iOS has come a long way.
In 2007, the operating system (then known as iPhone OS) lacked the ability to change the background, to multitask, or to even copy and paste. Fast-forward some eighteen years, andApple’s mobile OShas evolved to the point where I can now safely describe it as being a mature platform. These days, we’re spoiled with advanced settings options, granular control over our home screens, and even a growing set ofon-device AI features.
And, yet, despite iOS in its modern-day incarnation being a powerful operating system, I find myself shocked by some of the small quality-of-life features that it conspicuously lacks. Each and every year duringApple’s WWDC software conference, I hold my breath that some of these quibbles will be ironed out in a system update, only to come out disappointed on an annual basis.
Here are five small-yet-notable things in particular that continue to annoy me about the iPhone’s software experience, from the perspective of someone who frequently uses therivaling Android platformfor both leisure and productivity.
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1There’s no permanent number row
The iOS virtual keyboard continues to lack this basic addition
When it comes to our modern smartphones, we rely on virtual keyboards for a great number of tasks: text messaging, emailing, web browsing, interacting with AI chatbots, and more. On Android, it’s long been possible to enable a permanent number row at the top of the keyboard, for quick access to those all-important numerals.
Unfortunately, things aren’t quite as effortless within the Apple ecosystem. To this day, iOS lacks a system-wide toggle for pinning the number row to the virtual keyboard, which can be a nuisance (especially when inputting passwords). It should be said that some iOS apps are contextually aware, surfacing a row of numbers on-screen depending on the text field in question. In my experience, however, these situations are far and few between.
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2Notifications are transient
I sometimes forget to take action on important notifications
I’m a firm believer that Android simply does notifications better than iOS, and I know I’m not the only one to hold this opinion. Putting aside the presence of persistent notification icons within the status bar, which iOS lacks, the default behavior on Android is to present notifications on both the lock screen and the notification panel until manually interacted with.
With the iPhone, there’s no such toggle available. As a result, notifications disappear from the lock screen once unlocked, siloing away their contents within a cluttered notification center setup that feels a lot clunkier than its Google-designed counterpart. iOS notification management is leaps and bounds better than it was a few short years ago, but I’d love to see Apple embrace Android’s approach to lock screen persistency.
I can’t believe Apple still hasn’t fixed the iPhone’s alarm
Some iPhone users are having issues with their alarms going off at the wrong time or not making any sound.
3Alarm volume lacks independence
The volume slider for alarms shouldn’t be tied to the system
Another long-time Android staple is the ability to set a separate volume level for alarms, media, phone calls, notifications, and other alerts. For me, the alarm tone separation is of particular value: I prefer cranking up its slider to eleven to ensure I wake up on time, without impacting other system sounds in the process.
Whenever I’m using an iPhone, this alarm volume luxury isn’t afforded to me. Apple takes an all-or-nothing approach, with a central ringtone and alerts slider that affects everything and anything that isn’t media-related. I find myself having to pick between an alarm tone that I know will wake me up in the mornings, or a call and text volume that won’t ultimately result in tinnitus.
I’d love for Apple to make this small change, as it’d dramatically improve the end-user experience without compromising on the simplicity of iOS. And, while we’re at it, Apple should also pooch Android’s ingenious ‘Alarm set for X hours from now’ notification.
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4The clear all button is MIA
Sure, it’s not strictly necessary, but I want it anyway
Before you say it, I know: iOS is designed in such a way that RAM management is done without the need for user intervention, and closing apps can actually do more harm than good when it comes to system performance and battery life.
With that out of the way, I still want a dedicated clear all button within the iPhone’s app switcher interface. There’s something cathartic about tapping one button and seeing all your open apps fling off-screen, and it’s something that just about every Android-based phone has offered for several years now.
Personally, I think Google’s implementation provides the perfect balance here: the clear all button is hidden by default, tucked away at the very back of the app switcher. This ensures it won’t accidentally be hit, while disincentivizing its habitual use during average day-to-day phone operation.
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5App info is obfuscated
Digging into Settings for app management can be a pain
One of the smallest Android features that doesn’t get the love it deserves is the App info context menu entry. This button appears when long pressing or right-clicking on any app icon, right alongside other context menu shortcuts and quick actions. As a quick-and-easy way to jump into the app management page for any given app, I find myself tapping on App info on a semi-daily basis.
Over on iOS, there’s no equivalent information shortcut – to access per-app settings, you’ll need to head into the main Settings app, navigate the Apps, and then scroll through the alphabetized list. Even more frustratingly, the option to manage an iOS app’s storage usage is hidden within an entirely separate menu, which is located in Settings > General > iPhone Storage. In short, this extra friction slows down my work flow, and I’d love to see Apple take inspiration from Google on this one.
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