Absent Home Button: Home and App Switcher

By Misty Dawn, 17 May, 2023

Forum
iOS and iPadOS

Any way to make getting to the Home Screen and App Switcher easier/quicker when you’re minus a Home button?

I have already enabled Back Tap for both of these, though I notice that, sometimes, when I tap the back of the phone in certain ways, it doesn’t work.

I’ve also heard about, I think it’s called, Assistive Touch, where you can get a list of shortcuts you can tap on the screen. I’ve never tried this, but how does it compare to other options?

Options

Comments

By tripolice on Tuesday, May 23, 2023 - 22:10

I some times set three finger single tap for Home, and three finger double tap for app switcher, but ultimately, nothing works more efficiently than the original gestures. Swipe up from the bottom edge of the screen till you hear two rising tones for home and three rising tones for app switcher, , theoritically, but practically, once I did it for a few times, I just know how much to swipe.

By Andy Lane on Tuesday, May 23, 2023 - 22:10

Hey I hope you’re enjoying your new phone. On the 14 Pro Max back tap works better right at the very top next to the camera bump. It’s a safe guess it will be similar on the 14 pro I think you said you were getting. I personally don’t use backtap as it’s not very reliable, If I’m tapping my phone with music it activates and I have other gestures instead of using it. As for the swipe up from the bottom gesture, I’m pretty confident it will become much more second nature in not too much time. Thats how it worked for me anyway. Same with Face ID. I basically never fail with Face ID now but it took a while. Remember if it thinks it sees a face but isn’t sure, that will still count as a failed attempt. A way to reduce this is to disable Wake on raise. This means the screen will only become active when you tap it or press the side button instead of every time your phone moves on the sofa. I hope some of that helps.

By Andy Lane on Tuesday, May 23, 2023 - 22:10

It’s a MagSafe pop socket. It makes it much easier to hold the phone and do the swipe up gesture with the benefit over a regular pop socket that you can just remove it whenever you want. Mine is the clear one which was £20 the patterned ones go for up to £30 on amazon. If you are interested, make sure it’s the MagSafe version. It basically puts a little finger grab handle on the back of your phone that you grip between your first and middle finger which collapses when you don’t want it.

By Brad on Tuesday, May 23, 2023 - 22:10

It's not that hard, swipe up and listen for the sounds, the first one is to indicate that you're doing it, the second is for hoem and the third is for the app switcher.

By Dennis Long on Tuesday, May 23, 2023 - 22:10

Just practice it will get easier oveer time.