Dear Apple,
I don’t consider myself a software engineer or anything, but there are so many times when I find myself wishing I had a say in the development of iOS. As an avid Apple user, I rely on my phone to make everyday tasks easier, but sometimes those functions aren’t as intuitive as I, and I’m sure many others, would like. The fact is, nobody can think of everything. But here’s to hoping that your engineers incorporate these ideas that would make everyone’s phone-using experience a bit more convenient. The newest version of iOS needs to allow users to do these functions:
1. Delete pesky permanent apps! You know what I’m talking about -- the Apple Watch app, Tips, Find Friends. Not everyone has an Apple Watch, so that app is basically useless to many users. Likewise with Tips and Find Friends, it seems absurd that Apple requires you to keep them on your phone. Why not make them deletable to make room for more photos, music, or texts?
2. Share messages! Much like the share contact feature, this would easily allow you to share a conversation with another person, as opposed to sending 20 out-of-order screenshots. It gets quite cumbersome. This happens often -- a heated or interesting conversation with a person that you just have to share with someone else. If you hold down on the message, you can share just the text of it, but the formatting is quite awkward.
3. Take mirrored selfies! Gosh, do I really look like that? Many iPhone users prefer the selfie camera available with Snapchat because it takes selfies the same way you think you look. But the iPhone camera itself doesn’t mirror the selfies, and there is no way of reversing the effect. The newest version of iOS should have an option to reverse this default effect.
4. Automatically connect to Wi-Fi! It happens so often -- I’m out somewhere on my phone, using data, only to find out after I leave the place that they had free Wi-Fi. It would be so convenient if the phone would automatically connect to unlocked Wi-Fi the first time without hassle. And for those who complain that Wi-Fi usage drains their battery, they can just turn this feature off.
5. Display voicemail as a text! Many Android-powered phones have the ability to display voicemail messages as text, so the user can read the message as opposed to playing it. Why hasn’t Apple caught on to this great feature? It is so much more convenient to read than to listen.
6. Access to low-power mode quicker! Apple really hit a home run with this new feature. My phone used to die very quickly with little usage, but the new “low-power mode” helps me get through a long day with no need to recharge. However, they’ve buried it in the Settings app. To make it easier, they should conveniently replace it with the Do Not Disturb feature on the swipe-up menu.
7. Personalize the swipe-up menu! Speaking of that handy swipe-up menu, wouldn’t it be great if you could customize it? From personal experience, those Timer and Calculator buttons never get much use. It would be easy to swap in the apps you use most so you have a quick shortcut to get places, instead of wearing out your home button.
8. Create folders inside folders! iOS doesn’t allow users to place a folder inside another folder. Apple needs to implement this feature -- just think of the possibilities! Maybe you want an overarching “School” folder. With this feature, users could have a folder inside, called “Google Apps,” and another folder, called “Microsoft Apps,” to keep Google Drive and Word programs separate.
9. Improve Siri! When Apple announced iOS 9 this fall, they proclaimed the emergence of an updated, interactive, and proactive Siri. And with deep integration into apps, Siri has now learned when I usually go to work and will tell me how long it takes to get there, depending on traffic. This is a step in the right direction. But Siri needs to be two more steps ahead still. When I wake up in the morning, I want Siri to sense when I wake up and tell me the weather, so I don’t dress for a blizzard when it’s 50 degrees out. Make this happen, Apple!
10. Tap to tweet or post! This is a neat feature that appeared in iOS 6 but has disappeared in newer versions. There were two buttons in the notification center that could be used to tweet or post to Facebook without launching the app. This feature needs to be implemented again to avoid opening the app and getting blasted with all of its contents when you just want to make a simple post.
What do you think, Apple? Can you make it happen?
Signed,
A Frustrated iPhone User
