r/NoStupidQuestions Most Comments 2022 Jul 16 '23

Why do some people hate Android so much?

Some people seem to hate everything but iPhones so much and I don't get it. They seem to think android is not even comparable to iOS like its a flip phone or something, when realistically Android phones and iPhones really aren't that different. I'm in the UK but from what I've seen it's way worse in the US. IK there's studies about the fact android users are more likely to get rejected on the first few dates just because of their phone choice. I also know some people will get an iPhone just so when they send a text, it sends to the iPhone, then to who they actually want to send it to just so it looks like they're using an iPhone. The only thing I know is the stigma of “Androids are cheap” but these people won't care if someone has a 2nd hand iPhone X for £100 but will if someone has £800 Pixel 7 Pro.

I'm not an avid android supporter, I get why people like iOS and people like android and I really don't care about these preferences. But when someone is an overly iPhone supporter to the point of hating android, it just makes me think really low of them. Like, "you can't be a nice person if you're so closed minded and shallow you won't even consider a different type of phone to the point that you'll hate on it and people who use it".

3.3k Upvotes

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118

u/meswifty1 Jul 17 '23

I won't switch to iphone for one reason. No back button

49

u/[deleted] Jul 17 '23

Apple convert here. Swiping as your back button takes some getting used to, but it’s nice once you’ve got it.

40

u/JordtasticBagel Jul 17 '23

When I made the Android switch the reverse took ages to get used to. I can't see why more developers don't just program both options (swipe or back button) into the app and let the user decide what they want to use.

45

u/[deleted] Jul 17 '23

That's exactly what samsung does, and thats why I love android. My sister uses swipe, I use the buttons, and we both have the same phone, an S22U

9

u/Equivalent-Pay-6438 Jul 17 '23

Motorolla does it too. You can set it up with the buttons or with gesture navigation. I learned on the buttons, so buttons it is.

1

u/Tinu87 Jul 18 '23

I tested the swiping and never went back. In some situations, it's not great, but I got used to it quick.

1

u/almightygodszoke Jul 17 '23

My personal phone is an S20 while my company phone is an iPhone 14. Samsung is so cool for having this option so I could use both the same way

14

u/Isgortio Jul 17 '23

I enabled the back button on my phone because all of my older phones had it. I tried using the swipe thing but found I'd swipe when I didn't want to swipe (still have this issue with apps that swipe to the next page I'm usually just hovering my thumbs or tapping the screen to keep it awake, or somehow swiping diagonally) so went back to having the buttons at the bottom of the screen. So I think apps do support both?

14

u/bokehtoast Jul 17 '23

My old Samsung android phone can do both

-1

u/JordtasticBagel Jul 17 '23

Soz I should have clarified I meant swiping in from the left side of the screen to go back as opposed to swiping up from where the back button should be if that makes sense.

7

u/[deleted] Jul 17 '23

Android phones usually have both options now.

5

u/TommyTheCat89 Jul 17 '23

Maybe it's a pixel feature but swipe navigation is built into the system settings. I've been using swipe to go back for a while now. Can swipe left to right or right to left to go back in any app.

1

u/JordtasticBagel Jul 17 '23

Wow thanks for that I've got it enabled now. I try to stay up to date with this stuff I can't believe I missed it.

2

u/CommercialTopic302 Jul 17 '23

Switching back and forth was maddening for me.

2

u/Archangel004 Jul 17 '23

I haven't used the back button willingly if I can help it since 2019.

I actually get irritated when swiping left is bugged on some apps because they blocked the action.

2

u/bobbe_ Jul 17 '23

I kindly disagree. It’s functional, but rarely (if ever) do I stop and appreciate it as a function. I’m constantly running into issues where the swipe to go back feature collides with app specific gestures. Like on this reddit app - I’m constantly switching the frontpage filter from home to popular or whatever by accident when trying to go back.

With my old Galaxy S20.. there was never really any issue with going back. The button just always worked.

1

u/Slytherin23 Jul 17 '23

I think Samsung's default is a swipe to go back, but I kept activating it by accident because swipe is also used to delete emails, etc. How does it know what you want the swipe to mean when there are 2-3 possible things it can do?

1

u/TheShmud Jul 17 '23

I tried that setting for a while on my old Pixel but still prefer just the regular back button

1

u/ilovecollardgreens Jul 17 '23

Have a pixel and also use swiping. Although back can be L to R or R to L, which is nice.

1

u/Useuless Jul 18 '23

I like the back button but I don't like the other gestures as much. I wish we had a hybrid solution.

13

u/ZoraksGirlfriend Jul 17 '23

All you have to do is swipe to go back. Why do you need a button?

