What are the most intolerable UX flaws you have found on Android devices?

[penplotter]

What are THE most intolerable UX flaws you have found on Android devices?

Note, I am not writing off Android, but even Ron Amadeo (******? Nope) who works for an Android site, is a total realist about the experience and the flaws and inconsistencies.

So... any gripe? Please don't troll, this is, effectively a "bug report", not a reason to "hate" Android.

A few links I have read over the last year, and found insightful:

http://android-gripes.tumblr.com/post/14713228620/5-years-later-and-google-still-cant-get-it-right

http://www.imore.com/android-ui-smooth-ios

http://www.androiduipatterns.com/2011/11/cautionary-example-of-bad-design.html

I've a lot more, but that will suffice

Cheers me dears

 

[0000757]

I guess it's not a bug or anything, but I hate how Android handles the lock screen.

For example, on iOS, pushing the sleep/wake button will always bring the user to the slide to unlock page, no matter what. From there if you have a password you can enter it, or if you have the password timer set up accordingly, and you have the great notification layout and easy swipe to the camera.

On Android however, the sleep/wake button does not automatically pull you into the lock screen. You either have it set to ALWAYS go to the lock screen, or to literally just turn the display off. The problem with this is that you can't have it always go to the lockscreen AND have your password on a delay. For example, I like my password to kick on after 10 minutes, but if I set my device to always go to the lock screen first, I have to enter my password EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.

I just hate this method.

 

[Jessica Lares]

The fact that they took away the search button on most newer devices.

 

[Lloydbm41]

What are THE most intolerable UX flaws you have found on Android devices?

Note, I am not writing off Android, but even Ron Amadeo (******? Nope) who works for an Android site, is a total realist about the experience and the flaws and inconsistencies.

So... any gripe? Please don't troll, this is, effectively a "bug report", not a reason to "hate" Android.

A few links I have read over the last year, and found insightful:

http://android-gripes.tumblr.com/post/14713228620/5-years-later-and-google-still-cant-get-it-right

http://www.imore.com/android-ui-smooth-ios

http://www.androiduipatterns.com/2011/11/cautionary-example-of-bad-design.html

I've a lot more, but that will suffice

Cheers me dears

Awesome links... from 2011!

Here are some iOS design flaws, but I will keep these links relevant to the 'current' OS on iDevices and not say, iOS4. Just to keep things balanced.
http://mashable.com/2013/12/08/ios-7-design-tumblr/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/16/ios-7-problems_n_4453117.html

http://www.theverge.com/apple/2013/6/10/4416726/the-design-of-ios-7-simply-confusing

There are a lot more, but a lot of people will agree that iOS 7 looks like a unicorn puked into Barbies bowl of fruitloops. To me, the entire look of an OS is harder to overlook than a few design flaws. Just my personal opinion. That's not to say that Android doesn't have UI flaws, as it most certainly does.

 

[IFRIT]

The fact that they took away the search button on most newer devices.

A dedicated search button is a total waste that's why.

 

[Shanghaichica]

A dedicated search button is a total waste that's why.

One of my favorite features on my galaxy note is S finder.

 

[hallux]

The fact that they took away the search button on most newer devices.

And replaced it with the always-resident search box on home screens. It's pretty much been that way since 3.0 brought it on tablets.

 

[Jessica Lares]

A dedicated search button is a total waste that's why.

And replaced it with the always-resident search box on home screens. It's pretty much been that way since 3.0 brought it on tablets.

Sure, because the only use for it was Google, and not long pressing it to use a third-party search assistant or to look up music.

 

[Lava Lamp Freak]

What bothers me most with Android is inconsistent icon sizes. Yes, I know you can download icon packs to change most of them, but I've yet to find an icon pack that I like better than stock.

 

[Lloydbm41]

What bothers me most with Android is inconsistent icon sizes. Yes, I know you can download icon packs to change most of them, but I've yet to find an icon pack that I like better than stock.

Yeah, I can't for the life of me figure out why Google doesn't force one common size for all icons? It would literally take 30 seconds and a couple line of code to ensure uniform icon size.

 

[swy05]

Troll post.

