If I Were King

Updated April 13th, 2020.

Why can’t I be in charge for just a few minutes? I know everything would be better for everyone. Here’s what I’d do to improve the iPhone (and I’ll bet it could be done in a day):

1. Provide the OPTION to sort applications by name. Or by date downloaded. A to Z, or Z to A, newest in front, or newest in back. User’s choice.

2. Provide an EASIER way to access the settings. On my iPhone, the settings are on page 1. So, if I’m using a program on page 7, as I was last night, and while I’m using that program I decide to adjust the brightness of the screen, the process goes like this:

1. Press the Home button
2. Swipe right (moving one page closer to the front)
3. Swipe right again (another page closer)
4. Swipe right again (another page closer)
5. Swipe right again (another page closer)
6. Swipe right again (another page closer)
7. Swipe right again (another page closer)
8. Tap Settings
9. Tap Brightness
10. Slide to adjust the brightness
11. Press the Home button
12. Swipe LEFT (trying to get back to where I was)
13. Swipe left (getting closer)
14. Swipe left (getting closer)
15. Swipe left (getting closer)
16. Swipe left (getting closer)
17. Swipe left (getting closer)
18. Tap the program I was using

XVIII steps! (Kings like Roman numerals.) That’s about XV too many. By the time I’ve done all that, I’ve forgotten what I was doing. At least I got the brightness adjusted. You can bet I don’t do it very often.

3. Provide a QUICK way to get back to recently-used programs. That would help with the problem in #2 above. Scrolling through multiple pages, back and forth, gets old the first day.

4. Provide a QUICK way to move a program from page 7 to page 1. When everything was on one screen, as it was when the iPhone first came out, dragging an icon to place was easy. When you have to jump past six or seven pages to get where you’re going, it’s not easy at all. I end up doing the old “15 puzzle” trick, where you stash something down in the bottom of the screen and then pick it up later from another page.

The iPhone interface is only a year old but it’s creaking already. It worked at first, but in the new “App Store” world it needs some changes. If you happen to talk with Steve Jobs, mention this post. Thank you.

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