Hacker News Reader

Comment by jonas21 | Hacker News Reader

Have you tried googling "iphone manual"? The first result is the iPhone User Guide [1], which is a comprehensive manual that does document literally everything.

The manual is also available as an 843-page ebook [2], and is accessible via the Tips app, which is preinstalled on the home screen.

It's not quite like the days when a paper manual would be right in the box, but it's close. And I think most people would be unhappy if their sleek new phone came with an 843-page tome (not to mention how much paper that would waste).

[1] https://support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/iphone/welcome/ios

[2] https://books.apple.com/book/id6443146864

View on HN

> The manual is also available as an 843-page ebook [2], and is accessible via the Tips app, which is preinstalled on the home screen.

I didn't know that. I thought Tips was an app that gave you a couple of dozens of tips, and nothing else.

Undiscoverability strikes again!

Would naming it "User Manual" be any better?

"it just works"

To be fair, it does for most people.

That’s why they’ve never read the manual.

What metric are you using to establish that claim though? Most people don't know what they don't know.

Most people don't care to know in the first place. Here on HN we are interested in technology and being a 'power user', but most users don't want to spend a lot of mental cognition on it.

Yeah I was mostly being snarky and pointing out the irony(?) of the manual itself not being a part of "it just works" because it's not called a manual and most people wouldn't expect it to be under "tips". The thing you need to know how it works doesn't "just work", but then again if it "just works" you shouldn't need the manual. Maybe it's a catch 22 instead of irony.

That doesn't seem to have a search feature? Not that a paper manual has, but flicking through quickly is a lot easier in paper than on screen.

I tried to find the answer to a problem I had and it's not there. I inherited an iphone where the side ringer mute toggle bounces back after setting, it's a mechanical error. There is no software "unmute" override - unless you use assistive touch. It took quote a while of wading through google results and well-intentioned-but-clueless advice from people before I found someone who revealed this. The manual just says assistive touch can help adjust volume so it is technically true I guess but the keyword "mute" is not there.

I did learn about the triple-click shortcut from than online manual just now, so I should thank it for that (even though it neglects to mention it needs to be enabled first).

That 843-page badonkadonk manual is a revelation! Thanks.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com