A quick guide to iOS power-user features: The new Control Center and beyond

Never mind emojis—here’s some stuff that makes iOS more efficient.

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[Sasparilla]

Great article Mr. Axon. I had been trying to play with the power button (top right of control center) and was thinking it was bugged (just wasn't holding it long enough). No more diving into Settings for a quick (non button based) shut down. One more nice little thing this release just gives me that'll I'll be using.

Broke my own rules of installing a .0 iOS release (both because of the perceived stability, but really for all the commonly used stuff (people have been asking for) they put in this time. RCS was the driver for me but there is so much stuff (normally I rarely use things in .0 releases) - thinking it had to be a strategic goal for the release.

 

[xnef1025]

In the Control Center, there may actually be a 4th icon along the right side if you use Apple's Home app. A little Home icon shows between my media player and connectivity icons and gives me immediate access to the Apple TV's I have on my home network.

 

[chaos215bar2]

Then again, it's the same company that refused to give users control over their own file system for such a long time, so who knows!

Technically, this is still true, in some ways more than ever.

The Files app is only a view into a corner of the filesystem reserved for user storage (and then, mostly just a way to access iCloud storage). And with System Integrity Protection on macOS, you don’t actually have write access to the system partition at all. Although you can at least configure SIP such that you’re able to write /System, any changes you make are just an overlay in the data partition and don’t actually touch the system partition.

Not that either of these is necessarily a problem. The access you get is enough at this point to do just about anything you’d want (filesystem-wise, anyway; no breaking out of the walled garden), and the security benefits to protecting sensitive parts of the filesystem are immense.

 

[adespoton]

At the moment, there aren’t too many third-party apps that offer controls, but given that Control Center can be invoked anywhere in iOS, it’s actually a low-key game changer that developers now have access to. It’s going to be a lot easier to quickly get to some of the tasks you previously had to dig around for in apps.

Probably also worth pointing out that Shortcuts widgets are accessible from the Control Center, which means anything you can trigger with a Shortcuts widget can be invoked from Control Center, including actions that involve multiple apps, sensors, or input conditions.

I've now created a Shortcuts screen where I can add all my shortcuts, separate from the favorites screen.

The Shortcuts section ALSO lets you select apps to add to Control Center, so you can have an entire screen of commonly used apps, waiting to launch without returning to the home screen.

 

[wrylachlan]

As an Android user, one of the main things I don't understand is Apple's absolute insistence on the settings app being a central hub for the settings of every system application rather than them having their own settings cog like they should have.

Yeah, no. Having all the settings in one place is extremely useful in some situations - like when you want to go through and review your settings on multiple apps at once. Apps can and do put links in their apps to their settings within the Settings app. It’s best of both worlds - all the settings in one place when you want that AND easy access to settings in your apps. If an App is not including that link, its on them.

 

[jaberg]

Does iOS and power user even fit into same sentence?

I would self-identify as such myself.

 

[Braw]

This is one of the best updates for me as a long time iPhone user, photos is fantastic with its ability to search within photos.

The freeing up of the interface, now feels more mine, more personal.

Control centre can now deal with all your immediate needs, its great.

Its like, "we don't have anything for you right now but here's control of your phone"

 

[Mr. Kite]

Does iOS and power user even fit into same sentence?

You’re adorable. Such an edgy boy.

 

[jimmy.j.r]

Does iOS and power user even fit into same sentence?

 

[wrongodongo]

I remember when Robert Plant got Paginated. Way better!

 

[dvessel]

The redundant camera button on the Lock Screen can now be changed. Plenty of nice options in there but I swapped it for Halide. Swipe left if I want the default camera.

Weekly vitals on the Lock Screen is really useful as well. My watch is collecting all this data so it’s nice to see it all at a glance.

 

[internet2000]

Post how you have set up your control center, fellow Arsians! For me I've 1) removed the extra pages. I activate things by placement, and not remembering which page I last used was annoying. 2) removed Focus and Screen Mirroring and 3) expanded some buttons. Bigger tap targets, and the text helps determine state.

