Some features are so fundamental that you’d only expect them to be missing from a brand-new device or app. But after a decade on Android, switching to an iPhone has been both refreshing and frustrating—because despite its advantages, iOS still lacks some incredibly basic features.
7
Can’t Close All Apps at Once
Unlike computers, our phones rarely turn off. It usually happens only for updates or if an unexpected dead battery strands us. Since both are uncommon, open apps just keep piling up. To keep things tidy, I make a habit of periodically clearing my open apps. On Android, this takes just a swipe and a tap: swipe up to see recent apps, tap Cear all, and you’re done.
On Android 15, you now have to long-press and then swipe up to close all open apps.
On an iPhone, swiping up reveals your open apps, but there’s no Close All button. No long-press trick, either. You have to close them one by one. I know Apple says I don’t need to close the apps, but if I want to, I should be able to.
6
Can’t Force Stop an App
On an iPhone, you can’t ever truly close an app. On Android, if an app starts misbehaving, I can put it in its place—straight to Settings and then Force stop. Problem solved.
There’s no such option on iOS. If your Instagram story gets stuck on uploading, you’re out of luck. You can pretend you closed it by swiping it away in the app switcher, but did you really? Open it again, and it’s right where you left it, as if nothing happened.
5
No Easy Way to Clear App Cache
After the previous annoyances, it turns out you also can’t easily clear an app’s cache on an iPhone. Not even an illusion of it. On Android, it’s simple: Go to the app settings, tap Clear cache, and the app starts fresh without old cache clogging things up.
There’s no way to clear an app’s cache without fully deleting the app itself on iOS. If an app starts misbehaving, the only way to refresh it is to uninstall it completely, go to the App Store, and reinstall it. Seriously?
4
No Clipboard History
Windows and Android both have built-in clipboard managers, which let you access a history of copied text. I used this feature constantly—copying multiple things at once without worrying about overwriting them.
On an iPhone, however, the moment you copy something new, the last thing you copy is gone forever. Sure, third-party apps exist, but a clipboard manager needs to run in the background 24/7. Given the fragile iPhone battery life, I’d rather not take the risk.
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3
Copying Text Is a Nightmare
Every day, I find myself needing to copy and paste bits of information—confirmation codes, addresses, messages. You’d think this would be a seamless process, but on an iPhone, it’s anything but.
On Android, copying a message brings up a preview at the bottom of the screen, letting you easily select the exact part you need. It even automatically recognizes codes and numbers, so you can paste them instantly wherever needed.
If iOS recognizes a number or code as important, it’ll underline it with a dotted line. You tap that, and you can copy it. If not, then you’re out of luck—because getting a simple Select All option to appear is a gamble.
If you need to copy part of a message, you end up copying everything, pasting it somewhere else (like Notes), then selecting the part you actually want, copying that, and finally pasting it where you need it. It’s way too many unnecessary steps for such a simple task.
2
Apple Buries App Settings
If I need to change an app’s settings, I should be able to do it from inside the app. That’s how it works on Android, and it just makes sense. Camera settings? Open the camera app. Browser settings? Open the browser.
You guessed it. That’s not the case with an iPhone. For some reason, Apple decided that all app settings should be buried in the system-wide Settings app. If I want to change Safari’s settings, I have to go to Settings > Apps > Safari. There’s not even a shortcut inside the app to take you there.
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1
No Separate Volume Controls
I’m waiting for an important call while studying in a quiet library. I want my ringer volume to be at maximum so I don’t miss the call, but I don’t want my phone constantly buzzing with notification sounds.
On Android, this is easy. There are separate sliders for ringtone, media, notifications, and alarms. I can silence notifications while keeping the ringtone at full volume.
On the iPhone, it’s all or nothing. Either everything is on or everything is off. You can’t fine-tune individual sound levels unless you dig through obscure settings menus that barely offer any customization.
This isn’t a complex feature, and many people cite it as an Android feature that iOS should copy. It’s something that should’ve been standard years ago.
iPhones aren’t all bad…
I’d be more understanding if I were using an iPhone 5S, but I’m using an iPhone 16 Pro—one of the most expensive and advanced smartphones on the market. At this point, there’s no excuse for Apple to be lagging behind on these fundamental features.
The iPhone has its strengths, but when it comes to basic quality of life features, Apple has a lot of catching up to do.
