But phones are getting big. VERY big. Last week, the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus joined the marketplace of large-display smartphones, to the relief of Apple Faithful who have suffered screen-size-envy and the torment of their Android-toting companions for years.
But bigger isn't always better. And one of the ramifications of smartphones getting bigger is the challenge of using them with one hand. The increased size of displays means that human fingers and thumbs can't reach all their margins, and the increased size of the entire phone makes it awkward or impossible to grip securely, especially for those with smaller hands and fingers. While playing with an iPhone 6 Plus in an Apple Store this week to decide whether I was really going to want to live with the new form-factor, I discovered an unexpected solution to assisting one-handed operation had been built into the iOS operating system three years ago.
It has been a long-discussed contention that (until now) Apple chose not to create iPhones with larger displays because of a sensibility that the user should be able to reach all the real-estate of the touch-screen display with the same hand in which the device is held. True or not, few humans have the hand size, dexterity or willingness to risk dropping a $1,000 device (the un-subsidized price of a 128GB iPhone 6 Plus is $949 before taxes) which allows them to safely press the all-important Home button on an iPhone 6 Plus without using a second hand.
It's tricky to grip an iPhone 6 Plus in a manner in which the all-important Home button can be safely pressed with the gripping hand without the risk of losing control of the awkwardly-sized device (it's worth noting that you can operate an iPhone 6 with the Home button at the top of the display - that might provide some previously unavailable grip options). Even if you can hold the phone and press the Home button with one hand, it's then impossible for most users to reach to the top of the screen to swipe down the Notification Center. Likewise difficult is swiping up from screen bottom to open the Control Center if you have a grip which allows access to the the Notification Center and the top 1/3 of the screen.
After you turn on AssistiveTouch, a round "menu button" floats transparently on the perimeter of the screen. You can drag the menu button to any edge: left, top, right, bottom, and it will persist there until you move it or turn off AssistiveTouch. The menu button becomes opaque when you tap it, but after about four seconds on inactivity, it become transparent enough to read through. (If you position the menu button at the bottom of the screen, when the on-screen keyboard appears, the menu button pops up to the bottom of the remaining display to provide you clear access to the keyboard.)
AssistiveTouch provides access to many actions, including:
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| Thanks to AssistiveTouch, I can perform many useful actions one-handed on the monstrous iPhone 6 Plus, even with my stubby thumbs |
Apple's Big-Screen Solutions
Apple has provided several solutions to address their users interacting with larger phones. For the larger-screened iPhone 6 Plus, Apple has provided a feature of iOS 8 they call "Reachability." When the user taps the Home button twice quickly (note that this is not pressing the Home button, but only touching it enough for what I presume is the Touch ID sensor to register an event), the displayed content shifts down the screen (making the bottom of the content temporarily unavailable), allowing easier access to on-screen controls at the top of the raster.
Apple has also introduced new app gestures in Mail and Safari that allow users to swipe between emails and web pages. And now that Apple allows the use of third-party text-entry mechanisms (finally!), I assume that there will be many one-handed keyboards which work within one thumb's reach, although I haven't seen any as yet.
Despite these efforts to enable users to work with the largest-ever iPhone display, one-handed operation presents a challenge.
Among the technologies designed to accommodate restricted physical skills on iOS devices (iPhones, iPod touch and iPad) is Apple's AssistiveTouch. Designed for users who may have difficulty performing multi-touch "pinch" and "swipe" gestures, or simply holding the device while performing touch-screen actions, AssistiveTouch provides a solution for performing all of these commands with a single finger or pointer. In addition to operating controls normally associated with hardware-based buttons, and some commands which are typically invoked with a gesture (i.e., swiping down from the top of the screen to open the Notification Center), AssistiveTouch allows users to "record" gestures, and play them back on command.
Apple has also introduced new app gestures in Mail and Safari that allow users to swipe between emails and web pages. And now that Apple allows the use of third-party text-entry mechanisms (finally!), I assume that there will be many one-handed keyboards which work within one thumb's reach, although I haven't seen any as yet.