Wish they had added widgets for controlling ANC for AirPods without having to long press on volume. Maybe next point update.

 

[AngryEssay]

Does iOS and power user even fit into same sentence?

I think some people might assume that power users are exclusive to Android, but that's not necessarily the case. There are definitely iOS users who have a deep understanding of their devices and know how to get the most out of them. However, I think the more interesting question is how much control and customization those power users actually have on each platform. What can they do, and what are they limited by? A comparison of the capabilities of power users on iOS and Android would be a fascinating read - maybe Ars could explore that in a future article?

 

[Dano40]

Does iOS and power user even fit into same sentence?

The way MacOS, iOS, and iPadOS, and Apple Watch iOS, work together these days there’s nothing wrong with iOS, is Android or Chromebook OS as feature complete underneath the hood in comparison to iOS or any Apple OS aside from the Apple Watch OS?

The level of functionality between the four is a lot better than it was in the recent past hopefully it’ll get better in the future, and certainly right now the competition is not even close across hardware and software, which probably pisses off the EU to no end because in their eyes you can’t stand out from the competition that would be unfair and uncompetitive.

And no I’m not a fan of the calls to put MacOS on an iPad.

 

[jaberg]

Users: "We want to be able to install a different OS after you no longer support the device with security updates"

Apple: "Here are some buttons you can configure."

“Users” are just clamoring for that. In .000 percentile numbers. I’m a user. I’ll take the buttons.

 

[rbryanh]

Users: "We want to be able to install a different OS after you no longer support the device with security updates"

Outside Apple's walled garden, I can grow anything I want if I can find space between the stinking piles of toxic waste behind the sky high weeds where I hide from flying bullets and fart apps. Inside, I'm not allowed to raise rabbits.

So long as I'm allowed a cat, I can accept that. So long as I can raise a middle finger to Google, I can accept almost anything.

 

[yopmaster]

I like how you can open the control center and move to any page in a single gesture.
Thank you for the tip about protecting an app with FaceID, my kids will hate it.

 

[graylshaped]

In the Control Center, there may actually be a 4th icon along the right side if you use Apple's Home app. A little Home icon shows between my media player and connectivity icons and gives me immediate access to the Apple TV's I have on my home network.

I've been putting off migrating my (admittedly simple) adjustable lights from using Alexa for months, despite knowing Alexa's days are numbered. This article prompted me to play around with the Control Center--two swipes and there was the Home icon, and a tap showed all my lights and their current status, and two taps later I was naming the current default lighting scenario, and now it's done. Huh.

Thanks, Sam!

 

[graylshaped]

I like how you can open the control center and move to any page in a single gesture.
Thank you for the tip about protecting an app with FaceID, my kids will hate it.

"Dad, can I borrow your face?"

 

[LexaGrey]

But what really gets me is that this isn't a new issue - there was a long time when we didn't even have a Files app. Did people really not need to access their files during that time? Were they just not thinking about it? It seems unlikely. More likely, people just didn't have a choice. And that's what's frustrating - people should be able to use the device they purchased in the way that makes sense to them.

There were plenty of third party choices like Dropbox and kin from the first App Store release and there was a camera adapter for SD card imports. Mostly I think the only reason Files get an any attention at all is because 3rd party apps started getting worse over time. There have always been various ways to get stuff on the phone like syncing PDF via Books and the like, but it was janky then and it is janky now.

My hopes for Files like AirPlay support or QuickLook have yet to be realized much less locking or hiding folders. There is a long way to go yet to even think about macOS Finder parity.

Edit: ARS should review how terrible the new autocorrect is not knowing pluralizations, substituting valid words and other things. I need to fix nearly any thing I type on the keyboard. I far prefer their previous model. I end up editing most messages.

 

[instant classic]

Messages has been extremely buggy for me so far. Lots of times I’ll click on a single recipient conversation, click in the area to type and the screen flicks to a completely different conversation with a different person. Has happened enough times to become annoying as I always have to double check that who I intend to write to is actually still the person I picked initially.

