In iOS 10, Apple has redesigned the entire Lock screen experience, eliminating the "Slide to Unlock" feature and changing the unlocking interaction on its most recent devices.

On the iPhone 6s, 6s Plus, 7, and 7 Plus, a new "Raise to Wake" feature that automatically activates the screen of the iPhone changes the unlocking interaction, requiring a physical button press to open the iPhone to the Home button. In iOS 9, no actual button press was required, as unlocking the iPhone was done just by touching the Touch ID button.

The change to the iPhone unlocking system has been unsettling for some users, but luckily, there's a way to fix it and return to the iOS 9 setting.

  1. Open the Settings app
  2. Go to the General section
  3. Choose Accessibility
  4. Scroll down to Home button and tap the option
  5. Toggle on "Rest Finger to Open"

With "Rest Finger to Open" turned on, a finger on the Home button will once again unlock the iPhone to the Home screen, returning it to iOS 9 functionality.

Raise to Wake and the new unlocking system are arguably an improvement over the previous iOS 9 unlocking methods, so users may want to try to get used to the new system instead of making the change. With Raise to Wake and the press to unlock feature, you can see all of your notifications without accidentally bypassing them, which is convenient.

Related Forum: iOS 10

Top Rated Comments

darkgoob Avatar
85 months ago
I hate this new design for several reasons.

(1) Pressing the home button is awkward; swiping is natural. They should have left an option to swipe to unlock even with the "wake on rise" mode on.

(2) I don't want my notifications showing before the device is unlocked. What is the point of having a password and a thumbprint lock if anyone can see notifications as they come into the phone? I don't want to have to go through the extraordinarily kludgy process of, one by one, selecting all of my 500+ apps and manually setting them to not send notifications to the home screen.

(3) Notifications have never been done very well in iOS. I greatly prefer how it was in the Palm Pre, where a notification would remain on the screen in unlocked mode until it was dismissed, rather than only popping up briefly before disappearing. That way I could leave something on the screen until I had time to deal with it, and it would keep reminding me to deal with it because it was still there on my screen until I dismissed it. I hate having to swipe down into the Control center thing, then scroll through a list of 400 majillion notifications from every freaking app, since nowadays they ALL want to constantly spam you with crap like eBay saying "New Items are now on eBay! Come look!" (Well no crap, Sherlock!) Or Future Music: "Get up to 89 issues of Future music for just $47.99" or Sleep Cycle "Good Morning!" etc. I hate all that!

(4) There should be an option to show the notifications screen immediately after unlock as the homepage of the phone, rather than always showing me the apps screen first. The apps screen is basically useless; it hasn't been changed since they added app folders, but app folders are a huge pain in the butt to use because you have to drag an app across 12 screens of other apps and folders, and if you drop it in the wrong place (which is easy to do) then it will screw up the app tiling on all the subsequent pages! Why have they still not added the ability to long-press on an app and then be shown a list of all folders and pages on the device (like the screen you see in iTunes) so that you can send an app directly to the proper folder? Why don't they have the ability to select which folder an app will go into when you download it from the App Store the first time?! Why does it always dump in on whatever the first page with an open slot was? I was keeping those slots open FOR A REASON, so that if I accidentally drop an app somewhere, there is some buffer space and every subsequent page won't get all screwed up!

Come on Apple! Where is your brain these days?
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Chupa Chupa Avatar
85 months ago
Nice for those who have Touch ID...
But why completely abandon Slide to unlock??
Because it's Apple, therefore it's better. Period.

OK, seriously, I posed this question during the beta as my "test mule" is an iPad Mini 2. Agree, it's a PITA if you don't have Touch ID and Apple SHOULD HAVE left an option for slide to unlock, at least for non-Touch ID models as that is what they were designed with.

