Summary
After 18 years of evolution, iOS still misses some basic quality-of-life features Android users take for granted.
Back in 2007, when it was still called iPhone OS,
Apple’s mobile software didn’t even support wallpapers, multitasking, or copy and paste.
Fast forward 18 years, and iOS has matured into a powerful and polished operating system.
Today’s iPhones offer advanced settings, deep customization, and even growing on-device AI capabilities.
Yet, despite all that progress, some surprisingly simple features remain missing — things Android users have had for years.
Every WWDC, I hope Apple will finally patch up these small annoyances, and every year I’m left disappointed.
As someone who frequently switches between iOS and Android for both work and play, here are five lingering iOS shortcomings that continue to bug me in 2025.
1. No Permanent Number Row on the Keyboard
For a platform as mature as iOS, the keyboard experience still feels oddly limited.
On Android, most keyboards (like Gboard) let you enable a permanent number row at the top — ideal for typing passwords, addresses, or codes without switching layouts.
On iOS, however, there’s still no system-wide toggle for this.
Some apps do contextually surface a number row, but it’s inconsistent and rare.
For anyone who types a lot — especially passwords — this limitation quickly becomes frustrating.
2. Notifications Disappear Too Quickly
When it comes to notification management, Android still wins.
Android keeps notifications visible on both the lock screen and in the shade until they’re dismissed or read.
On iOS, notifications vanish from the lock screen once you unlock your phone.
This behavior silos them into the Notification Center — a clunky experience that can lead to missed alerts.
iOS has made strides in this area, but the lack of persistent lock screen notifications still feels like a step behind.
3. Alarm Volume Isn’t Separate from Other Sounds
On Android, users can adjust the alarm volume independently from ringtones, media, and system sounds — a small touch that makes a big difference.
I prefer a loud alarm to ensure I wake up, but I don’t want loud notification sounds the rest of the day.
On iPhones, the ringtone and alarm share the same volume slider, which forces you to choose between an effective wake-up call and tolerable alerts.
It’s a compromise that simply shouldn’t exist in 2025.
While they’re at it, I’d love to see Apple borrow Android’s handy “Alarm set for X hours from now” notification — it’s a small feature that gives peace of mind.
4. Still No ‘Clear All’ Button in App Switcher
Yes, Apple’s memory management means you don’t need to force-close apps — in fact, doing so can reduce battery life.
But many of us still like the option of a “Clear All” button in the multitasking view.
Android gets this right: the button is usually tucked at the end of the app carousel, safely out of the way but there if you want it.
iOS, on the other hand, requires manually swiping away apps one by one.
It’s not a dealbreaker, but it feels unnecessarily tedious — especially when you’ve got 20+ apps open.
5. App Info and Settings Are Hard to Access
On Android, long-pressing an app icon brings up a handy “App info” shortcut.
Tap it, and you’re instantly in the app’s settings page — perfect for managing permissions, notifications, or storage.
iOS doesn’t offer anything close.
To access settings for a specific app, you need to open the Settings app, scroll to the app list, and dig through multiple menus.
Even worse, options like storage usage are buried in Settings > General > iPhone Storage, making basic app management unnecessarily slow.
Apple’s iOS is a powerful and refined operating system, but it still lacks some surprisingly basic quality-of-life features.
From a dedicated number row to persistent notifications and better app management, these are small changes that could make a big difference in the day-to-day experience.
Hopefully, with future iOS updates, Apple will take a cue from Android and finally check some of these long-standing complaints off the list.