Five best Android features that iOS still doesn't have

Apple should consider bringing some of Android's popular features to its iOS system. Let's check out the top 5 Android features that are likely to garner popularity among iPhone, iPad, and other iOS device users. Unlike Android OS, iOS is considered a limited operating system with lots of room for upgrades.

The market is teeming with all sorts of smartphones that cater to various consumers. Although these handsets are considerably different from one other, the OS (operating system) they run on is what really separates them. According to GlobalStats data, Android has a 70.93 percent market share, while iOS has a market share of 28.37 percent. Still, both systems have billions of users worldwide.

Notably, Android and iOS have reputations for imitating one another from time to time. Also, Huawei is also prepping to compete against the two operating systems with its upcoming HarmonyOS 3.1 upgrade. It will be interesting to see whether the Chinese technology company's new OS will give Android and iOS a run for their money. In the meantime, Huawei phone owners can use the Gbox app to access Google services.

Android features that should be available on iOS

According to XDA Developers' Apple Editor Mahmoud Itani, there are five Android features that Apple should bring to its iOS. So, let's dive straight into the details.

1. Improved default app selection

Apple started allowing iPhone owners to set default apps just a few years ago. While iOS 16, which was announced at last year's WWDC, has this option, it is limited to web browsing and email apps. So, you can select a different app only for emailing and web browsing. By default, these tasks are assigned to Apple Mail and Safari, respectively.

Regrettably, you can't set a default file explorer, maps app, and music player. As a result, ditching Apple's system apps can turn out to be an arduous task. Itani believes a considerable number of users use these built-in apps because they have no other option. It is worth noting that Apple is still mum on its plan to expand its default app selection to include more apps.

2. Custom icon packs

Setting custom icon packs on iOS is not a straightforward process. Nevertheless, the system allows you to change the standard icons for select apps. You can replace these usually-boring icons with your own icon images and custom name. On the downside, this process requires you to apply custom images to one app at a time.

Previous iPhones have been criticised for lack of customisation, but the American tech giant is slowly opening up. For instance, Apple introduced an extremely flexible Lock Screen with iOS 16, allowing users to change widgets, typeface, colours, and more. Custom icon packs on iOS will further enable users to personalise their iPhones.

3. Advanced Control Center

The Control Center in iOS allows users to add/remove toggles at the bottom, but the top part can't be modified. Android OS users, on the other hand, can reorder and even get rid of toggles. In other words, Android OS allows its users to prioritise options that they really want. Most of the buttons on the iPhone's Control Center are never used, but they occupy the screen's space.

The stationary toggles on the iPhone comprise Volume, Brightness, Focus, Screen Mirroring (AirPlay), and Rotation Lock. Other unmovable toggles include Now Playing, Cellular Data, Airplane Mode, Personal Hotspot, AirDrop, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi. iPhone users can neither reorder nor remove these stationary toggles.

4. More adjustable Home, Lock Screens

Apple has been improving the Home and Lock Screens with iOS updates for a while now. For instance, users can now add widgets to their Home Screen. Moreover, the Lock Screen is almost fully customisable. Yet, there are a few limitations on the Home and Lock Screens. For example, users can't create gaps between two widgets or apps.

Aside from this, they can only place icons or widgets in order. Users can start with the top-left corner, then move to the right, row by row. The process of personalising the Home Screen is complicated. So, people end up using third-party widgets to get these blank spots. On top of that, these data bites are not interactive on the iOS 16 update.

The Cupertino-based tech firm will hopefully copy Android and make Home and Lock Screens more functional and responsive in the future. The Lock Screen is also limited because the shortcuts for the camera and flashlight are stable, meaning users can't replace or delete them. The only customisation always-on display support is hiding the notifications and the wallpaper.

5. Enhanced notifications

Android users who switch to iOS usually complain about the iPhone's notification system. While you can control how loud these notifications are on each app, they still lack proper categorisation. Apps can highlight an important message with the help of the Time-Sensitive API. Aside from that, there's not much that can be organised.

The iOS system also lacks smart reply APIs that enable users to instantly reply to texts received via third-party apps. So, it is safe to say that the iPhone is one of the best smartphones you can get your hands on, but it is not perfect. According to a 9To5Mac report, Apple is gearing up to unveil iOS 17 at WWDC in June. It will be interesting to see whether the company addresses the aforementioned concerns with its latest upgrade.