I think Apple's end-game is to frustrate customers with older machines so they upgrade. It seems Tim Cook's eco-friendliness nature goes no farther than his wallet.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
LinusR Avatar
85 months ago
Nice for those who have Touch ID...
But why completely abandon Slide to unlock??
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
b0nd18t Avatar
85 months ago
Seems like a step back to make the default setting a click. Very odd choice. Oh well turned mine back to how it was and I'm happy.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sniffies Avatar
85 months ago
Just another indication that Home button is going eventually.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gsmornot Avatar
85 months ago
This solves it alright. I like the new way though. In the past I would blow past the notifications on the screen. Now, I read them, reply from the lock screen and I'm done. No need many times to even see my home screen.

In the end, this is a good tip for all those that do not like the "new way".
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 17 on Phone Feature

Gurman: iOS 17 to Provide Several 'Most Requested Features'

Sunday March 26, 2023 6:05 am PDT by
Apple changed the strategy for iOS 17 later in its development process to add several new features, suggesting that the update may be more significant than previously thought, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports. In January, Gurman said that iOS 17 could be a less significant update than iPhone updates in previous years due to the company's intense focus on its long-awaited mixed-reality...
iOS 16

iOS 16.4 Will Add These 8 New Features to Your iPhone

Sunday March 26, 2023 8:06 am PDT by
Following nearly six weeks of beta testing, iOS 16.4 is expected to be released to the public as soon as this week. The software update includes a handful of new features and changes for the iPhone 8 and newer. To install an iOS update, open the Settings app on the iPhone, tap General → Software Update, and follow the on-screen instructions. Below, we have recapped eight new features and...
apple mixed reality headset concept by david lewis and marcus kane

Some Apple Employees Seriously Concerned About Mixed-Reality Headset as Announcement Draws Closer

Sunday March 26, 2023 8:25 am PDT by
Some Apple employees are concerned about the usefulness and price point of the company's upcoming mixed-reality headset, The New York Times reports. Apple headset concept by David Lewis and Marcus Kane Initial enthusiasm around the device at the company has apparently become skepticism, according to eight current and former Apple employees speaking to The New York Times. The change of tone...
iOS 16

Apple Releases iOS 16.4 With New Emoji, Safari Web Push Notifications, Beta Changes, Voice Isolation for Calls and More

Monday March 27, 2023 10:03 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 16.4, the fourth major update to the iOS 16 operating system that initially came out last September. iOS 16.4 comes two months after the launch of iOS 16.3, an update that added Security Keys for Apple ID. iOS 16‌.4 and iPadOS 16.4 can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. It can take a few minutes...
Steve Jobs Theater dusk

Apple Reportedly Demoed Mixed-Reality Headset to Executives in the Steve Jobs Theater Last Week

Sunday March 26, 2023 5:53 am PDT by
Apple showcased its mixed-reality headset to the company's top 100 executives in the Steve Jobs Theater last week, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter, Gurman explained that the "momentous gathering" is a "key milestone" ahead of the headset's public announcement planned for June. The event was intended to rally Apple's top members of...
top stories 25mar2023

Top Stories: iPhone 15 Pro Design Leak, iOS 16.4 Coming Soon, and More

Saturday March 25, 2023 6:00 am PDT by
We're still almost six months away from the official unveiling of the iPhone 15 lineup, but it seems like every day we're learning more about what to expect from the next-generation models. Notably, this week gave us our clearest look yet at what appear to be some changes for the volume and mute control hardware. iOS 16.4 and associated releases are also right around the corner with some new ...
apple tv 4k red image

Apple Releases tvOS 16.4 for Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD

Monday March 27, 2023 10:00 am PDT by
Apple today released tvOS 16.4, the fourth major point update to the tvOS 16 operating system that came out last September. Available for the Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD, tvOS 16.4 comes two months following the release of tvOS 16.3. The tvOS 16.4 update can be downloaded over the air through the Settings app on the ‌‌‌‌Apple TV‌‌‌‌ by going to System > Software Update....