Why Is There Two Search Areas?

[nostodnayr]

Might be a bit far-fetched, but perhaps its an effect of team siloing?

We can presume that the proactive/Siri team were working separately from the team that handles Springboard. As a result, that team didn't remove the pull-down search functionality from their code.

This was my assumption, given that this is the first developer beta. It seems like we've had incidents like this in the past, but I can't recall.

I would find it exceedingly odd were they to keep both. Let's see where things stand in the autumn!

 

[Rogifan]

When you swipe right and select the search text field, can it search for everything spotlight can (swipe down on sb)? If so, maybe a simple option in settings to disable the swipe down search area would suffice! If not I guess we'll be waiting for a jb to fix Apples mess like usual :-/

Why does it have to be fixed? Use which ever one you like better.

 

[Rogifan]

Siri Proactive is basically like a personal assistant helping their boss; getting coffee, calling a contact, etc… It should've been called Siri Assist or something, not 'Search' b/c it's not search at all!

Except that all this proactive stuff is new and I certainly wouldn't expect it to know exactly what I need right away. In fact it might take several generations for Apple to really nail this. If I'm on the proactive screen and it isn't giving me exactly what I want I'd rather be able to search right there then have to go back to the home screen and then swipe down to get the search box.

 

[Creek0512]

So there are multiple ways to activate Search, so what? There are multiple ways to do a lot of things in iOS, doesn't make it a mess. Use whichever you prefer. If Apple disabled one of the options, half the people on this thread would be pissed off instead of just irrationally annoyed.

 

[mikejd1]

what would have been awesome is if the proactive siri actually just kicked in when launching siri! i think that would have made the most sense. You hold the home button, siri comes up with the same info (minus search bar) and is sitting there listening, with also the ability to select anything you wanted from siri.

 

[DoctorKrabs]

I don't care if it's a pull-down or the slide from the left, I just want to have one search area for it all.

 

[C DM]

Then why does it have a search field?

Exactly. Go figure lol

For convenience? Kind of like contacts are accessible from within the Phone app even though there's a a separate Contacts app.

If Siri doesn't suggest what you need.

There's that too.

So there are multiple ways to activate Search, so what? There are multiple ways to do a lot of things in iOS, doesn't make it a mess. Use whichever you prefer. If Apple disabled one of the options, half the people on this thread would be pissed off instead of just irrationally annoyed.

And basically all of that.

 

[mattoligy]

If Siri doesn't suggest what you need.

So why is there still a pull down search bar when you can just use this new one for searching? This is the question... What things do I search for in one and what things do I search for in the other??

You don't see two search bars on www.Google.com, even though there's multiple things to search for such as images and shopping etc! And also, in safari Apple combined the search and address field, for convenience, so why then have two half weight searchbars in springboard doing a single job... It's not convenient and it makes extra steps! Give us one searchbar that "searches" for everything!

 

[C DM]

So why is there still a pull down search bar when you can just use this new one for searching? This is the question... What things do I search for in one and what things do I search for in the other??

You don't see two search bars on www.Google.com, even though there's multiple things to search for such as images and shopping etc! And also, in safari Apple combined the search and address field, for convenience, so why then have two half weight searchbars in springboard doing a single job... It's not convenient and it makes extra steps! Give us one searchbar that "searches" for everything!

Suppose they are the same. Just another place where the search bar appears. In one case it's just going to search from any home page, as you could before (as of iOS 7), and in the other case it's just the search also made available on a page that is for proactive items (basically just an addition of a search bar on a page that is meant for proactive recommendations and the like). It's kind of like being able to do a web search right from the address bar in a browser, or by going to www.google.com first and searching it from the search bar on the page there.

 

[Armen]

Disagree. If you want to do a quick search just pull down.

If you want to access frequent apps, read some random news, or go to your favorite contacts, swipe left.

They offer two separate functionalities. In fact, I really don't see the need for the persistent search bar on the Proactive Screen.

In iOS 9 Beta 2 If you search for a term like "Lunch" from the pull down search you get search results. If you flick the page to the spotlight search it displays the same exact results. I still don't know what the purpose of these 2 searches are aside from a blank search term showing you recents in spotlight but not the other.

 

[mattoligy]

Suppose they are the same. Just another place where the search bar appears. In one case it's just going to search from any home page, as you could before (as of iOS 7), and in the other case it's just the search also made available on a page that is for proactive items (basically just an addition of a search bar on a page that is meant for proactive recommendations and the like). It's kind of like being able to do a web search right from the address bar in a browser, or by going to www.google.com first and searching it from the search bar on the page there.

