Hidden Setting Controls Tap-a-Call in Phone App
Put simply, an interface shouldn’t make it too easy to perform a destructive action or create more work for you, and inadvertent calls can easily create more work. You may prefer a different behavior than I do, but I hope we can all agree that it’s good to have a choice of whether a tap on a recent call initiates a callback or opens its associated contact.
But isn’t it weird that the way you toggle the tap-a-call behavior is by switching the Phone app’s view? What if you like Unified view but prefer that tapping a recent call starts a callback rather than opening a contact?
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Here’s the odd part: if you switch the Phone app to Classic view and then return to Settings, the Tap Recents to Call switch disappears, and Hold Assist Detection slides up. […] This is deeply wrong. “User interface elements should not come and go based on settings adjusted elsewhere,” said Paul Kafasis, while holding his nose and fanning the air with his hand, in an exaggerated gesture of disgust aimed at Apple.
Previously:
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Adam's instructions don't allow me to turn off tap-to-call for Classic mode. (Sadly. I tried toggling it on and back off in Unified mode and that didn't help. I tried toggling it on in Unified mode in case having one setting in one mode meant the other mode would use the opposite, but still no joy.)
Given that this setting only applies to Unified mode (unless others are seeing different behavior than I am), it seems appropriate that it's only present in Unified mode, yes? Or is the complaint actually that there's not Unified/Classic toggle in Settings, so changing the mode doesn't give any clue that the options have changed?
@Andrew I think the normal pattern has been that an option that’s not available should be visible but disabled, perhaps with text that explains why it’s disabled.
Exceptions don't strike me as especially unusual or unexpected, not that I can readily call up an example. (The HIG indirectly says that the main menus should disable but not hide items, but I don't see or recall such guidance for settings.)
To be clear, I agree that discoverability is important. But I don't think I agree that hiding a setting is inherently problematic. And in this specific case I very much feel the problem is that the setting — for no apparent reason — doesn't apply to Classic mode.
