It’s been two weeks since the iPhone X was released and I still can’t get used to the App Switcher gesture. It’s the swipe up and pause gesture that just doesn’t sit well with my brain. Sometimes I release my finger way too quickly and end up on the Home screen. If you’re also facing similar issues where you can’t get to the App Switcher reliably every single time, we have a pro tip for you.
Must read: Top 25 iPhone X Tips and Tricks
App Switcher Gesture That Works All The Time
Instead of swiping up from the Home bar and waiting, try swiping at a 45-degree angle, from the left edge of the home bar, in a rightward direction.
Basically, you’re making a 45-degree angle with your finger from the starting point of the Home bar.
This works every single time. And because you’re swiping to the right, you don’t waste time waiting for the App Switcher to animate with all the cards.
This is a slight variation on MKBHD’s tip where he mentions to swipe up and then right. But for me, even that was unreliable. Swiping at 45 degree angle just works.
Once you’re in the App Switcher, swipe between the cards and pick the app you want to switch to.
Read more: How to Kill or Force Quit Apps on iPhone X
A Way Faster Method For Switching Between Recent Apps
Remember the 3D Touch recent apps gesture that first showed up in iPhone 6s Plus (and is back in iOS 11.2)? There’s a much better version of that built into iPhone X’s Home bar.
Swipe sideways on the Home bar and you’ll quickly switch to the most recent app you used. It’s fluid, and instant!
When you first do the horizontal swipe, iOS remembers the 4-5 most recent apps and freezes them in a carousel. So you can keep switching between them by swiping left and right using the Home bar.
This is a game changer, especially in day to day life. You’re usually using 2-3 apps at the same time. Looking something up in Safari, messaging in iMessage, or reading something in a third app. Using this left/right swipe on the Home bar is a huge time saver. And once you embrace this gesture, you’ll find yourself using the App Switcher less often.
What Do You Think of the New Gestures?
The more I use the gestures on iPhone X, the more I think they’ll change and evolve in iOS 12. These gestures feel very much like a version 1.0. Meant for first-time use. I hope to see a better implementation of Control Center and App Switcher in iOS 12.
What do you think of the new gestures? Did this new trick for using App Switcher work for you? Share with us in the comments below.