So we don't need the pull down search anymore then...

 

[C DM]

So we don't need the pull down search anymore then...

Why? That's like saying we don't need search from the browser's address bar because we can easily go to Google's web site and search from there. What's the problem with leaving that there as it was before and simply adding a search field in the proactive screen just for additional convenience?

 

[Armen]

Why? That's like saying we don't need search from the browser's address bar because we can easily go to Google's web site and search from there. What's the problem with leaving that there as it was before and simply adding a search field in the proactive screen just for additional convenience?

Apple needs to make a decision about an element and stick to it. My muscle memory is being disrupted.

Spotlight search was a left swipe from the first home page.

In iOS 8 Apple removed it and replaced it with a pull down search from the home page (which I keep triggering by accident when swiping from page to page and hate).

Recent contacts were added to task switcher in iOS 8 (huh? who made this decision)

Now in iOS 9 the brought spotlight search back, moved recent contacts there AND left the pull down search?

My thumb is already hesitating because I don't know where the heck to swipe anymore.

On top of all this on iOS swiping up brings up control center and on watchOS swiping up brings up glances.

Double tap of the crown on the watch goes to the previous app yet double tap the home button on iOS doesn't.

To add even more to the confusion now I'm lifting up my iPhone and wondering why the screen doesn't turn on automatically.

 

[C DM]

Apple needs to make a decision about an element and stick to it. My muscle memory is being disrupted.

Spotlight search was a left swipe from the first home page.

In iOS 8 Apple removed it and replaced it with a pull down search from the home page (which I keep triggering by accident when swiping from page to page and hate).

Recent contacts were added to task switcher in iOS 8 (huh? who made this decision)

Now in iOS 9 the brought spotlight search back, moved recent contacts there AND left the pull down search?

My thumb is already hesitating because I don't know where the heck to swipe anymore.

Well, I think they are sticking with the pull down for search. They are creating a new type of screen for the left of home piece where they are going to do "proactive" items. Since those would be populated by algorithms they probably figured it might make sense to still include a search field there so that if something you want doesn't actually appear there for some reason you can still get to it from there (instead of backing out of there and going somewhere else and perhaps not using that screen as much because of that).

The whole recent contacts and favorites was kind of an in-between step almost--they saw value of having shortcuts to these types of things but didn't have that "proactive" screen worked out so they kind of stuck it in somewhere where they thought people could access them easier. They could have waited until the proactive screen was ready to add it in, but for whatever reason decided to do it earlier (or they weren't quite sure where it would be better and wanted to try it out perhaps).

 

[Armen]

Well, I think they are sticking with the pull down for search. They are creating a new type of screen for the left of home piece where they are going to do "proactive" items. Since those would be populated by algorithms they probably figured it might make sense to still include a search field there so that if something you want doesn't actually appear there for some reason you can still get to it from there (instead of backing out of there and going somewhere else and perhaps not using that screen as much because of that).

The whole recent contacts and favorites was kind of an in-between step almost--they saw value of having shortcuts to these types of things but didn't have that "proactive" screen worked out so they kind of stuck it in somewhere where they thought people could access them easier. They could have waited until the proactive screen was ready to add it in, but for whatever reason decided to do it earlier (or they weren't quite sure where it would be better and wanted to try it out perhaps).

If that's the case than pull down search should include proactive elements and the spotlight search should be removed.

 

[C DM]

If that's the case than pull down search should include proactive elements and the spotlight search should be removed.

Well, they probably don't want to overload the regular search page which they want to be quickly accessible and usable from more places.

It sounds like the whole "controversy" wouldn't even be there if Apple simply didn't add a small search field on their new proactive screen. So people can think of it as if it's not there, since really it's just a small thing that's added to that screen for convenience essentially.

 

[Armen]

Well, they probably don't want to overload the regular search page which they want to be quickly accessible and usable from more places.

It sounds like the whole "controversy" wouldn't even be there if Apple simply didn't add a small search field on their new proactive screen. So people can think of it as if it's not there, since really it's just a small thing that's added to that screen for convenience essentially.

The proactive screen and search should be 2 different elements. Leave drop down search and remove search field on pro active screen.

 

[C DM]

The proactive screen and search should be 2 different elements. Leave drop down search and remove search field on pro active screen.

What good would removing it from that screen do? What's the problem with simply leaving it there?

