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Apple could dramatically improve my life with this one simple software tweak

Published Sep 3rd, 2024 3:46PM EDT
How to customize iOS 18 new Control Center
Image: José Adorno for BGR

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iOS 18 is full of great new features. Among the changes that are definitely improving the experience are the new Passwords app, the ability to hide and lock apps with Face ID, and powerful new features for the Messages app. However, a simple tweak could dramatically improve all of our lives, and Apple hasn’t even considered adding it.

On X, user Arshaan Siddique posted about how the iPhone’s Rotation Lock should work, and it’s actually genius. I usually have Rotation Lock activated, as I think it’s annoying to have my screen rotating when I’m lying down or if my iPhone is on a flat surface.

However, whenever I open the YouTube app or start watching a horizontal video, I’d love it if my iPhone would automatically flip to landscape mode. After all, having to open the Control Center, hit the toggle, and then remember to turn it on again later is annoying.

This is why the text on Siddique’s concept is so funny (but true): “Portrait except when I watch a video, in which case landscape because of course that’s how it should work.” Jokes aside, this could be a nice-to-have iOS 18 feature that would improve how we watch videos.

With iOS 18, Apple is revamping the Home Screen, Control Center, and Lock Screen. With more freedom to add toggles and apps whenever the user wants, we wouldn’t be shocked if Apple decided to add this feature later in the iOS 18 cycle.

Currently, one feature developers offer is the ability to open a PiP video when you go to the Home Screen while watching a YouTube video or even a TV show from a streaming app. If a proper API was offered, maybe developers could implement this on their end.

Would you like a new toggle for the Rotation Lock on your iPhone? I think it would be handy.

José Adorno Tech News Reporter

José is a Tech News Reporter at BGR. He has previously covered Apple and iPhone news for 9to5Mac, and was a producer and web editor for Latin America broadcaster TV Globo. He is based out of Brazil.