8 ms·

I have observed non-technical people struggle with phone multitasking. They usually fail to notice the apps switching, and if they do, they often use a slow pat

by vages 3y ago

I have observed non-technical people struggle with phone multitasking. They usually fail to notice the apps switching, and if they do, they often use a slow path back to the original app (for example opening an app via the Home Screen) rather than through the app switcher.

Andrex 3y ago
Gesture nav makes the app switcher impossible to discover (or "discover often enough to learn") for non-technical users. I don't know what my mom and dad would do if Android ever took away the three button option.
- mook 3y ago
  I have a device where the app switcher is literally broken. I don't think it's due to gesture navigation, because the gesture works fine on a device from a different vendor (so I think I know how to do it correctly). So yeah. Lenovo sucks.
- Aachen 3y ago
  To answer the question: have a child (you) that teaches it to them so they don't need to randomly discover it. I'm more worried about others that don't have savvy children And this might be a perfect example of where manuals make sense. Not a 300-page book (not that I'm opposed to that as a reference option), but a few pages that explain the basic gestures rather than having to randomly stumble upon it. My grandma asked for a manual when she needed a new smartphone (upgrading from Android ~5 to ~9 I think) and honestly I think it would really help her to have some pages of written instructions for the basics (not help pages or a document file to prevent a catch-22)
  - Andrex 3y ago
    Their short-term memory persistence is not what it once was. For example, they recently converted from DirecTV to Chromecast with Google TV (...with YouTube TV), and they use it every day, and my mom still has trouble using the d-pad to navigate menus in four directions. She was entirely used to DirecTV's menus, which (mostly) just scroll up and down using the channel rocker button. It's been a year and despite saving probably 50%+ on their monthly TV bill, it's all my mom can say -- "When are we going back to DirecTV? It was so much easier. Google makes me feel stupid." Windows/Xerox PARC put running applications in a dedicated spot on the screen so they're always visible and there's no guesswork for a reason. If multitasking on phones is to improve, it can't be hidden away and invisible. (And it wasn't, Android's multitasking button was at least how my dad got comfortable with the concept.) We have decades of UX research telling us not to hide critical functions, but we keep doing it anyways because fashion/art/trends/etc.
    - Aachen 3y ago
      Very good points, I'm starting to experience that as well (in the one grandparent that uses any technology at all, that is)

by vages 3y ago

Andrex 3y ago

Gesture nav makes the app switcher impossible to discover (or "discover often enough to learn") for non-technical users. I don't know what my mom and dad would do if Android ever took away the three button option.

mook 3y ago
I have a device where the app switcher is literally broken. I don't think it's due to gesture navigation, because the gesture works fine on a device from a different vendor (so I think I know how to do it correctly). So yeah. Lenovo sucks.
Aachen 3y ago
To answer the question: have a child (you) that teaches it to them so they don't need to randomly discover it. I'm more worried about others that don't have savvy children And this might be a perfect example of where manuals make sense. Not a 300-page book (not that I'm opposed to that as a reference option), but a few pages that explain the basic gestures rather than having to randomly stumble upon it. My grandma asked for a manual when she needed a new smartphone (upgrading from Android ~5 to ~9 I think) and honestly I think it would really help her to have some pages of written instructions for the basics (not help pages or a document file to prevent a catch-22)
- Andrex 3y ago
  Their short-term memory persistence is not what it once was. For example, they recently converted from DirecTV to Chromecast with Google TV (...with YouTube TV), and they use it every day, and my mom still has trouble using the d-pad to navigate menus in four directions. She was entirely used to DirecTV's menus, which (mostly) just scroll up and down using the channel rocker button. It's been a year and despite saving probably 50%+ on their monthly TV bill, it's all my mom can say -- "When are we going back to DirecTV? It was so much easier. Google makes me feel stupid." Windows/Xerox PARC put running applications in a dedicated spot on the screen so they're always visible and there's no guesswork for a reason. If multitasking on phones is to improve, it can't be hidden away and invisible. (And it wasn't, Android's multitasking button was at least how my dad got comfortable with the concept.) We have decades of UX research telling us not to hide critical functions, but we keep doing it anyways because fashion/art/trends/etc.
  - Aachen 3y ago
    Very good points, I'm starting to experience that as well (in the one grandparent that uses any technology at all, that is)