It's kind of like the whole thing with Contacts--there's a separate app, but they are also in the Phone app as well. Often enough many people will simply use favorites or recent sections to make their calls in the Phone app, but once in a while they might need some other contacts, so for convenience they are there in the Phone app as well, rather than having people go out of the Phone app and find and launch the Contacts app and then use it.

 

[Armen]

What good would removing it from that screen do? What's the problem with simply leaving it there?

It's kind of like the whole thing with Contacts--there's a separate app, but they are also in the Phone app as well. Often enough many people will simply use favorites or recent sections to make their calls in the Phone app, but once in a while they might need some other contacts, so for convenience they are there in the Phone app as well, rather than having people go out of the Phone app and find and launch the Contacts app and then use it.

The Contacts App by itself makes sense. It's where you go to see your contacts.

The Contacts Tab in the phone app makes sense because you're looking for someone to call from the phone app.

The pull down search makes sense. You go there to search for local data or on the internet

Apple's concept of the pro-active screen is not thought out well. It has elements that suggest contacts, apps and other items based on your activity and what you've been doing recently which I can appreciate.

Then they add News articles and buttons to search for things? huh? What is the though process behind this?

 

[C DM]

The Contacts App by itself makes sense. It's where you go to see your contacts.

The Contacts Tab in the phone app makes sense because you're looking for someone to call from the phone app.

The pull down search makes sense. You go there to search for local data or on the internet

Apple's concept of the pro-active screen is not thought out well. It has elements that suggest contacts, apps and other items based on your activity and what you've been doing recently which I can appreciate.

Then they add News articles and buttons to search for things? huh? What is the though process behind this?

It's a screen for what Apple anticipate you might need/want at the time you visit it. And just in case it isn't there (and I guess they hope that in most/many cases it will be) they have the search option so that you could get to what you want from there in that moment to save you the trouble of backing out of it and going to whatever it is on your own.

It's a somewhat new service/concept (at least to iOS) in some ways and one that is likely a learning one that becomes better as you use it, and as Apple evolves it over time as it gets more real world use, but because of its nature of being dynamic they want to provide a way for you to get to something should it not appear there for some reason. Perhaps similar in some ways to Google Now.

At least that's how I see it and what seems to make sense as far as more or less explaining it as it is now or as its idea is portrayed as.

 

[mattoligy]

It sounds like the whole "controversy" wouldn't even be there if Apple simply didn't add a small search field on their new proactive screen. So people can think of it as if it's not there, since really it's just a small thing that's added to that screen for convenience essentially.

But they did add it there "for convenience" so we don't have to "back out of there and go somewhere else" which is inconvenient, so it may as well be removed so as not to confuse people!

You contradict yourself and you clearly don't get it, which is fine, not everyone is as fussy or as understanding of fluency or prone to ocd in the name of doing things right...

We only need one search bar and for convenience it should be in the proactive section! Said section should either be to the right or via swiping down, not all in one and half in the other! It's that simple...

 

[C DM]

But they did add it there "for convenience" so we don't have to "back out of there and go somewhere else" which is inconvenient, so it may as well be removed so as not to confuse people!

You contradict yourself and you clearly don't get it, which is fine, not everyone is as fussy or as understanding of fluency or prone to ocd in the name of doing things right...

We only need one search bar and for convenience it should be in the proactive section! Said section should either be to the right or via swiping down, not all in one and half in the other! It's that simple...

So...what's the issue with it being in both places?

 

[goobot]

Is this for real? Spotlight is accessible anywhere on the home screen, its purpose is for quick app switching, the left screen is not. Are people bitching that spotlight on my mac exists along side my browser search bar? They aren't meant for the same use case.

 

[mattoligy]

So...what's the issue with it being in both places?

If one is redundant as it only offers half the functionality of the other why would anyone use it when it is just as easy to get to the one that is more powerful, helpful and feature rich (one swipe). It should be one screen accessible from either or area via a simple option in setting "Pull Down Search - When enabled search is accessed by pulling down on any page of the homescreen instead of swiping to the left" simple, one area, a choice of how to access it

Is this for real? Spotlight is accessible anywhere on the home screen, its purpose is for quick app switching, the left screen is not. Are people bitching that spotlight on my mac exists along side my browser search bar? They aren't meant for the same use case.

Well they should be! How hard is it to combine all search functionality to a single and convenient search field... It's not rocket science

 

[Creek0512]

Where are you getting this "half the functionality" nonsense? Not only do they have the same functions, but it appears to be the exact same object.