The iPhone 8’s on-screen home button could be customisable, according to the latest information gleaned from Apple’s HomePod firmware.
Developer Steven Troughton-Smith reckons the virtual button can be resized and hidden, depending on which app is in use.
Related: iPhone 8
He says API evidence shows the new home button will be part of a periphery area. It’s unclear whether other functions will become available within this area.
We know some facts re iPhone 8 home button area:
• it resizes
• indicator can be hidden
• no API to change color
• tab bars extend under it— Steve T-S (@stroughtonsmith) August 10, 2017
So, if you’re watching a full screen video on the iPhone 8, you won’t see the home button interface show itself at any time.
“There is a system periphery area that expands/minimizes and shows/hides the home button indicator as needed,” he wrote in a later tweet.
Steve T-S also claimed there was no evidence the button will change colour to adapt to different apps.
No home?
It is now widely accepted that the iPhone 8 will be the first without a physical home button.
What’s not so clear is the fate of the Touch ID sensor it housed. Some reports have claimed it’s moving to the back (now considered unlikely). Others say it’ll be fitted within the display.
The most recent consensus appears to be that it is departing completely to be replaced by facial recognition.
Given the treasure trove of information found within the HomePod firmware, perhaps the most telling sign is the lack of reveals related to Touch ID.
Would you miss the Touch ID sensor if it was dropped from the iPhone 8? Share your thoughts @TrustedReviews on Twitter.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.