Just do a search and look at all this users posts. All he does is create troll posts to bash Android.

Trying to create these so-called discussions. Not fooling anyone.

 

[r0k]

I'm very dissatisfied with Android on my Moto Razr M. The problem is, I can't tell whether it's Android I am disliking or is it something Motorola did to Android? I have friends who have features they love or hate and again nobody seems to know whether they are from Google or from Samsung without doing further research. I remember a while back, there was a "vanilla" or some other such version of Android released that would allow a user to "de-skin" their Android phone. Mine is a work phone so I'm not interested in making a change that would throw off our IT guys. If I was, I'd certainly give it a try.

I guess for me the two things that bother me most about Android are the lack of updates because we are at the mercy of the carrier and the skinning which is done by both carriers and phone OEMs.

As for the intentions of the OP, there is no reason not to use this thread for constructive discussion. And while there are mistakes in iOS and OSX as well, I prefer my iThings and OSX.

 

[mclld]

Troll post.

Just do a search and look at all this users posts. All he does is create troll posts to bash Android.

Trying to create these so-called discussions. Not fooling anyone.

Well some people are taking the bait

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I'm very dissatisfied with Android on my Moto Razr M. The problem is, I can't tell whether it's Android I am disliking or is it something Motorola did to Android? I have friends who have features they love or hate and again nobody seems to know whether they are from Google or from Samsung without doing further research. I remember a while back, there was a "vanilla" or some other such version of Android released that would allow a user to "de-skin" their Android phone. Mine is a work phone so I'm not interested in making a change that would throw off our IT guys. If I was, I'd certainly give it a try.

I guess for me the two things that bother me most about Android are the lack of updates because we are at the mercy of the carrier and the skinning which is done by both carriers and phone OEMs.

As for the intentions of the OP, there is no reason not to use this thread for constructive discussion. And while there are mistakes in iOS and OSX as well, I prefer my iThings and OSX.

Your IT guys are not worth a crap if they cant figure a change to your android

 

[r0k]

...

Your IT guys are not worth a crap if they cant figure a change to your android

It could be. Or it could be the policies they are given by "management" are the problem. I'm not their boss. I'm their customer. But their boss is telling them to lock everything down and the sheer number of restrictive policies seems to increase every day.

 

[Espeonia]

It could be. Or it could be the policies they are given by "management" are the problem. I'm not their boss. I'm their customer. But their boss is telling them to lock everything down and the sheer number of restrictive policies seems to increase every day.

I totally feel you on that

As for Android UX flaws, I don't really have many gripes. I used to dislike the inability to have the lock screen (like in the first reply), but there's a setting for that in gravitybox now fortunately now. I think the only thing I dislike now is the right-aligned clock; I can't really get used to that. It seems so wrong to me.

 

[hallux]

I'm very dissatisfied with Android on my Moto Razr M. The problem is, I can't tell whether it's Android I am disliking or is it something Motorola did to Android? I have friends who have features they love or hate and again nobody seems to know whether they are from Google or from Samsung without doing further research. I remember a while back, there was a "vanilla" or some other such version of Android released that would allow a user to "de-skin" their Android phone. Mine is a work phone so I'm not interested in making a change that would throw off our IT guys. If I was, I'd certainly give it a try.

I guess for me the two things that bother me most about Android are the lack of updates because we are at the mercy of the carrier and the skinning which is done by both carriers and phone OEMs.

As for the intentions of the OP, there is no reason not to use this thread for constructive discussion. And while there are mistakes in iOS and OSX as well, I prefer my iThings and OSX.

I think all of that is pretty much covered by the manufacturer "skinning". Updates are often delayed because of development of the "skin" as the phone manufacturer will use the OS update as a reason to do a new version of their skin (Sense for HTC, TouchWiz for Samsung, and whatever Motorola was using). With Motorola's move to "stock" Android on the Moto G and Moto X, we're seeing MUCH improved update times for those models. The manufacturer also needs to wait for drivers for the OS for the chips in the device, which is not something controlled by the phone manufacturer.

As for the complaints you and your friends have had, not knowing what those specific complaints were, it's hard to say if they were skin-related.