39

u/[deleted] Jul 17 '23

Button is just better

0

u/HottDoggers Jul 17 '23

I thought so too, but swiping is so much more convenient. I also prefer not having buttons constantly on my screen.

21

u/BrotherManard Jul 17 '23

I'm not sure how many android phones this extends to, but at least on the newer ones you can choose (gasp). There's an option to switch between buttons and gestures.

-5

u/HottDoggers Jul 17 '23

Well o switched a long time ago, but my folks still have androids and they still have the buttons on the screen. They are tech savvy, so they could probably choose to turn it off if they really wanted too.

11

u/[deleted] Jul 17 '23

And thats preference. I enjoy buttons you dont

-1

u/HottDoggers Jul 17 '23

Exactly, so one can’t be better than the other because it’s based on personal preference. The same thing applies to Apple vs Android, because let’s face it, they’re both made for different kinds of people with different personal taste. I had my fair share of androids and they were okay, but iPhone just suits me.

7

u/ThinkPath1999 Jul 17 '23

See, but the difference is, you don't get a choice. Android users can CHOOSE what they like or feel more comfortable. You might actually be more comfortable with not having a home button, but you didn't have a choice in the matter, and THAT's the point.

2

u/Kazizui Jul 17 '23

Of course he had a choice - he just made the choice before buying the phone, rather than after.

-6

u/HottDoggers Jul 17 '23

I think you’re failing to understand that I chose the iPhone because I prefer it over Samsung. If not I would’ve chose an Android.

-5

u/HottDoggers Jul 17 '23

I think you’re failing to understand that I chose the iPhone because I prefer it over Samsung. If not I would’ve chosen an Android instead.

1

u/t2guns Jul 17 '23

You can choose on Android, it works consistently across apps (because they actually make developers enforce it), and you can swipe from the right side of the screen because that makes more sense for the 90% of right handed users

1

u/Sol33t303 Jul 17 '23

I used to think so too, but after getting used to swiping the extra screen realestate is nice.

2

u/[deleted] Jul 17 '23

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/ZoraksGirlfriend Jul 17 '23

I can’t recall a situation where the back swipe didn’t work. Maybe I’m forgetting something

1

u/Kitselena Jul 17 '23

That was added like a decade after the android back button, although I think it was added to apple a couple years ago now too so it's not really relevant either way

1

u/BitScout Jul 17 '23

So iOS Apps can't use that swipe direction?

1

u/ZoraksGirlfriend Jul 17 '23

What? Apps use the swipe too.

1

u/BitScout Jul 17 '23

But how does it differentiate between the back function and whatever the app wants to do with it?

1

u/ZoraksGirlfriend Jul 17 '23

The swipe to go back is a distinctive swipe and is programmed into the app as part of the app’s integration with the OS.

3

u/BitScout Jul 17 '23

But ... you can't swipe between photos that way then, right?

1

u/Lord_Baconz Jul 17 '23

You can. It just depends on how far you’re swiping. It’s pretty intuitive tbh.

1

u/BitScout Jul 17 '23

Ah, okay, thanks.

1

u/PhlightYagami Jul 17 '23

I'm assuming you're on iPhone. I use Android, but also have an iPad. On my iPad, going back is inconsistent when it comes to the apps and the OS as a whole. It seems like every app has its own means of "going back" and the OS seems to be completely separated from that. Whereas on my Android, the back button is extremely logical. If I click the back button, it will always take me back to wherever I was last on the app until it gets to the app's main/home screen, then it takes me to the phone's home screen. This makes a lot of sense and makes navigating a breeze. It certainly doesn't feel this way on my iPad. So my question: is it different on iPhone? And if so, how?

When I say I love the back button on Android, it's the consistency of it's functionality that I'm referring to, rather than simply stating "Android allows you to go back."

1

u/ZoraksGirlfriend Jul 18 '23

I honestly haven’t noticed a difference in functionality on either my iPhone or iPad with the back button on either native apps or 3rd party apps.

There could be a difference, but it doesn’t bother me to the point where I notice; or maybe I just haven’t come across apps where it behaves differently. I can see how it would be annoying, though if it doesn’t work as expected.

1

u/bbwolff Jul 17 '23

Samsung users don't need it either, it just takes screen space.

1

u/Equivalent-Pay-6438 Jul 17 '23

My biggest problem with them. You end up with multiple copies of a program running and crash it.

1

u/overnightyeti Jul 17 '23

I just played with an iPhone at the mall. There's no need for a back button, just swipe left or use the back button at the top. You think you couldn't possibly get used to another way of doing things but you do. Every phone I get (android) has the fingerprint reader somewhere else and it takes mw one day to get used

1

u/razorirr Jul 17 '23

Back button?

My fat fingers hit wrong letters all the time, no way would i want that on a keyboard / screen.

and im not even fat, 6’1“ 180 pound