New to iPhone- have multiple questions

Nov 13, 2020
24
1
0
Visit site
Hi all, I just received my iPhone 12 Pro Max yesterday after 10 years on Android. Still getting used to it but I've got a bunch of (pretty basic) questions:

1. Is there a way to bypass the swipe up after face unlock? On my previous phone, once it recognised my face, it would just automatically go to the home screen.

2. With the keyboard (either the Apple or Google keyboard) is there a way to remove the smiley face on the bottom left that brings up emojis?

3. Again on the keyboards, is there a way to have a comma button persistently there to the left of the space bar? I don't want to have to press the 123 button every time I want it add a comma.

4. How do I remove that globe icon on the bottom left of the Gboard keyboard?

5. How do I find out what my screen on time is? The screen time in the settings seems to get an average for the week? I just want to know what my screen on time was for that day.

6. I have the Google search widget but when I use it to search and click on a link, it seems to go into its own web browser and not opening up in Chrome, despite me having Chrome as my default browser. How do I make it open links in Chrome?

7. Does the iPhone have always on display? I'd like to see the time and notifications when the phone is idle.

8. On the home screen, how am I supposed to know if I have a notification? With the notch at the top, there doesn't seem to be enough space to put icons for notifications I've received?

9. I have received a few phone calls in the time I've had it, some calls have two button, a green for accept and red for decline, and other calls have a swipe to answer. What's the deal with the two, why is it like that and what triggers the different ways to answer the phone?

Well that's it for now. Sorry for the basic questions, but a big thank you in advance.
 

EdwinG

Ambassador
Mar 10, 2012
4,047
648
113
Visit site
Hi,

First of all, congratulations on your purchase and welcome to iMore.

I'll try to give answers to some of your questions, based on my personal experiences. I'm not a Google user, by choice, so I won't be able to help you there at all.

I hope this helps a little :)

1. Is there a way to bypass the swipe up after face unlock? On my previous phone, once it recognised my face, it would just automatically go to the home screen.
You can swipe up before it's finished unlocking. It will bypass the Lock Screen.

It's there so that you can quickly look at your notifications, without going to the Home Screen and having to go the Notification Centre.

2. With the keyboard (either the Apple or Google keyboard) is there a way to remove the smiley face on the bottom left that brings up emojis?
On the Apple keyboard, you can remove the Emoji button by removing the Emoji keyboard.

To do so, you go into Settings, General, Keyboards and Keyboards again. Then you edit the list and remove the keyboard.
If you want to revert it, you can add the keyboard back again.

3. Again on the keyboards, is there a way to have a comma button persistently there to the left of the space bar? I don't want to have to press the 123 button every time I want it add a comma.
Not that I know of (with the Apple keyboard). Other keyboards might have that setting.

4. How do I remove that globe icon on the bottom left of the Gboard keyboard?
That's the keyboard switcher. To remove it, you must have only and only one keyboard enabled in the settings (see answer 2).
My understanding is that this would disable the Gboard keyboard.

5. How do I find out what my screen on time is? The screen time in the settings seems to get an average for the week? I just want to know what my screen on time was for that day.
For the previous 24 hours, you can find it inside your Settings app, choose Battery. It will be listed below the graphs.

8. On the home screen, how am I supposed to know if I have a notification? With the notch at the top, there doesn't seem to be enough space to put icons for notifications I've received?
Two methods that quickly come to mind:
  1. Your apps will have a red badge to indicate "notifications" (or items requiring attention), if you have that setting allowed for the app (see the app's page within the Settings app).
  2. Swipe down from the left side of the notch. This will bring down the Notification Centre; swipe up to dismiss.

9. I have received a few phone calls in the time I've had it, some calls have two button, a green for accept and red for decline, and other calls have a swipe to answer. What's the deal with the two, why is it like that and what triggers the different ways to answer the phone?
The "Swipe to Answer" is today a nod to iPhone's past. It will show up when a call is received while the phone is locked.
To unlock older iPhones, I think until the iPhone 5 or maybe later, we had to swipe right to unlock the device. So it was consistent with unlock behaviour.

The two button variation occurs when the phone is unlocked (unsure if it will appear on the unlocked Lock Screen). I can't remember it always was like that or not.
 
Nov 13, 2020
24
1
0
Visit site
Hi,

First of all, congratulations on your purchase and welcome to iMore.

I'll try to give answers to some of your questions, based on my personal experiences. I'm not a Google user, by choice, so I won't be able to help you there at all.

I hope this helps a little :)

Thanks so much for your response, definitely helped out with some of the issues I had.
 

Lee_Bo

Well-known member
Apr 6, 2016
6,069
306
68
Visit site
Hi,

First of all, congratulations on your purchase and welcome to iMore.

I'll try to give answers to some of your questions, based on my personal experiences. I'm not a Google user, by choice, so I won't be able to help you there at all.

I hope this helps a little :)


You can swipe up before it's finished unlocking. It will bypass the Lock Screen.

It's there so that you can quickly look at your notifications, without going to the Home Screen and having to go the Notification Centre.


On the Apple keyboard, you can remove the Emoji button by removing the Emoji keyboard.

To do so, you go into Settings, General, Keyboards and Keyboards again. Then you edit the list and remove the keyboard.
If you want to revert it, you can add the keyboard back again.


Not that I know of (with the Apple keyboard). Other keyboards might have that setting.


That's the keyboard switcher. To remove it, you must have only and only one keyboard enabled in the settings (see answer 2).
My understanding is that this would disable the Gboard keyboard.


For the previous 24 hours, you can find it inside your Settings app, choose Battery. It will be listed below the graphs.


Two methods that quickly come to mind:
  1. Your apps will have a red badge to indicate "notifications" (or items requiring attention), if you have that setting allowed for the app (see the app's page within the Settings app).
  2. Swipe down from the left side of the notch. This will bring down the Notification Centre; swipe up to dismiss.


The "Swipe to Answer" is today a nod to iPhone's past. It will show up when a call is received while the phone is locked.
To unlock older iPhones, I think until the iPhone 5 or maybe later, we had to swipe right to unlock the device. So it was consistent with unlock behaviour.

The two button variation occurs when the phone is unlocked (unsure if it will appear on the unlocked Lock Screen). I can't remember it always was like that or not.

And that’s why I love coming to this site!!!

Thanks Ed.