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mebehere

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Sep 21, 2012
1,101
1,117
Just got the new M4 iPad Pro. After transferring everything from the old iPad, the volume buttons are the opposite of what they were before and I don’t see the option to change it in the Sound settings.

A little help?
 

Jim Lahey

macrumors 68030
Apr 8, 2014
2,652
5,434
The option to lock these buttons and stop them flipping places with device reorientation was removed with the last Pro iteration. Unbelievably irritating but that's New Apple in a nutshell. Given up trying to guess why they do half the things they do.
 

mebehere

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Sep 21, 2012
1,101
1,117
The option to lock these buttons and stop them flipping places with device reorientation was removed with the last Pro iteration. Unbelievably irritating but that's New Apple in a nutshell. Given up trying to guess why they do half the things they do.

Good grief. How stupid. I’m coming from the 2020 Pro. Well, thanks for your reply.
 

klasma

macrumors 603
Jun 8, 2017
6,162
17,246
Oh man, that’s really annoying, it’s one of the reasons I returned the iPad mini 6.
 
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Jim Lahey

macrumors 68030
Apr 8, 2014
2,652
5,434
Good grief. How stupid. I’m coming from the 2020 Pro. Well, thanks for your reply.

I had a 2022 12.9" Pro and it was gone by then. Absolutely infuriating when carrying it around in a folio while listening to a podcast then guessing which button did what when it came to rest. Imagine thinking it was a good idea to deliberately go to the trouble of removing a simple option that already catered for this exact thing 🤦‍♂️
 
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doolar

macrumors 6502a
Nov 25, 2019
629
1,095
Same here, it’s so confusing coming from previous iPads since the very first one. That’s a decade of muscle memory that needs retraining. Please Apple give me the option back.
 
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Rogifan

macrumors Penryn
Nov 14, 2011
24,389
31,628
I’d love someone at Apple to explain this? Why change it (or remove the setting that allows users to change it)?
 

Jim Lahey

macrumors 68030
Apr 8, 2014
2,652
5,434
I’d love someone at Apple to explain this? Why change it (or remove the setting that allows users to change it)?

Apple gonna Apple. Pondering some of their design choices is like pondering the meaning of life - the answer is unknowable.
 
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klasma

macrumors 603
Jun 8, 2017
6,162
17,246
I’d love someone at Apple to explain this? Why change it (or remove the setting that allows users to change it)?
They probably determined from telemetry that only 1% of users changed the setting...
 
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ZombiePete

macrumors 68020
Aug 6, 2008
2,409
1,249
San Antonio, TX
Took me a second to get used to it and I didn’t think it was a big deal, but I do think it’s weird that Apple removed it as an option though; what did it hurt to let people choose? Apple being Apple, I get it, but it’s such a minor thing to purposefully take away.
 
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Jim Lahey

macrumors 68030
Apr 8, 2014
2,652
5,434
It’s Good i think when we get used to it

I had mine for a year and the volume button lottery was as annoying on day 365 as it was the first. Obviously depending on personal use cases it won't affect everyone, but not sure how removing a useful option could ever be considered good.
 
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KPOM

macrumors P6
Oct 23, 2010
18,180
8,091
The option to lock these buttons and stop them flipping places with device reorientation was removed with the last Pro iteration. Unbelievably irritating but that's New Apple in a nutshell. Given up trying to guess why they do half the things they do.
I much prefer the “new” method that has been on the other models for a few years now.
 

Jim Lahey

macrumors 68030
Apr 8, 2014
2,652
5,434
I much prefer the “new” method that has been on the other models for a few years now.

There is no new method though? The flip-flopping volume buttons have been around for as long as I can remember, but Apple removed the option to lock them.
 

KPOM

macrumors P6
Oct 23, 2010
18,180
8,091
There is no new method though? The flip-flopping volume buttons have been around for as long as I can remember, but Apple removed the option to lock them.
No, the dynamic volume buttons were added first to the iPad Air I think in 2019 and then the 10th gen iPad.
 
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Jim Lahey

macrumors 68030
Apr 8, 2014
2,652
5,434
No, the dynamic volume buttons were added first to the iPad Air I think in 2019 and then the 10th gen iPad.

I see, well then that's as far back as I can remember. The point is that the option to lock them so that they're not affected by physical device orientation has been deliberately removed. This was a useful toggle for many users but Apple appears to not care about its users. For clarity - those who don't mind the floating buttons still have them. In that regard nothing has changed, so no one benefits from anything by removing what was an option.
 

KPOM

macrumors P6
Oct 23, 2010
18,180
8,091
I see, well then that's as far back as I can remember. The point is that the option to lock them so that they're not affected by physical device orientation has been deliberately removed. This was a useful toggle for many users but Apple appears to not care about its users. For clarity - those who don't mind the floating buttons still have them. In that regard nothing has changed, so no one benefits from anything by removing what was an option.
Dynamic buttons are more intuitive for most. Apple routinely limits options compared to Microsoft and Google.
 

Jim Lahey

macrumors 68030
Apr 8, 2014
2,652
5,434
Dynamic buttons are more intuitive for most. Apple routinely limits options compared to Microsoft and Google.

I don't doubt it, and that's fine, but intuition has nothing to do with it when you're carrying the device around in a folio then lay it down flat and it hasn't flipped in software the way you may expect. There is literally no way to tell without trying the buttons and hoping. Yes it may not be a common scenario for most, but for those who routinely experience it, removing the lock option is infuriating. I care not about Microsoft or Google. I care about the product I bought that used to work but then got worse 👍
 

klasma

macrumors 603
Jun 8, 2017
6,162
17,246
Dynamic buttons are more intuitive for most.
The better solution would have been to move the buttons to the other side (along with the front camera so that it’s still the “top” side, and maybe along with the camera bump). Not only would it be consistent with the iPhone, but no dynamic swapping would be needed (I think they can ignore the case of the iPad being held upside down).
 
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