Despite these efforts to enable users to work with the largest-ever iPhone display, one-handed operation presents a challenge.
Apple AssistiveTouch
Hidden within your iPhone's Settings app are a number of features which are designed to aid users who have accessibility issues. These accessibility features include solutions for vision, hearing, and physical & motor skills. Vision assistance includes altering the display characteristics for special low-vision conditions, and "screen reading" technology allows users to have their device speak to guide them when operating the device; to read text; and even identify colors of their clothing for coordinating their wardrobe.Among the technologies designed to accommodate restricted physical skills on iOS devices (iPhones, iPod touch and iPad) is Apple's AssistiveTouch. Designed for users who may have difficulty performing multi-touch "pinch" and "swipe" gestures, or simply holding the device while performing touch-screen actions, AssistiveTouch provides a solution for performing all of these commands with a single finger or pointer. In addition to operating controls normally associated with hardware-based buttons, and some commands which are typically invoked with a gesture (i.e., swiping down from the top of the screen to open the Notification Center), AssistiveTouch allows users to "record" gestures, and play them back on command.
One-Handed Help
Of particular interest to even physically-capable users, AssistiveTouch provides access to a pop-up menu from which the user can invoke actions normally requiring the press of a hardware button or swiping gestures on the display.It has been a long-discussed contention that (until now) Apple chose not to create iPhones with larger displays because of a sensibility that the user should be able to reach all the real-estate of the touch-screen display with the same hand in which the device is held. True or not, few humans have the hand size, dexterity or willingness to risk dropping a $1,000 device (the un-subsidized price of a 128GB iPhone 6 Plus is $949 before taxes) which allows them to safely press the all-important Home button on an iPhone 6 Plus without using a second hand.
It's tricky to grip an iPhone 6 Plus in a manner in which the all-important Home button can be safely pressed with the gripping hand without the risk of losing control of the awkwardly-sized device (it's worth noting that you can operate an iPhone 6 with the Home button at the top of the display - that might provide some previously unavailable grip options). Even if you can hold the phone and press the Home button with one hand, it's then impossible for most users to reach to the top of the screen to swipe down the Notification Center. Likewise difficult is swiping up from screen bottom to open the Control Center if you have a grip which allows access to the the Notification Center and the top 1/3 of the screen.
Enabling AssistiveTouch
To enable AssistiveTouch:
Go to Settings > General > Accessibility, and turn on AssistiveTouch.
After you turn on AssistiveTouch, a round "menu button" floats transparently on the perimeter of the screen. You can drag the menu button to any edge: left, top, right, bottom, and it will persist there until you move it or turn off AssistiveTouch. The menu button becomes opaque when you tap it, but after about four seconds on inactivity, it become transparent enough to read through. (If you position the menu button at the bottom of the screen, when the on-screen keyboard appears, the menu button pops up to the bottom of the remaining display to provide you clear access to the keyboard.)
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| AssistiveTouch's menu button can be positioned anywhere around the edge of the display |
- Home Button (if you have a failing Home button, this could be a lifesaver)
- Volume Down/Up
- Mute/Unmute Volume
- Notification Center
- Control Center
- Lock Screen
- Rotate Screen
- Shake (you did know that you shake your phone to "Undo," right?)
- Screenshot
- Multitasking
- 2, 3, 4 and 5 finger swipes
- Activate Siri
If you find secure one-handed operation of your iPhone 6 Plus challenging, perhaps enabling AssistiveTouch will help. It takes one or two more taps than usual to accomplish some of these tasks using AssistiveTouch, but if you find yourself standing at the subway station with a bag of groceries in your hand and wish you could check on your incoming messages with the other, you probably won't mind the extra effort.
(AssistiveTouch is only available on devices running iOS 5 and higher. AssistiveTouch features vary with device and iOS version. You can enable AssistiveTouch on whatever iOS device you currently have, to see if it might be your ticket to one-handed iPhone 6 Plus happiness.)
Apple Support document: Using AssistiveTouch on your iOS device
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