Moving items in iOS app is difficult (usability issue)

[DanSkeel]

Hello, it took me several minutes to figure out how to move items in the eiOS mobile app.

Now you need to tap and hold on the dot of the item for 2 seconds and then start moving it.
If you try to do it faster nothing happens.

How to make it better:

• At least show “Move N items” label right after moving can be started, so that the user immediately knew if he held enough to start moving. Otherwise, you can hold for a long time before realizing that you can move the item already.
• Reduce the time that you need to hold the dot of the item to start moving it.

Thank you.

[Erica]

Hi Dan,

• Reduce the time that you need to hold the dot of the item to start moving it.

We tried several time configurations, but when it’s too short it will often be accidentally invoked when people just want to tap on the bullet to zoom in.

And I’m not sure about the 2 seconds… I just checked the code and it’s 500 milliseconds (0.5 seconds) here. It definitely feels like more than that though, so we’ll investigate what happened there. If this is more responsive, it should also solve the other issue you mentioned:

• At least show “Move N items” label right after moving can be started, so that the user immediately knew if he held enough to start moving. Otherwise, you can hold for a long time before realizing that you can move the item already.

[Torben_L]

I have to disagree that being more responsive solves his first point.
I’m using Android so I can’t comment on the iOS design guides, but normally when the same input area has different behaviors when you tap vs. when you hold, then holding it gives a haptic (vibration) and visual feedback when you held long enough to invoke the action. This is not happening here, suggesting to the user that holding has no further effect.

[Erica]

I have to disagree that being more responsive solves his first point.I’m using Android so I can’t comment on the iOS design guides, but normally when the same input area has different behaviors when you tap vs. when you hold, then holding it gives a haptic (vibration) and visual feedback when you held long enough to invoke the action. This is not happening here, suggesting to the user that holding has no further effect.

Judging from the code, it looks like what was our initial plan. After a certain time passes with your finger on the bullet, the “Move 1 item” thing should appear. It’s not for some reason, could be a bug introduced later.

Good point on the vibration! I wish we thought of that earlier

[Mike_Reyher]

+1 on the haptic feedback. My fingers are big and it’s hard to tell if I have invoked moving an item.

[Mark_Waggoner]

I know this is an old topic, but I’m a new user

I also find reordering difficult in the iOS app. I didn’t even realize I could reorder by dragging the dot until I read this. If the dots are meant to be used to reorder then simply touching one and dragging should start moving the item. There should be no need to wait 500ms (or any time) to start dragging. If you want to zoom in, then you should RELEASE the touch within 500ms, but if you start dragging, moving the item should happen right away. As it is, if you touch a dot and start dragging, you simply scroll the whole page, so it appears that touching the dot is no different than touching any other point on the screen.

Also - it takes far more than 500ms for it to allow me to start moving an item.

[Alan]

I had no idea holding the dot did anything. My workflow involves single tapping the left margin to select an item, which has 0 delay and will make the line gray but not children. Then I tap the Move button or the up/down button.

Curiously, holding the dot for a moment makes the item blue, not gray, and selects all the children as well, but seems to have no practical difference, except drag is invoked if you then move your finger and don’t let go.