Basic customization functionality still missing

[macuserlongtime]

1. No customization of settings / control center - for example, I toggle vpn on and off several times a day, I need to turn on/off the Personal Hotspot several times a day,
2. No icon for silent status icon - at top with battery etc
3. No option for current date to be shown as icon - at top with battery etc. (In ios 10, if there is a screen full of notifications, it is difficult to swipe across and reach the 'widget' page, where, if you set up a calendar, you can finally see the current date - this is ridiculous - I want to be able to pick my phone up and see the current date - I could do this ten years ago, and now with ios10, it is something complicated?! - I know the date is shown on the lock screen, - I am talking about once you are beyond that)
4. No ability to customize widgets - for example, if I want to go immediately to a particular email inbox - I cannot set up an icon/widget for this. If I want to have a particular person on 'speed dial' - I cannot assign an icon on my 'homescreen' so I can dial them easily.
5. No ability to customize led/flash for notifications

etc etc etc

Several years ago, when Google was making these and various other options available, it seemed that Apple was not doing so, specifically to keep its system simple enough for 'new adopters' to be able to use and enjoy the os. At that time it seemed it was aiming at the older generation, and/or people who had never used smart phones before etc. Right now however, it seems most people using a smartphone will have used one before.

I cannot see any advantages to being restricted in this way. The examples above only show how I personally use a phone/device. The ability to customize it, simply and easily, to how an individual would use it everyday, would sure be a basic 'feature' in and of itself.

I have owned every iphone since the first one, and also an android phone nearly every year since. There are always pros and cons for each. The one area where iphone seems lightyears behind is in the ability to tailor the phone to the user's 'use case'.

I, and I am guessing, many users actually have limited use cases for a phone. I have only a few people I call everyday, but those people, I want to be able to pull my phone out of my pocket, and call them easly - for example by hiting an icon on the homescreen. I want to be able to quickly check my inbox, even if the last time I used my email account, I left the app at my outbox. etc etc etc

Five years ago - this issue of customization (Google) vs 'we know best as we will give you simplicity and useability' (Apple) seemed relevant. However now, the oses have converged to such a degree - however now Apple offer an os that is complex - because it is simple only if your conform to their 'imagined' use case - if you don't - you have no way to choose some options to make the system simple for your own use case. So if you are like me - and you want to change your vpn setting several times a day - you have to click away several times - and if you want to call your beloved - you have to click away several times .

The whole point of these devices is to add simplicity and value to your lives - I feel like my ios devices add complexity and frustration - I want to call somebody - I have to navigate - I want to change my vpn setting - I have to navigate - etc.

I am no google 'lover' - I actually have all my devices in the apple ecosystem - watch, phone, laptop, ipad etc - however am now at a tipping point. It seems that the changes they make are no longer in my interests but in their interests. The next phone I buy, will let me choose what buttons appear on my home screen, and will let me call my wife with just one touch.


I am very very curious why we apple users have accepted this situation. We have these amazing, beautiful computers/devices that can do such amazing things, but they cannot do the most simple things. We cannot take our iphone 6s plus out of our pockets, and change the vpn setting without navigating several settings. We cannot take the phone out of our pocket and choose what icons we see, and what functionality they have? Why? Because Apple knows best?

Can anyone give me some reason to stick with apple at this point? I want a gadget in my pocket, that will let me tell it what to do, not a gadget that will tell me what to do.

For my purposes, it seems, I can now buy the cheapest Chinese google phone - maybe for 100 bucks - that will enable me to do all the things I want, and have a fully functioning 'smartphone' that does much more - for what I want- than the top of the range latest iphone. What is going on? Are Apple so hellbent on controlling every aspect of their 'experience' that they won't let the user choose anything at all - that they would prefer to lose a user who just wants to choose a few basic aspects of their 'smartphone experience'?

 

[teeshot44]

1. No customization of settings / control center - for example,

"I am very very curious why we apple users have accepted this situation. We have these amazing, beautiful computers/devices that can do such amazing things, but they cannot do the most simple things. "

Simply answer is that Apple users like you are the minority of the users of the 1 Billion iPhones now in use.

 

[dcp10]

I think you've provided you own answer. It could be Android is the best choice for you.

I doubt iOS will ever have the same level of customization as Android or whatever Microsoft offers in the future.

IOS is about a shared user experience. No mater the type of device, or installed purpose people will be able to navigate without a huge learning curve. Businesses, schools and all kinds of organizations can roll out iOS devices and have a reasonable level of confidence people can operate it without difficulty. Too many customization choices takes away that advantage.

 

[C DM]

All known things and basically just how iOS is designed and has been for years. They are all things that realistically no one really expected to come about, even if some/many might always be hoping for them.

