The case against Control Center

Stephen Hackett on Control Center:

With iOS 7, Apple added Today, a section of Notification Center that users can fill with first- and third-party widgets, as well as Control Center, a quick way to get at commonly-used utilities with a flick up from the bottom of the display. I don’t think this has aged very well, unfortunately, and it’s mostly Control Center’s fault. In addition to it being confusing to have a hidden panel at the top of the screen, having one at the bottom too is a lot to handle for some users.

I like Control Center. I have used it daily since it’s introduction, and if it were to be removed it would make any iOS device frustrating to use. I don’t agree with Stephen that there needs to be a shift in how it is accessed on the device. I like the fact that there is a clear split between Notifications (pull down), and Utilities (pull up).

The only thing I would change is I would allow some more customisation in what utilities can be accessed through Control Center. I never use the calculator widget. I would prefer to be able to turn on a personal hotspot. Better yet, open it up to developers and allow them to build there own widgets. Maybe even some menus could be added that are specific to Control Center, allowing small interactions without opening apps themselves.

There are so many possibilities even in this one little corner of iOS.