Other iPhone use: 1- or 2-handed?

[BostonQuad]

For most common tasks, do you find yourself using your phone with one or both hands?

Regardless of how big or small our phone is, I suppose most of us have times when we use our phone with 1 hand, and other times when we use it with both hands. So I'm asking about common, routine tasks. For me, that means checking email, messages, weather, and playing music. Of course, your common tasks are likely different.

As background, I just got a 15 Pro after using a 13 mini for 2 years. I didn't realize how much the mini has spoiled me by letting me casually use it with 1 hand. I can still use the 15 Pro 1-handed, but a lot of things have become unwieldy. I'm keeping in mind the 14 days I have to return it if I decide against it.

 

[eyoungren]

I'm right handed, so I hold my phone in my left hand and tap at it with my right hand. So, two hands.

I cannot afford to one hand a device as I do not use cases.

 

[BugeyeSTI]

95% 2 handed with my 15PM but, when in bed I can use one for simple page scrolling or swiping pages

 

[Pakaku]

Always one-handed. Reachability sure is worse without a home button, though.

 

[Apple_Robert]

Most of the time it’s one-handed unless I am replying to someone wrong on the internet then I use fingers and toes, so I can be the first one to tell them they are wrong.

 

[throAU]

Every iPhone I've owned, I've either used 1 handed, or attempted to use 1 handed.

I tried a 6S Plus when they were new and didn't like it (work phone, gave it back and got a 6s instead) because it was too unwieldy to use 1 handed.

That said, that was pre-watch and the way things are going I'll likely upgrade my mini to a larger iPhone and rely more on the watch.

 

[naught@home]

Since I got my iPhone SE 2020 on release day in Spring 2020 the ensuing years have forced glasses (presbyopia) upon me and age related arthritis in joints/knuckles more or less forced a two handed grip on me when picking up heavier, expensive things, unless I prefer spending a lot more time picking broken things up that I one-handedly drop…

The SE2020 wasn't cutting it for me anymore; even with corrective lenses text was difficult to read, there wasn't enough screen real estate for me and it was simply too small to be wielded effectively with two hands.
So when the iPhone 15PM was introduced, it fought my eye. Look at me, covet me, I dare you…

And I began to contemplate the unthinkable. Natural titanium please, and as much as possible…

A couple of days before Xmas I unboxed my natural Ti 15PM and hearkened back to the days when I was the guy one-handing his 4S, silently laughing at the 6S Plus people who were having mostly intelligent conversations with a dinner plate pressed to their heads, and looked at my new dinner plate. It's not as BIG as I remember the 6S Plus to be… 🙂

Joys of the Season

 

[Al Rukh]

For most common tasks, do you find yourself using your phone with one or both hands?

Regardless of how big or small our phone is, I suppose most of us have times when we use our phone with 1 hand, and other times when we use it with both hands. So I'm asking about common, routine tasks. For me, that means checking email, messages, weather, and playing music. Of course, your common tasks are likely different.

As background, I just got a 15 Pro after using a 13 mini for 2 years. I didn't realize how much the mini has spoiled me by letting me casually use it with 1 hand. I can still use the 15 Pro 1-handed, but a lot of things have become unwieldy. I'm keeping in mind the 14 days I have to return it if I decide against it.

Most times I do use my phone with both my hands: especially when I’m typing and taking photos. Apart from that I do use my phone one-handed when scrolling through Safari.

I think you should give yourself more time to adapt to it. You can’t be reliant on the Mini as it’s been discontinued.

 

[minimo3]

For most common tasks, do you find yourself using your phone with one or both hands?

Regardless of how big or small our phone is, I suppose most of us have times when we use our phone with 1 hand, and other times when we use it with both hands. So I'm asking about common, routine tasks. For me, that means checking email, messages, weather, and playing music. Of course, your common tasks are likely different.

As background, I just got a 15 Pro after using a 13 mini for 2 years. I didn't realize how much the mini has spoiled me by letting me casually use it with 1 hand. I can still use the 15 Pro 1-handed, but a lot of things have become unwieldy. I'm keeping in mind the 14 days I have to return it if I decide against it.

You might need to clarify slightly: use it 1 handed without shifting my grip/sliding the phone down/doing finger gymnastics to reach the top edge of the screen 😄.

I personally was forced to switch to a iPhone 15 when my 13 mini logic board died on an overseas trip. The Apple Store rep said he didn’t recommend paying the $500 to repair it. I’ve totally switched to 2 handed usage. The upside is I am much more deliberate with my phone usage and I use it a lot less. I don’t pull it out for random stuff anymore = less screen time and I usually end the day with 70% battery life.

 

[MacLappy]

Single hand 90% of the time, daily driving iPhone 13 Pro Max.