 

[Apple_Robert]

Looks to me, like you have stated your case and are looking to use a different ecosystem with the phone. If you have to resort to coming on the forum and imploring members here to make the case why you should not leave Apple with the phone, that should be a red flag to you. That tells me, that you don't really believe your own opening post.

The members here don't owe you or anyone else justification as to why they continue to use the iPhone.

 

[Armen]

1. No customization of settings / control center - for example, I toggle vpn on and off several times a day, I need to turn on/off the Personal Hotspot several times a day,
2. No icon for silent status icon - at top with battery etc
3. No option for current date to be shown as icon - at top with battery etc. (In ios 10, if there is a screen full of notifications, it is difficult to swipe across and reach the 'widget' page, where, if you set up a calendar, you can finally see the current date - this is ridiculous - I want to be able to pick my phone up and see the current date - I could do this ten years ago, and now with ios10, it is something complicated?! - I know the date is shown on the lock screen, - I am talking about once you are beyond that)
4. No ability to customize widgets - for example, if I want to go immediately to a particular email inbox - I cannot set up an icon/widget for this. If I want to have a particular person on 'speed dial' - I cannot assign an icon on my 'homescreen' so I can dial them easily.
5. No ability to customize led/flash for notifications

etc etc etc

Several years ago, when Google was making these and various other options available, it seemed that Apple was not doing so, specifically to keep its system simple enough for 'new adopters' to be able to use and enjoy the os. At that time it seemed it was aiming at the older generation, and/or people who had never used smart phones before etc. Right now however, it seems most people using a smartphone will have used one before.

I cannot see any advantages to being restricted in this way. The examples above only show how I personally use a phone/device. The ability to customize it, simply and easily, to how an individual would use it everyday, would sure be a basic 'feature' in and of itself.

I have owned every iphone since the first one, and also an android phone nearly every year since. There are always pros and cons for each. The one area where iphone seems lightyears behind is in the ability to tailor the phone to the user's 'use case'.

I, and I am guessing, many users actually have limited use cases for a phone. I have only a few people I call everyday, but those people, I want to be able to pull my phone out of my pocket, and call them easly - for example by hiting an icon on the homescreen. I want to be able to quickly check my inbox, even if the last time I used my email account, I left the app at my outbox. etc etc etc

Five years ago - this issue of customization (Google) vs 'we know best as we will give you simplicity and useability' (Apple) seemed relevant. However now, the oses have converged to such a degree - however now Apple offer an os that is complex - because it is simple only if your conform to their 'imagined' use case - if you don't - you have no way to choose some options to make the system simple for your own use case. So if you are like me - and you want to change your vpn setting several times a day - you have to click away several times - and if you want to call your beloved - you have to click away several times .

The whole point of these devices is to add simplicity and value to your lives - I feel like my ios devices add complexity and frustration - I want to call somebody - I have to navigate - I want to change my vpn setting - I have to navigate - etc.

I am no google 'lover' - I actually have all my devices in the apple ecosystem - watch, phone, laptop, ipad etc - however am now at a tipping point. It seems that the changes they make are no longer in my interests but in their interests. The next phone I buy, will let me choose what buttons appear on my home screen, and will let me call my wife with just one touch.


I am very very curious why we apple users have accepted this situation. We have these amazing, beautiful computers/devices that can do such amazing things, but they cannot do the most simple things. We cannot take our iphone 6s plus out of our pockets, and change the vpn setting without navigating several settings. We cannot take the phone out of our pocket and choose what icons we see, and what functionality they have? Why? Because Apple knows best?

Can anyone give me some reason to stick with apple at this point? I want a gadget in my pocket, that will let me tell it what to do, not a gadget that will tell me what to do.

For my purposes, it seems, I can now buy the cheapest Chinese google phone - maybe for 100 bucks - that will enable me to do all the things I want, and have a fully functioning 'smartphone' that does much more - for what I want- than the top of the range latest iphone. What is going on? Are Apple so hellbent on controlling every aspect of their 'experience' that they won't let the user choose anything at all - that they would prefer to lose a user who just wants to choose a few basic aspects of their 'smartphone experience'?

Why do you feel the need to sell us on the reasons why you should switch? It sounds like you already made up your mind. I think it's silly that you want to dump an entire eco-system just because toggling the hotspot option is 3 taps (settings > hotspot)

If you are bored of iOS just say so. Go ahead, try Android OS. I did for 2 years and came back. Being able to customize every aspect of the OS just takes a few hours and then you're just staring at the same layout until you get bored and do it all over again.

Many Android users say "I can do this, I can do that, I can customize this and that" and yet when I look at their phones they are still at factory defaults.

