, which would really irritate me.

Seems like that's still there.

 

[gwhizkids]

Wow. I would have suspected you were a bit more structured

I allow only critical notifications on my lockscreen
Widgets (old style) are those items I can glance at for quick info when I want.
Page 1 is apps I use throughout my day
Page 2 is apps I use on a “daily” basis
Page 3 are my useful but as I need them apps
Page 4 is all folders including 2 iCrap folders. The folder names are very descriptive. Kind of like my pc Desktop

When I look at the new iOS 14, I am not seeing how these are going to improve on what I have. I really need the basics to work better than they do. That is my current “need” on an iPhone.

Hence my question - I’m not seeing what this new version does for me or improves on what I have.

Thanks for the quick answer.
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I’m not. I just expected a bit more in functionality and build from there.

Thank you, first of all, for the compliment! I probably come across as tightly wound on here, so I could see how you might see me as an organizational nut. I am actually somewhat of a slob when it comes to app and file storage. I want to be organized, but its sooo much work!

Secondly, this widget/app drawer combo probably won’t do much for you, as you seem to have anticipated it with your own app access structure. That’s good, as you and Apple seem to view the structure you have as beneficial. It’s bad for you, as it removes one exciting feature from your bucket list.

 

[johnalan]

App Library makes perfect sense. It’s the analog to Applications folder. It’s all apps. The home screen icons are now really just shortcuts. I love it.

 

[adrianlondon]

it kinda works for me, you can put 3 of these on one screen, and it basically builds an automatic homescreen for you

I tried that as soon as I installed the beta, but as it (obviously) keeps moving the icons around I found it really slowed me down. I've currently relegated it to the last homescreen and occasionally I look at it just to see what Siri thinks I do all day on my phone
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Thank goodness my identity, for better or worse, doesn’t hinge on what my phone software looks like.

Mine is. That's why I run the beta with a homepage full of widgets and keep "accidentally" showing it to my non-beta loser friends.

 

[Warputin]

People who don’t get App Library, probably doesn’t have that many apps installed. There is a big difference when you have hundreds, and only a few pages worth of apps.

 

[fisherking]

Same!!! I really thought I am the only one. Cant wait for IOS15

haha. i can't wait for ios16.... now, someone else post about ios17.

honestly, i prefer to live in the present. ios 14 is the present (or, on some level, the near future). ios6, for example, was back in the 1940s (give or take).

it's fun to discuss this stuff, and great to troubleshoot on this forum, but... i just use my phone, i don't lecture it.