Another gripe is the Home Screen. If you swipe over to where the widgets used to reside and have no widgets the screen is just a blank background. No icons to add anything. I’d thought my phone froze up the first time I accidentally swiped the wrong way. Long pressing the blank screen brings up the edit controls but there really should be a + icon in the corner.

Other than that it’s been fine so far.

 

[mischief71]

Nearly half the human race is not an edge case. <snip>

Um wow. Projecting much?

 

[LexaGrey]

Look, I'm not asking for a justification or a rationalization. A $1000+ device without a file manager is just a weird omission. If you're one of the people who didn't mind, that's cool. But for the rest of us, it's just a head-scratcher. Can we please just acknowledge that it was a misstep? I'm tired of the mental gymnastics people are doing to defend it. It's okay to say "yeah, that was a mistake" and move on.

For power users yes it was a mistake. But power users have never really been the target audience.

File managers in generally have been confusing pieces of garbage for general users no matter what platform and I think it is more of a mistake Apple did not stick to their guns while they experimented to find something that would be better.

I hate file managers in general and given the data silo in the name of privacy nature of the device it was a difficult thing to engineer around. Android took years to patch apps just suctioning up data from an unsecured file system. I like that that Apple did not just leave the barn door open for flies. But that is just where my gymnastics landed me.

 

[dotnet]

But with the increasingly expensive iPhone Pro models

Increasingly expensive? Stubbornly expensive, yes, but not increasingly. All "Pro" iPhone models to this day have started at $999. The first of them (11 Pro) started at 64GB storage, it was actually more expensive for the same storage capacities than the others.

 

[saanaito]

Nearly half the human race is not an edge case. Heterosexual women are legendary for invading the privacy of the men they think they own, and notorious for becoming abusive in the face of anything that smacks of "No, you may not use my phone. Ever." In the game of heterosexuality, the magic word "cheating" justifies violations that would make Clarence "Black Fascist" Thomas vomit, were he not blindly accustomed to them after a lifetime of sexual subjugation.

This is major. The logical next step is to implement multiple back-end databases for apps like Messages and Photos, one or more of which may be concealed behind a second layer of security that leaves no evidence of its implementation.

P.S. You may thank me. As bystanders the heterosexual war between the sexes, gay men are uniquely qualified to advise both sides. While we have no personal interest in your conflicts, we really are quite invested in not seeing the world go up in flames. So stop thinking up nasty replies and go hide your porn, along with the perky little conversation you had last week with the high school sweet heart you haven't seen in 11 years.

What the fuck do you know about women, heterosexual or otherwise?

 

[graylshaped]

Look, I'm not asking for a justification or a rationalization. A $1000+ device without a file manager is just a weird omission. If you're one of the people who didn't mind, that's cool. But for the rest of us, it's just a head-scratcher. Can we please just acknowledge that it was a misstep? I'm tired of the mental gymnastics people are doing to defend it. It's okay to say "yeah, that was a mistake" and move on.

We got it. You think Android is better. Thank you for your input.

 

[SPCagigas]

Nearly half the human race is not an edge case. Heterosexual women are legendary for invading the privacy of the men they think they own, and notorious for becoming abusive in the face of anything that smacks of "No, you may not use my phone. Ever." In the game of heterosexuality, the magic word "cheating" justifies violations that would make Clarence "Black Fascist" Thomas vomit, were he not blindly accustomed to them after a lifetime of sexual subjugation.

This is major. The logical next step is to implement multiple back-end databases for apps like Messages and Photos, one or more of which may be concealed behind a second layer of security that leaves no evidence of its implementation.

P.S. You may thank me. As bystanders the heterosexual war between the sexes, gay men are uniquely qualified to advise both sides. While we have no personal interest in your conflicts, we really are quite invested in not seeing the world go up in flames. So stop thinking up nasty replies and go hide your porn, along with the perky little conversation you had last week with the high school sweet heart you haven't seen in 11 years.

Man, all I can say is wtf? I hope you're seeing a therapist about your issues, and not just venting on a tech website.

 

[graylshaped]

That's a really roundabout way of saying "a device that is capable of displaying files should probably have a file manager"!

It's actually a fairly direct way of saying obvious trolling is obvious.