UI Nonsense Bug in iOS Mail Settings

Those are the sort options for your contacts. It means you're selecting is whether you want the contacts sorted by First name or by last name. So, if you chose Last, First, "Ann Smith would be listed under "S". If you chose First, Last, she would be listed under "A".

If you chose Last, First for Display option, you wil see the contact as "Smith, Ann". If you chose First, Last, it will be written "Ann Smith".

This has nothing to do with first to last or last to first. It has nothing to do with messages.

There is no Sort/Display option under for calendars, only contacts.

Best of luck.

This is definitely a bug. I was just wondering why it didn't make sense, then i realized it's just plain backwards!

Sort Order is supposed to be the order in which the contacts are sorted.

Last, First should sort by Last Name

Display Order is supposed to be the order in which the names are displayed.

Last, First should display "John Doe" as "Doe John"

However, to get the desired result, transpose (in your head) the words "sort" and "display"

So, to display "John Doe" as "John Doe" choose Sort Order First, Last

to sort your contact list by last name, choose Display Order Last, First

In iOS 8.1, the above settings result in a contact list that displays as:

Jane Doe

John Doe

Jane Smith

John Smith

changing the sort order to Last, First would display the contact list as:

Doe Jane

Doe John

Smith Jane

Smith John

Well, after looking at it further, the behavior is so odd, I've spent too much time on this already.

the ENTIRE UI in the settings "app" is so poorly constructed, and hasn't improved since iOS 1.0, I assume 99% percent of users consider the settings to be an "advanced" area and take their iPads and iPhones to the local apple store to have a "genius" make any changes.

if anyone at apple happens to read this and cares, i'll be happy to list the problems and even provide a better, much, much better UI.

do you ever read those instructions that come with most chinese products? "Provide exciting use enhance mode. New fashion, innovative idea and good habit begin from now."

the settings app is very similar; it also gives the user the impression that "they just don't care about the details."

With all due respect, in all the time I have been on this forum, you and the OP are the first people I've ever encountered that was confused by that.

Perhaps you should keep the User Guide close by: http://help.apple.com/ipad/8/

James Ward4 wrote:

With all due respect, in all the time I have been on this forum, you and the OP are the first people I've ever encountered that was confused by that.

I teach people in their eighties and nineties how to use iPhones. I've never had anyone who's had a problem with this.

Obviously, you haven't tried it.. And I'm not confused. It's just more crap like other companies release as well.

Exactly.

Exactly what? Meg was essentially supporting my previous statement.

Johndevere wrote:

Obviously, you haven't tried it.. And I'm not confused. It's just more crap like other companies release as well.

Of course i have tried it. It is simply a matter of labeling. As previously stated, if you are having difficulty with the settings labels, keep the UG close by. Otherwise, you're just whining, rather pointlessly I might add. If you really have that much angst over this, try sending Apple feedback: http://www.apple.com/feedback/ keeping in mind, this seems to be more your issue than much of anyone else's.

Umm . . . yeah. Not a huge issue. More like a huge non-issue.

James Ward4 wrote:

Exactly what? Meg was essentially supporting my previous statement.

Most definitely agreeing with you!