iOS 15 - What were they thinking?

Software
1

Safari

The address bar is at the bottom now.
I was open minded, but it’s not good.
Beyond it not being where it’s been for years:
If I hold the phone in my left hand, my thumb won’t reach the address bar unless I slide the phone up in my hand - risking dropping it.
Okay, maybe it’s intended to be used two-handed, so I press the tabs button with my right thumb, and the new tab + is all the way over under my left palm.
So, hold the phone in your right hand? Well, no, still doesn’t work - there’s still thumb stretching or phone repositioning to be done.
Maybe if you have a giant phone it’s better. I have an 11 Pro.

2

You can change it in Settings->Safari :slight_smile:

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3

Making assumptions about pronouns: You, sir, are a gentleman and a scholar.

99881D79-2998-4816-B854-4AC5F47BEE13

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4

All depends on how you hold the phone, I guess. Bottom bar works great for me:

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So, you’re holding it wrong? :wink:

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5

Yeah, if you like your address bar covered with your thumb :slight_smile:

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6

I have smaller hands and the address bar beying at the bottom is way more comfortable for me. I like it :slight_smile:

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8

Sure, but if you want to select it and multitask and see what’s already there…
I’m glad it works for you though.
Thank @TheMarty I can put it back the right way.

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9

This is how I hold my phone, too. And I like the bottom bar so far. Giving (or giving in to) the option to change was smart.

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10

I far prefer the bar at the bottom. it took me while to get past muscle memory, but now i’m so much faster.

I’ve had no issues holding the phone and accessing the bar at the bottom with one hand.

Of course, YMMV, but i’d give it some time.

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11

I didn’t like the bottom address bar in the first few iOS 15 betas, but now that the OS is out of beta, I don’t think I’ll change the configuration.

Yet.

12

Hah, my bar moved to the top sometime during the beta. I thought the Safari team had given up on that idea. Now I see the bottom setting somehow disabled itself. Fixed. Thanks, John! :stuck_out_tongue:

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13

You can also change it quickly within Safari. See which one you like best.

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14

Wait…thumbs can be moved if they’re in the way? Far out, man. :wink:

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15

I have a short memory. Now that I’ve switched to iOS 15, I’ve forgotten how it worked when it was at the top in iOS 14— was it reachable by one hand through some sort of interaction previously, so that using two hands is a regression?

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16

There was a weird general accessibility thing that jogged the top of the screen down so it would be within reach. I never used it intentionally, but triggered it by accident a number of times. :slight_smile:

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17

For me, with my iPhone 11 Pro, bottom of the screen is the best place for it, for both single and dual handed use. The reality is that once you’ve tapped the address bar, your next action is to type a web site address, so with this workflow you are already right where you need to be with your thumb and fingers, the keyboard.

It’s a bit of a change on day 1 no doubt, but give it a try, it might just make more sense (however quite a bit of muscle memory to change).

This is a great change, and I’m glad they have kept the option to move it back for those who need.

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18

Also having the option to simple scroll through web sites, just like with the app switcher, its a bit step forward, this wouldn’t make sense at the top of the screen. Leave it at the bottom for a few days, see how you feel about it with experience.

19

I like the bottom bar Safari. Same reason I’m getting the iPhone mini for my next phone. I’m tired of reaching the top. Having it at the bottom means easy access for new Safari extensions.

It’s good that Apple gave us the option to keep the old one and have this bottom bar version.

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20

Okay

Since you all gave well reasoned arguments, and I’ve started noticing the reach to the address bar, so I’ll give it a shot.

I still don’t like that the + is over at the left though. That’s definitely a right thumb operation :slightly_smiling_face:

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