RAYMOND OGLESBY @RaymondOglesby2
July 12, 2022
The iPhone has a pretty simple and intuitive interface, but there are still some things that appear with no explanation. One such thing is the line under the cell signal, Wi-Fi, and battery icons on the Lock screen.
This is not the first mysterious thing to appear in this region of the iPhone screen. iOS 14 and iPad OS 14 introduced little green and orange dots to indicate when apps are using the camera and microphone. Let’s explore this curious UI element.
This is for the iPhone. Screensho9ts are from iPhone XR
It’s a Handle for Opening the Control Center
The Line under the battery was introduced in iOS 11.2 On a basic level, it’s an indicator of where the Control Center can be opened. You can think of it as the handle at the bottom of the Lock screen for swiping up.
Note! If you do not see this Line, try changing your wallpaper and/or font. Even if you do not see the Line, this feature will still work. Your Line will be a different color depending on your screen color.
Refer to the below image:
The Control Center is a special menu that contains toggles for things such as Airplane Mode, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. It can also be used for shortcuts to Flashlight, QR code Scanner, Calculator, and much more.
It’s a Privacy Feature
The Line has a second purpose that may be even more important. It does not just show where the Control Center is, it indicates that the Control Center can be opened from the Lock screen. Why is that important? If you see that Line, anyone can open the Control Center, even if the iPhone is locked. Thankfully, that’s something you can change if it bothers you.
Removing the Line
You can not really permanently remove the Line, but you can make it so the Control Center can not be opened when your iPhone is locked. The Line will still be present when the device is unlocked, though.
First, launch Settings, then tap the Face/Touch ID & Passcode section. See the below image:
Accessing the Face/Touch ID & Passcode option
Next, switch the Control Center toggle to OFF, under the Allow Access When Locked section. See the following image:
This is a really small thing, but small things can be confusing sometimes. Apple does not do a good job of explaining why this Line is there, it just is. Now you can explain it to your less knowledgable iPhone friends.
Quote For the Day
Technological progress has merely provided us with more efficient means for going backwards.
Aldous Huxley
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