See this HTC page related to updates and how they come to be.. http://www.htc.com/us/go/htc-software-updates/

 

[rtomyj]

Awesome links... from 2011!

Here are some iOS design flaws, but I will keep these links relevant to the 'current' OS on iDevices and not say, iOS4. Just to keep things balanced.
http://mashable.com/2013/12/08/ios-7-design-tumblr/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/16/ios-7-problems_n_4453117.html

http://www.theverge.com/apple/2013/6/10/4416726/the-design-of-ios-7-simply-confusing

There are a lot more, but a lot of people will agree that iOS 7 looks like a unicorn puked into Barbies bowl of fruitloops. To me, the entire look of an OS is harder to overlook than a few design flaws. Just my personal opinion. That's not to say that Android doesn't have UI flaws, as it most certainly does.

Isn't 4.4 on 5% of devices and 4.1 and below on >30% of devices?
Anywho, the thread doesn't try to insult android. Don't get defensive kido

I kinda don't get the thread though. Many people have differing opinions. Yea I hate some stuff, but trying to justify it as bad is odd and needing to be fixed is odd if it works. Could it be better? Of course. Does the dev think so? Who knows.


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Troll post.

Just do a search and look at all this users posts. All he does is create troll posts to bash Android.

Trying to create these so-called discussions. Not fooling anyone.

People aren't insulting android though so...

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Yeah, I can't for the life of me figure out why Google doesn't force one common size for all icons? It would literally take 30 seconds and a couple line of code to ensure uniform icon size.

Problem isn't Googles. It is the OEMs. Devs have the option of putting different sizes of drawables/images. This images are then paired up to the screen size and screen quality. Many screen sizes with different aspect ratio and different resolution. Can't really write a couple lines of code for it. The way it is is probably the best solution.

 

[Lloydbm41]

Problem isn't Googles. It is the OEMs. Devs have the option of putting different sizes of drawables/images. This images are then paired up to the screen size and screen quality. Many screen sizes with different aspect ratio and different resolution. Can't really write a couple lines of code for it. The way it is is probably the best solution.

Incorrect. This has nothing to do with OEM's. Go straight to the Android code from Google and you will find the stock icons for Android are different pixel sizes. 3 different sizes to be exact. Ask me how I know this.

 

[mKTank]

iOS used to have the upper hand in design years ago. But now that KitKat and iOS 7 are the current designs being compared? It's not even close. Android has surpassed iOS in a pretty massive way, starting with Jelly Bean. Not just design-wise either.

 

[spinedoc77]

A decent personal assistant. I don't want Google Now because it always pushes me into an internet search. I don't want utter garbage like S-Voice because it's garbage. Just give me something straight from Google that will let me do phone functions, make phone calls, make memo's, reminders, calendar entries, read out my to do list and daily events, etc etc. I know Siri gets a bad rap on here, but it does all these things and more and without shoving an internet search down my throat.

 

[rtomyj]

Incorrect. This has nothing to do with OEM's. Go straight to the Android code from Google and you will find the stock icons for Android are different pixel sizes. 3 different sizes to be exact. Ask me how I know this.

Which I said. Point is, there are many different resolutions, many different sizes, and different aspect ratios. Which are all problems caused by OEMs. Putting a simple line of code is not as simple as people think and the way they have it now is the best way for now.

 

[Lloydbm41]

Which I said.

No you didn't.

Point is, there are many different resolutions, many different sizes, and different aspect ratios. Which are all problems caused by OEMs. Putting a simple line of code is not as simple as people think and the way they have it now is the best way for now.

Point is, you have never typed a single line of code in your life, nor do you understand scaling. The stock Android icons are different sizes for one reason; laziness.

 

[unibodydesign]

iOS used to have the upper hand in design years ago. But now that KitKat and iOS 7 are the current designs being compared? It's not even close. Android has surpassed iOS in a pretty massive way, starting with Jelly Bean. Not just design-wise either.

Ha ha ha ha ha ha... erm, nope.

 

[SlCKB0Y]

Note, I am not writing off Android

User: Banned - I knew this guy wouldn't last long! This makes me

 

[unibodydesign]

User: Banned - I knew this guy wouldn't last long! This makes me

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