It would be almost impossible to list all the differences in how things work on the iPhone and Android. However, there are a few things that may worry you for those coming from Android.
When I decided to try the iPhone for a while, I was ready for most of the main differences. Lack of personalization, a very different notification system, fewer options for “standard” applications, and the importance of iMessage. However, the most annoying thing is a few things I never thought of.
iPhone keyboards are bad
The iPhone gained support for third-party keyboards in 2014 with iOS 8. I expected the situation to be a bit like Android, but I made a mistake.
Stock is the Apple keyboard ok but there is very little individualization. I can’t add or resize a row of numbers to work better with my big hands. The fact that the dots and commas are not in the main layout also drives me crazy.
Okay, use a different keyboard, right? I tried Google’s Gboard and quickly realized that it was the shell of an Android colleague. It has themes and some integrated features like Google Search and Translation, but overall it just feels like a redesigned Apple keyboard.
In general, the application of third-party keyboards in iOS is not as good as in Android. iPhone users don’t know what they’ve lost. Finally, I got tired of the problems and switched to the Apple keyboard again.
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Automatic Correction Is Worse Than I Think
Speaking of writing, let’s talk about one of the most infamous features of the iPhone – automatic correction. I’m not a fan of auto-correction, it’s on every Android device. However, the auto-adjustment on the iPhone is really an animal in itself.
Most Android keyboards correct words as you type, but the iPhone will literally correct words then Tap Send. This made me very nervous for the first few days after my transition.
You can look at the word you want to use in the text box, then when you hit the send button, a completely different word will appear in the message. For example, I once wanted to say “jk”, but it was replaced by “hello”. After hitting the send button, it is very annoying to double-check what you wrote to see its “correction”.
Finally, I turned off auto-correction completely, but now I have to manually capitalize the letter “I” every time I write in the middle of a sentence.
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File Management is a Pain
This may not come as a surprise to you, but file management on the iPhone is still not good. It’s definitely miles ahead of its predecessor, but it still can’t hold a candle for Android.
Apple’s default “Files” program is very simple and easy to use, but don’t expect to do any heavy file management. In addition, the status of the third-party file manager is very limited. This is partly a good thing, because iOS apps don’t allow you to access your media as easily as Android. But even more annoying is the lack of file support.
For example, I downloaded an M4A file from Google Chrome on my iPhone. First, it will not play on the Google Drive mobile site (available on Android). Second, I couldn’t play the file from the Files program or the VLC program. Something that worked on Android without thinking seemed almost impossible on the iPhone.
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Application Library is Super Limited
The Application Library is one of the newest additions to the iPhone’s home screen, and I was excited to try it out. I like the idea of auto-generated folders that reveal the applications you use the most. It’s nice to be able to run a program without opening the entire folder.
There is a big problem with the Application Library. There is almost no choice for individualization or pinching. The settings have one (1) option for the Application Library in the true sense of the word – show or hide notification icons.
Why can’t I reposition folders as I do on the home screen? Why can’t I delete folders I don’t want? Why can’t I rename folders? Why can’t I everything? The Application Library is great, but it’s completely run by Apple’s algorithms, and it’s lame.
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The Control Center is rarely used
Control Center is an obvious answer to Android’s Quick Settings panel. Overall, this is a nice feature, but Apple isn’t doing enough. If you expect to repeat Android Quick Settings, you will be very disappointed.
Like the Application Library, there is not much personalization. You can add and delete various controls, but they are all from Apple. Cannot control third party programs. I will not be surprised if this changes in the future.
Most of the controls available at the time of writing are not very attractive. It’s nice to have basics like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, screen brightness, media controls, and shortcuts to volume. But I want more. One of my big requests will be a shortcut to the Settings application.
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Do not press the power button twice to turn on the camera
Here’s a little thing I don’t realize I’ll miss – press the power button twice to turn on the camera. This is an almost universal shortcut in the world of Android, and I use it all the time. You can start opening the camera before the phone is completely out of your pocket.
I must admit that the iPhone’s “Wake up to wake up” feature is good enough that you can turn on the camera very quickly with a lock screen gesture. Still, it’s slower than all the Android phones I’ve used.
What’s even more annoying is that Apple actually allows you to customize long presses. The problem is that your only options are not Siri, “Classic Voice Control” or nothing. Let me use it for the camera!
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Gestures that are not appropriate for the Notification Center
Notifications on the iPhone are very confusing – I’ve researched the issues with iPhone notifications in depth. Although not everything is due to big differences. There are some small discrepancies that you can see.
One such discrepancy is the gesture of opening the Notification Center. In most places, this gesture is to slide down from the upper left corner of the screen. This is very familiar to Android users.
However, the gesture is the exact opposite on the lock screen. New notifications from the time you unlock your phone appear in front and in the middle. To see any of the previous notifications available, you need to swipe up to open the Notification Center. Strange.
RELATED: Android notifications are still miles ahead of the iPhone
Silent mode can only be activated with a physical switch
One interesting little thing that has remained with the iPhone over the years is the physical call / silent switch. I can’t think of modern Android phones with a similar transition. Surprisingly comfortable, but also a kind of annoying.
I was shocked to learn that there is no program control for silent mode in the settings. Physical switching is the only and only way to mute your phone. I discovered this after putting my iPhone in my pocket and accidentally taking it out of silent mode several times.
What to do if the switch stops working? There must be some sort of “swallow” function to control the call / silent mode without the need for a physical switch. There are some wrong solutions, but nothing excellent.
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Requires Portrait Mode Faces
The Portrait mode function in the iPhone camera app is very good. It may even be better than Google’s Pixel phones, which sound louder than Portrait mode. However, there is one thing that keeps him going – he only works with faces.
I always use Portrait mode on Android phones to take photos of inanimate objects. Sometimes it’s nice to be able to blur the background. It would be more useful if Apple allowed him to work with any person, animal or object.
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Audio Priority Incompatibility
We will finish the work with a small discrepancy with the sound. Say you listened to Spotify in the background while scrolling on Instagram. When the video starts playing, the music will stop as expected. The problem is that the music doesn’t always start again when you pass the video.
The annoying part of this is that it is very inconsistent. Sometimes the background sound will start playing again, other times I have to press the play button manually. I can’t find a rhyme or a reason for that. Admittedly, this sometimes happens on Android, but on the iPhone it stuck to me.
Although all of this is annoying in various ways, I would not say that any of them are violators of the contract. That being said, if you’re coming from an Android device, you’ll need some time to adjust. Many of Apple’s philosophies about the iPhone are very different from those of Google and other Android phone manufacturers. Know what you are involved in.
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