Control Center handle difficult to grab using Otterbox Defender case on iPhone 5

I have an Otterbox case and can only get control center to open 5% of the time and I have tried every suggestion in this thread. Is there another way to open it in settings?

I have found that if you swipe in an upward arc just to the right of the home button it opens 99% of the time. Makes me much happier with iOS 7 now.

Same problem with the Otterbox Defender 4S case. Just received a new one under their outstanding warranty replacement. The screen cover is flawless. I could open the control center less then 5% of the time via the "normal" way I always use my iphone. I have tried swiping from all different directions, moving my finger at different speeds & angles and soaking my hands in warm water to raise the temp in my hands. I can easily swipe or tap anywhere else on the screen. The control center "handle" seems too low to place my finger on it like I'm used to doing elsewhere on the screen. I can easily open the Notification Center on top.

This is what finally worked for me. I finally started trying to "swipe" the screen while first touching the diagonal part of the plastic case and then sliding my finger down on to the "glass." That works about 99% of the time for me now. It took a bit of practice to get the feel where to touch on the plastic diagonal part of the case, but now it's working much better for me. I can open the Control Center from almost any position along the bottom excluding where the camera icon is. I suspect it will also make a difference in the size of people's fingers on how well that will work.

I do not see it as a design flaw in Otterbox or other cases. They are doing what they were designed to do before the iOS 7 update came out.

Nemo427! You're a genius. Your solution absolutely works. I'm wondering if by first touching the plastic on the case you are able to "ignite" the capacitive touch screen under the plastic...which is where the Control Center handle is.

I too, have that SAME problem.....add to the fact my ring size is 14, it's tough to get fat fingers in a small hole...

YoYoMC wrote:

I have same problem with a Lunatik Taktik Extreme case on my iPhone 5, just can't grab that **** bar. And to those who say its 'our fault' for buying a bulky case thats just rubbish, Firstly, the case is over $100 and I purchased it to guarantee protection of my phone so I will not simply not use it, second, these bigger protective cases were out prior to iOS 7 was released.

The top notifications bar works fine but grabbing the control centre is impossible. A few millimetres increase to the grab area would be perfect. Also to note as well is I get occasional lag when grabbing the bar without the case on.

This is another case of Apple's captive (developers) beta testing. Not enough variation in users, and how they use their phones. A random sample of users would have turned this problem up instantly. But I see no fix for this until at least the time when the lock screen bypass comes out.

yomamaflorida wrote:

I have an Otterbox case and can only get control center to open 5% of the time and I have tried every suggestion in this thread. Is there another way to open it in settings?

Nope, and Siri can't open it either.

heyflounder wrote:

I too, have that SAME problem.....add to the fact my ring size is 14, it's tough to get fat fingers in a small hole...

You probably have trouble with the home button... Glad I have small fingers.

Thanks, this solved my issue!

I never thought to remove the insurance plan that keeps my device alive.

<Edited by Host>

I vote that they add the option to double tap the home button to get the control center...........like it used to be.

Thanks. Worked for me. Also use a light touch.

Apple makes me angry wrote:

I vote that they add the option to double tap the home button to get the control center...........like it used to be.

Say what? They have never HAD a control center. Double-tap brings up the multi-tasking menu since iOS 4, I believe. There does need to be an alternative way to get it, however.

Terrific solution. It also works with my Lifeproof NUUD.

I just got the 5C with Otterbox case and had the same problem. When I started the swipe way down at the bottom beyond the Home button at the edge of the case, it worked. Agree they should fix this. I don't want to take this protective case off!