 

[lagwagon]

Why do you feel the need to sell us on the reasons why you should switch? It sounds like you already made up your mind. I think it's silly that you want to dump an entire eco-system just because toggling the hotspot option is 3 taps (settings > hotspot)

If you are bored of iOS just say so. Go ahead, try Android OS. I did for 2 years and came back. Being able to customize every aspect of the OS just takes a few hours and then you're just staring at the same layout until you get bored and do it all over again.

Many Android users say "I can do this, I can do that, I can customize this and that" and yet when I look at their phones they are still at factory defaults.

Well said. And not to mention adding 100 ways to customize things introduces instability. It creates far too many variables and opens the possibility for more bugs and crashes. (Big reason why a Windows has always been pretty bad. Because it has to support 1000's of different hardware configurations. While different than a setting, it's the same principle.)

 

[Virinprew]

Why do you feel the need to sell us on the reasons why you should switch? It sounds like you already made up your mind. I think it's silly that you want to dump an entire eco-system just because toggling the hotspot option is 3 taps (settings > hotspot)

If you are bored of iOS just say so. Go ahead, try Android OS. I did for 2 years and came back. Being able to customize every aspect of the OS just takes a few hours and then you're just staring at the same layout until you get bored and do it all over again.

Many Android users say "I can do this, I can do that, I can customize this and that" and yet when I look at their phones they are still at factory defaults.

Here is the thing. People like OP only need that extra bit of customization. They don't want to switch to Android because there are a lot of things they love about iOS. As a result, they have to endure the UI choice that Apple thinks it's the average best for everyone.

 

[boast]

You should get the Launcher widget and add shortcuts to call your contacts and to go directly to the VPN setting.

 

[dcp10]

Here is the thing. People like OP only need that extra bit of customization. They don't want to switch to Android because there are a lot of things they love about iOS. As a result, they have to endure the UI choice that Apple thinks it's the average best for everyone.

Or maybe Apple knows best how to design software to meet their goals.

I consider a lean, unencumbered os which is easy for most to learn and transferable across device and usage scenarios as a competitive advantage for Apple. I think it's a big reason why when a business chooses to add a interactive device for customers it's running iOS. They have confidence customers will know how to use it.

 

[skinned66]

It creates far too many variables and opens the possibility for more bugs and crashes.

Yup. Hell, I willingly dealt with this when I used to jailbreak. Eventually I just got tired of all the customizations and issues and just wanted to use a smartphone and divert that time to other things.

 

[C DM]

Here is the thing. People like OP only need that extra bit of customization. They don't want to switch to Android because there are a lot of things they love about iOS. As a result, they have to endure the UI choice that Apple thinks it's the average best for everyone.

Well, those are the choices for everyone to make (and "endure").

 

[macuserlongtime]

Here is the thing. People like OP only need that extra bit of customization. They don't want to switch to Android because there are a lot of things they love about iOS. As a result, they have to endure the UI choice that Apple thinks it's the average best for everyone.

This is exactly the point I was trying to make - only much better put.

 

[Dukins]

You should get the Launcher widget and add shortcuts to call your contacts and to go directly to the VPN setting.

OP I think launcher is just what the doctor ordered. I use it daily to quickly contact my closest family and friends among other busines needs. All one touch. If you have a 6s/6s plus the ability to 3d touch on the launcher icon is a godsend.

 

[macuserlongtime]

Than

OP I think launcher is just what the doctor ordered. I use it daily to quickly contact my closest family and friends among other busines needs. All one touch. If you have a 6s/6s plus the ability to 3d touch on the launcher icon is a godsend.

Thanks - I wasn't aware of this. I will give it a go!

 

[Paradoxally]

Sounds like you want a jailbreak.

 

[jclardy]

The control center toggles are the most puzzling to me - they are already a "power user" type feature, but they just don't allow it to go one step further. (Also...why can't I 3d touch on the Wifi icon to see available networks! Same with BT as well.)

As for some of the others like silent status I think they are unnecessary - the iPhone's ringer/vibrate switch can be used without even taking the phone out of your pocket (If you don't know - flip the switch and no vibration means ringer is on, flip it and feel a vibration and ringer is off) When I have temporarily switched to android phones the physical toggle was my most missed feature of my iPhone. Customizing widgets is up to the app developer themselves - there are probably hundreds of speed dial apps on the app store (even ones that will allow you to set homescreen icons.)

 

[ajiuo]

Workflow is also a very powerful app for iOS... And there are tons of apps and websites that can add contacts to your home screen. You have always been able to enable the flash for notifications.

I will admit the date thing and the way they changed Notification Center is pretty annoying.... They definitely should and some customization to control center.

 

[ajiuo]

The weird thing is that customizing control center toggles has existed as an Apple internal test setting since ios 8 but they still haven't made it public.