Whatever your opinion on iPhones, there’s no denying that they have their share of issues. Here’s the top 5 not-so-user-friendly problems with the iPhone software.
Yes, it’s nice to be able to check your messages or call up your camera immediately, but it’s doubtful that most people will care about stock prices. And while Apple is duly proud of its Apple Watch, the app is of no use to the many who don’t own one.
There’s a few workarounds for this one. Two of the most common are either moving them to the last homepage, or creating a folder in the first page to drop them in.
Battery life on iPhones tends to depend on model and usage, but after the release of iOS 8.3, some people were having even more problems than usual. Batteries that had formerly been working normally suddenly drained faster than a hot bath.
Again, Apple has offered no permanent solution, but there are ways to handle it. Third-party apps can sometimes glitch and start drawing more power than they should, so closing those when you don’t need them is the first step. Second step is to switch off auto-refresh for third party apps, such as Twitter or Facebook, as they will keep trying to talk to the server to bring you the latest news. Shutting down Bluetooth and wi-fi saves power when you’re not using them also helps, and turning down the screen brightness helps the battery last longer.
For those who’ve ever looked at a phone contact and wondered who they are, it’s useful to be able to check which group they’re listed under. A friend, a colleague, family?
Unfortunately, iPhone software doesn’t have this ability. Everyone you know is on one long alphabetical list, meaning that John Smith could be anyone from the guy you met at the pub three years ago to your company director.
Fortunately, app developers have provided alternate options. Apps like Connect, Simpler Contacts, or other apps with the same functions allow you to manage your contact list with relative ease.
With gigabytes of storage, you’d think that the iPhone would be a handy way of carrying your files around without needing to resort to flash drives. Unfortunately, iPhones are not particularly flexible when it comes to handling files that haven’t been created on the phone itself. There isn’t even an ‘attach file’ option on emails, forcing users to go into the camera app and send emails directly from the roll.
Again, it’s app developers who’ve saved the day. FileApp, File Manager, and similar apps give you the ability to get around Apple’s limitations.
Listening to music while checking your email? It sounds lovely, but Apple has decreed that you can’t do it. As soon as you minimise the music app, it stops playing, presumably to save processing power.
Unfortunately, there’s no legal way of getting around it.
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