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Level 1

5 points

iPhone 4 IOS 4.2 iPod play/pause button "size" (hitting skip forward/back)

Anyone else experiencing this annoyance?....

With iOS 4.2 I find myself hitting the skip forward or skip backward button when I intend to press the play/pause button. This occurs in the iPod software or the quick controls that pops up when the phone is locked and you press the "home" button twice.

This is a big annoyance for me since I mostly listen to audio books and the skip forward/backward buttons move you between chapters.

I'm guessing that the addition of the AirPlay button reduced the size of the other buttons making the play button's sensitivity area just enough smaller to be an annoyance to me and my not-overly-fat fingers. (The AirPlay button is slightly wider than the old bluetooth output control button.)

MacBook Pro, iPhone 4, iPad, Mac OS X (10.6.5)

Posted on Nov 27, 2010 11:04 AM

Best reply

Ginger Barbarian

Level 1

5 points

Posted on Nov 30, 2010 2:11 AM

Hi BenV,

This is so annoying. I have upgraded to iOS4.2.1 this Sunday and the first thing when I tried to pause my audiobook I went back to the beginning of the file (two files 5h each) then 5 minutes of searching just to go back.

I am on the older device (3G) and do not have any airplay or whatnot and I can't really see any reason for making the controls fiddly small.

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85 replies

Mar 24, 2011 10:56 AM in response to ErwinFischer

Add me to the list as well, I've tried to be VERY careful when it comes to pausing but at least once a day I end up skipping forward/backward instead of pausing.

And if you do happen to push foward/back, you have to drag your finger pretty far before letting to to have it NOT skip. Annoying.

Mar 27, 2011 8:51 AM in response to BenV

Add me to this list as well. I was very disappointed when 4.3 did not correct this problem - a fix to this problem was the main thing I was looking for out of this update.

I listen to podcasts everyday (& audiobooks at least once a week). In spite of the care I put into pause/playing, I routinely waste an awful lot of time trying to re- find my place in my audio after accidentally hitting the wrong button. And it's not like I have unusually large fingers. Apple, please fix this

izzymd

Level 1

4 points

Mar 27, 2011 8:53 AM in response to BenV

I've been ready to throw my iPhone out the window over frustration with "missing" the play button. I know it's a very first-world problem, but it makes me wonder if people at Apple are even using their own products.

Please fix this on a future release Apple. The play/pause button should have a HUGE target area compared to FF/RWD

Apr 1, 2011 11:58 AM in response to izzymd

I fully agree to the usability issues described here - when the iPhone (4.3.1) is locked and I want to use the play controls, I should be able to hit button by touching a large part of the screen.

Also, it would be good to use slide gestures to got a song forward or backward or to change the volume. It's very well done in the the Zune, I can virtually use it with my eyes closed or when the device is in my pocket. Trying to hit a button on the iPhone when on a treadmill - no chance...!

Apr 4, 2011 10:36 AM in response to BenV

I thought I was getting bad at pressing the right button after the upgrade, I'm glad I'm not the only one.

Apple please fix this!

Apr 12, 2011 5:49 PM in response to BenV

Add me to the list. It happens way too much even when you are very careful.

Apr 14, 2011 7:24 AM in response to BenV

First off, I want to thank the Apple engineers for creating bluetooth streaming to headphones and AirPlay. They are both wonderful technologies and I do appreciate them.

I have never jailbroken my iPhone, but this problem is frustrating enough that it makes me wonder about if there are solutions in the netherworld to this problem.

These controls must violate some human interface guideline at Apple because it is way too easy to inadvertently hit a control that is destructive to the iPod experience. Also, the controls move and do not maintain consistency.

At least hitting backwards will allow me to rediscover my position in a podcast or audiobook, but the fast forward button is now my enemy. When I can find the patience, its safer to rotate the phone 90° and press the pause button in the landscape orientation, but that is a far inferior experience.

I really hope that they move the airplay controller down to the next line, or move it to a different location (bottom panel of information). I especially do not understand why the quick playback controls from a locked screen also use the squished together control pattern.

I do feel confidence that Apple will fix this problem eventually as they are usually spot on about these things.

okonkwo

Level 1

0 points

Apr 16, 2011 11:10 PM in response to BenV

Add another to the list. Still not fixed in iOS 4.3.2. I'm now using an old device w/ iOS 3.1 for audio instead of my fancy iPhone 4.

The "Play" button should be on a different vertical and horizontal plane from the FF/RW buttons. I'd also be okay with a "dock magnification" sort of feature where you can easily see what's highlighted, then lift off to engage the command.

This kills about 1/3 of my phone usage. Very sad.

TomX2000

Level 1

0 points

Apr 18, 2011 6:29 PM in response to BenV

I too have the same problem as identified in previous posts. Doesn't seem to be too difficult to fix, but very annoying to live with. With the previous number of posts, you think this would have been addressed already. Otherwise a nice product.

jonfitt

Level 1

8 points

Apr 25, 2011 9:43 AM in response to BenV

This is still a HUGE problem with iOS 4.3.2 (8H7).

I listen to a lot of podcasts and accidentally pressing rewind wipes out your progress and has me scrubbing through a 2hr podcast looking for where I had got to.

I don't have big fingers and I can't believe that this poor UI choice got through testing.

webjames

Level 1

13 points

Apr 27, 2011 6:40 AM in response to BenV

this is still the same with the latest release 4.3.2. I don't understand why this has not been addressed. It is most annoying when listening to audiobooks as finding your correct place again is difficult.

vakr

Level 1

0 points

Apr 28, 2011 3:38 PM in response to BenV

Yes, I've found myself contending with this same issue much to my aggravation. Some of us have larger fingers or are less than perfectly co-ordinated, having the controls in such suffocating proximity makes casual usage nearly impossible. For myself I tend to listen to music mixes that are 60-80 minutes in length, skipping around when I just mean to play or pause ruins the effect, and tracking is rather complicated on that scale.

May 16, 2011 10:46 PM in response to vakr

Add me to the list. A bit surprising given Apple's normal focus on design and usability.

Unfortunately this problem creates a perfect (anti-pausing) storm when combined with:

* Heavy audiobook listening (need to pause)

* Company policy requiring screen locking

* A2DP Bluetooth headsets that don't have a pause capability (e.g. Jawbone)

Sigh...

May 27, 2011 1:49 PM in response to BenV

I have been struggling with the same issue as everyone else here (especially annoying when accidentally forwarding in audiobooks). I have no issue with jailbreaking, but even there I could find no tweaks where the forward and back buttons were pulled away from the play button to minimize accidental touchs. The only thing that I have found that works to avoid this is the use of the Activator tweak on the lock screen. I assigned a double tap on the clock to play/pause. I no longer even have to double tap the home button on lock screen. Just a single home button click and then double tap the clock. No more accidentally skipping forward or back in my audiobooks!

Jason

ptsube

Level 1

0 points

Jun 20, 2011 9:35 PM in response to BenV

+1 Very annoying. Fix it Appple. Not everyone has lady fingers.

iPhone 4 IOS 4.2 iPod play/pause button "size" (hitting skip forward/back)