A simple gesture I would love to have on the iPhone

I use the multitasking drawer a lot. So much that the double tap of the home button is no longer cutting it. It feels slow and interrupts my flow when using the device.

To make matters worse, the home button on my iPhone is no longer as responsive as it should be. A double tap is often interpreted as a single tap which means that instead of showing the multitasking drawer it either closes the app, or if I'm already on the home screen it takes me to the search page.

A simple gesture would decrease the wear and tear of the hardware button, and also speed up the usage of the multitasking drawer. You simply start dragging from outside the bottom of the screen and move your finger onto the screen. This edge swipe would activate the multitasking drawer.

This could be an optional setting, in the same way that Apple has made the iPad gestures optional. Certain apps might have a conflicting gesture, or a novice user might activate it accidentally. So the default behavior should probably be to have this turned off.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• concept
• interaction
• multitasking
• Apple
• iPhone
• iOS

[maxrudberg]

Glad to say this has been realized in the form of Zephyr, made by chpwn. I've just installed it and it seems to be working quite well! Looking forward to trying this concept for real on a daily basis. Zephyr is available in Cydia for jailbroken phones and costs $3. I had no involvement in the development, so please give any feedback directly to chpwn.

[maxrudberg]

Some have pointed out that you can get a similar solution on a jailbroken iPhone with activator. However, that solution is not exactly the same as this concept. It uses the gesture as an activator, ie you swipe up from the bottom of the screen, and then the multitasking drawer is brought up. A key for this to work well is to have the multitasking drawer show as you're moving your finger onto the screen. This would make it easy to correct a potential accidental activation as well.

[maxrudberg]

Be sure to read the full description under the Show more link. Similar to this concept, also check out Notification Center transition.

[maxrudberg]

To clarify further how this would work: You'd have to activate to most bottom row of pixels on the screen and then move it up. A drag from the bottom of the screen would not do. This method of activation has proved a successful interaction on other devices, such as the Playbook (although the PB has not been successful in other aspects, at least thus far).

This is very important as I think it would make all the difference.

Another key aspect is immediate response from the GUI.

[Daiode]

Cool, but would this work outside the home screen?, I wonder if this press and move up might interfere with apps that also use a similar input mechanic. (Drawing apps, Angry birds when pulling back the catapult or Fruit Ninja etc).

Just thinking out loud really, maybe it can be smart enough to know that you start the gesture 'off screen and then move finger onto the screen'... I wonder about the rumour that Apple where considering a touch area in & around the home button (or home button itself)

[maxrudberg]

@Daiode I think it needs to be an option, with the default set to off.

[4everskyline718]

Hmm... Nokia N9 swipe? anyone?

/watch?v=JJ-IlW8Vcrw

[RomeoMinHo]

What's the name of this gesture/tweak?

[DecibelAlex]

@4everskyline718

With Zephyr from Cydia you can open the multitasking like this but when closing you simply just have to tap the homescreen. Zephyr also makes the "Nokia N9 swipe" available.

[leftymusician1]

ATTENTION this feature is available on Cydia! Search tweak called "zephyr".

[jmu303]

they've implemented it at the top of the iphone with the new notifications screen...i don't see any reason why they can just do the opposite.

[alexval1234]

wouldnt it be really annoying if you accidentaly open the drawer while scrolling down a webpage or somethin'?

[Weeman44444444444444]

@4everskyline718 shit up

[Weeman44444444444444]

i qq gg tt uuu solve it

[radtwelve]

touche!