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You might be holding your iPhone 6s the wrong way – here’s how to fix it

Published Oct 23rd, 2015 12:26PM EDT
iPhone 6s Touch ID Unlock Too Fast
Image: Apple Inc.

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Remember back when Apple told iPhone 4 users they may be holding the iPhone the wrong way, thus causing cellular signal issues (the “Antennagate” issue)? Well, it’s time to revisit that line. It turns out that you might be holding the iPhone 6s the wrong way for one particular purpose – checking notifications on the lock screen. But don’t worry because this isn’t a “gate” issue, and it’s something that can be easily fixed.

MUST READ: After a month with the iPhone 6s, these are the things that surprise me

Here’s the problem: some users are complaining that the Touch ID fingerprint sensor is so fast when pressing the home button, the iPhone 6s is immediately unlocked, preventing users from reaching the lock screen.

From my experience, the iPhone 6s’s fingerprint sensor is significantly faster than the one in the iPhone 6. It’s so fast that the phone will indeed open the home screen almost instantly after pressing the home button.

So how can you “fix” this non-issue?

The simplest thing you can do to access the lock/notifications screen is to press the power/standby button rather than the home button.

If that’s too annoying, then you can rethink which fingers you use. Rather than giving Touch ID to the finger you’re used to pressing the home button with when you whip the phone out of your pocket or purse, you can choose a different finger.

Say your left thumb is the go-to finger for pressing the home button when you unlock you iPhone. Don’t use it for Touch ID in that case, and just use either of the other nine fingers to pull off the job. To add or remove fingers go to the Settings app, then select Touch ID & Passcode.

Personally, I have discovered that there is little need to access the lock screen for notifications for me personally. The most important notifications are delivered through the Watch, so that removes my need to check notifications as often as I normally would. Accessing the camera from the lock screen is rarely something I do, and I’m trying to use 3D Touch gestures on the camera app more often than not, so I can pull up whichever camera feature I want. That means I use Touch ID to unlock the screen and then head to the camera app.

Chris Smith Senior Writer

Chris Smith has been covering consumer electronics ever since the iPhone revolutionized the industry in 2008. When he’s not writing about the most recent tech news for BGR, he brings his entertainment expertise to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and other blockbuster franchises.

Outside of work, you’ll catch him streaming almost every new movie and TV show release as soon as it's available.