 

[Reggaenald]

I'm right handed, so I hold my phone in my left hand and tap at it with my right hand. So, two hands.

I cannot afford to one hand a device as I do not use cases.

But you’re also using a Pro Max right? I can’t think of anyone but basketball players being able to actually consistently use a Max with only one hand

 

[Reggaenald]

I mean, technically I use my phone a lot too handedly, when typing, when taking photos or videos, when on social media for prolonged periods of time to not strain one hand too much, when playing games, when browsing my photo library. But general use like browsing safari, answering texts with short and quick messages, when on social media for a few minutes, when using my phone for quick tasks like looking up a connection or a route in maps.
I never „had“ to use two hands with my old SE. I miss that.

 

[eyoungren]

But you’re also using a Pro Max right? I can’t think of anyone but basketball players being able to actually consistently use a Max with only one hand

Yes, but this has always been the case for me no matter what size the phone. I'm just more comfortable holding a device in my left hand and tapping at it with my right.

I don't want to say I'm naturally clumsy or a klutz, but I am quite often uncoordinated in certain tasks. And trying to hold a device while swiping with a thumb is one of those tasks I am uncoordinated at. I just never learned to do it and it feels uncomfortable to me.

It also doesn't help that in my subconscious I feel 'safer' when holding a device with one hand and using another - because I know I have a solid grip on it.

 

[Jackbequickly]

Some thing sink]gle handed with my 15 PM. Just got to optimize where you keep the most used icons on the Home Screen. Would never give up the screen realestate! Typing has required both hand on every Apple device I have owned.

 

[Sorinut]

Right handed. I almost exclusively use my 13 Pro one-handed with my left, and hold it with a MagSafe pop socket otherwise I would drop it.

 

[MacProFCP]

I have every Pro series iPhone and I still hate the size. If I could get the cameras and features of the Pro in the SE size, I would.

Really don’t like how hard it is to type with one hand.

 

[Reggaenald]

I have every Pro series iPhone and I still hate the size. If I could get the cameras and features of the Pro in the SE size, I would.

Really don’t like how hard it is to type with one hand.

Have you tried one handed keyboard? It’s almost the same size as the iPhone 5 was and it’s really convenient with slide to type.

 

[MacProFCP]

Have you tried one handed keyboard? It’s almost the same size as the iPhone 5 was and it’s really convenient with slide to type.

Yes. I found it very annoying.

I am currently on a 13 Pro and have to stretch my hand for single hand use. Very annoying. I loved my 5s. It was the perfect size.

I think that Apple could do a better job programming the large screens for single hand use but don’t bother.

 

[Reggaenald]

Yes. I found it very annoying.

I am currently on a 13 Pro and have to stretch my hand for single hand use. Very annoying. I loved my 5s. It was the perfect size.

I think that Apple could do a better job programming the large screens for single hand use but don’t bother.

I agree, they really don’t bother at all with adding functionality for one handed use. And even worse they don’t bother optimizing the software for still compatible smaller screen phones as far as I can tell. I don’t know about the mini‘s, but iPhone 8 sized devices have constant UI overlays and other problems, especially when adjusting text sizes. Same was true for the original SE when that was still supported, as if they did the bare minimum to have it work.

 

[Timpetus]

I have both a 13 mini (love that little thing) and a 15 pro, so I selected three options - I mostly use the mini one-handed, and love that it's possible to do so. I try to use my 15 pro one-handed, but at least 50% of the time am forced to use two hands to make sure I won't drop it.

 

[BostonQuad]

That said, that was pre-watch and the way things are going I'll likely upgrade my mini to a larger iPhone and rely more on the watch.

I like my 44mm AW. It works for a number of things, including checking messages. But I find it doesn't alleviate my use of my phone all that much.

 

[BostonQuad]

I think you should give yourself more time to adapt to it. You can’t be reliant on the Mini as it’s been discontinued.

I used an even larger phone (6s Plus) for 3 years, so I'm sure I'd "adapt". But I'd adapt by putting out of my mind how pleasant the mini is, and I don't see the point of doing that when I don't have to. The way I see it, I may as well use the phone I like most for as long as I can. I like the features of the 15 Pro, but not as much as I like the mini's form factor. I'm leaning toward returning the 15 Pro.

 

[tragicwinding]

I used to have a mini, and it was very comfy to text using only one hand.

 

[klasma]

I already found the regular iPhone 6 unwieldy one-handed back then, and was delighted when the SE 1 came out with basicallly flagship innards. The mini is borderline usable one-handed, but the SE 1 was really the best.

 

[kanga1622]

Depends on what I’m using it for. Testing is always a 2 handed thing. Playing some games requires 2 hands. But general rule be surfing, reading, checking email, etc only require 1 hand even on my 15Plus.