How to unlock your iOS10 iPhone without pressing the home button

 Since iOS10 was released I’ve heard loads of people complaining that they can’t unlock their phone easily. For some unknown reason Apple decided to change the way you unlock the phone with the fingerprint recognition. The process used to be as follows:

1. 1. Press the home or power button so your phone screen came on.
2. 2. Rest your finger on the home button.
3. 3. It recognised your fingerprint and opened the phone. Done!

The new standard behaviour in iOS10 is now as follows:

1. 1. Press the home or power button so your phone screen comes on.
2. 2. Rest your finger on the home button.
3. 3. Wonder why it hasn’t opened the phone.
4. 4. Press the power button to switch it off and on again.
5. 5. Press the home button and wonder why it’s asking for a pin instead of your fingerprint.
6. 6. Swear a lot.
7. 7. Press the home or power button so your phone screen comes on. Again.
8. 8. Rest your finger on the home button.
9. 9. Notice that at the top of the screen is now says “unlocked” even though nothing else changes.
10. 10. Press the home button.
11. 11. Your phone is now open and ready to use.

This is a massive frustration, and pretty much everyone I know has asked why on earth they changed it to add another home button press, if and when it works, which is obviously slower.

Thankfully I have good news :) You can revert the unlock functionality to work exactly how it used to, so no more ranting required! It’s actually really quick and simple once you know how to navigate the settings. So here’s how you do it:

1. 1. Run the “Settings” App.
2. 2. Choose “General”.
3. 3. Choose “Accessibility”.
4. 4. Scroll down and choose “Home Button”.
5. 5. At the bottom of the screen, switch on “Rest Finger to Open”

And that’s it. It will now behave just how it used to :)

Please feel free to share this article, to help any of your friends or colleagues you have seen losing their temper with their phones, and about to throw them across the room when trying to unlock them.

Thanks

Richard