Hi folks. Well as you see from the title of this i've finally come out of my comfort zone and purchased the iPhone 17E (no home button) - well i suppose i'd have had to learn to manage the newer models eventually. To some this question is ridiculously basic so hope you'll bear with. I'm having a real hard time with the "going home" gesture that's also used to unlock the phone if face ID isn't enabled. When i place my finger at the bottom of the screen using the charging point as a tactile to help me position at the bottom edge, i then slide up relatively slowly but am just not getting the tone it's supposed to do that tells you to either type the code to unlock or tell me i'm on the home screen . Instead it just speaks items in the locked screen as i slide up. the only time it's been unlocked since i got it this morning is when the man in the store unlocked it, but this was just my local phone store so he has no expertise in teaching Voiceover gestures. I haven't got around to much customising to make things easier yet with not being able to get the hang of this gesture that replaces the home button. Is anyone able to offer me any tips please? Clearly there's a nack to . doing this which i'm just not getting right somehow. Thanks in advance.
Comments
finger tip
I use my finger tip and it works well with my 16 pro max. Do not do it to slow. Flick up and you will hear the sound. Also you can setup backtap to go to the home screen if you are having issues. Long live cats and Rachel.
Where do i set up back tap?
Thank you i'll persevere, and if i need to resort to using the back tap where do i go to set that up? Thanks.
Where do i set up back tap?
Thank you i'll persevere, and if i need to resort to using the back tap where do i go to set that up? Thanks.
Rachel
OK, Go to setting, accessibility, touch and slide to the right until you see it. Long live cats.
Thanks
Ok thanks. I'll set that up so it's there at least until i get this right. I have managed but only dreadfully slowly - several attempts before i manage.
This takes a while to get the hang on
Hi Rachael, I faced this very same obstacle last year. I just did the dresser so I could figure out the best way I can describe it to you. It’s always the bottom right hand corner of your screen and it’s a fairly quick gesture the sliding motion up the screen I use my right pointer finger to do this and then it will ask you for your passcode to your Face ID however you have it set up. I hope this helps. I just take a little bit to get used to it, but it will make two clicks to go to the home screen and then three clicks to go to the app switcher. I personally think the Apple shooter just left the home button and on phones, but they’re not going to do that so this is the new register they created for us. My phone at the home button is an iPhone 15 that I got last year. I kept my iPhone SE as my secondary device so I could have my music on it. So I just don’t have one at home button on it.
speed
Do it middle speed, like I said just use your finger tips. The more you practise the easy will get, It took time for me to do so. Long live cats and Rachel.
Alternative advice
Hi,
I have a friend who has an iPhone 16. She has her voiceover gesture set up like this:
• one finger triple tap equals home.
• Two finger triple tap equals app switcher.
You can set this up by going to Settings, Accessibility, VoiceOver, Commands, Touch Gestures. From there, navigate to the first heading labeled, "TAP: ONE FINGER", and the heading just below that labeled, "TAP: TWO FINGERS".
HTH.
Rachel
Do not press to hard but just light touch. Similar to a caress with finger tip. Long live cats.
Brian
If you have case it does not work all the time. Long live kitties.
Thanks Singer girl
Thanks. I'm reassured to know others also struggled at one stage. I'm doing it using same right finger as you, and also keeping my trusted SE with home button for music etc. i'm not letting that go until it refuses to work anymore lol ☺️
iPhone SE 2022 for the win
I too use this device, and love it. I will eventually have to upgrade, and if I decide to stick with Apple, I'll likely get the 17E as well. I have a little idea of what to expect though, I was a proud owner of an iPhone 15 Pro for about a month and a half. That is a horror story for another day though...
@Holger,
Taps on the screen always work, unless you're using a life proof case, then maybe not so much.
Brian
Apple case color sand. Apple hates me. Long live cats.
Holger
Apple does indeed.
As for my friend and her iPhone 16, her single finger and 2 finger triple tap choice works really, really well for her. She is always able to access her home screen, or app switcher, without using the default slide gesture. Because, like the OP here, that slide gesture just does not work for her.
Brian
Need a good lawyer. So many issues with the iPhone and iOS 26. For me is the worse iOS since unlucky 13. Hope 27 is better. Long live cats.
Future proof technology
Get an abacus. I hear they are spot on for accessibility.
As for the OP, I hope you find a system that works for you with your new iPhone. 😊
17E is a nice phone
Even though i haven't owned it a full day yet i do like the 17E: fairly small screen like the SE i've been used to (i just feel i have no need for the models with larger screens). 17E is supposed to have decent battery life but i can't pass judgment about yet. Once i get to grips with these new gestures i've never needed to bother with until now i think i'll be loving it, not to mention getting to play with the newer features that only the newer models are capable of.
Control center/Notification center
I do believe you can still access the Control center and Notification center by swiping up or down with three fingers from the status bar. However I just wanted to let you know that there are new gestures for the newer model iPhones. I believe a swipe down from the top left or top right corner will get you notification center, and a little further will get you control center. So long as you don't ever use Reachability, you should be OK. I could never get that function to work on a device without a Home button.
True
Yes i'm aware of the control centre and notification centre gestures for the newer models but as yet i've just been doing it the way i'm used to, almost without stopping to think it seems. I suppose i'm that used to doing it way it just happens without my being aware.
Rachel.
I believe Thomas did a podcast on using the gestures when the home button was remove and we needed to learn how to use the phone without the home button. I am sure someone will share the title of the podcast. Long live cats and down with apple.
Yes i remember
He did, and when i get enough time i'll certainly sit down and check it out. There's a link to it in the getting started with iOS that tyler posted. I know exactly where it is. Thanks ☺️
Rachel
Have a friend I gave a her 11 pro max because her old phone died and she never learn to use an iPhone. I told her to just have fun and relax. You can not brake the phone. Unlike you she does not want to learn. Go figure, women. Long live cats and women.
Lol!
My first iPhone was the 4S - got that in 2011 i think. I love the iPhone - wouldn't even consider an alternative. I've always been the curious type - keen to know how things work. I enjoy playing with new toys 😀