Prominent iOS developer Steve Troughton-Smith last night tweeted that he found a one-handed mode for the iPhone keyboard via the iOS simulator. While unused, it has been available since iOS 8 (at the time when Apple launched the larger iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus), but has yet to be enabled for the public.
The feature is enabled by swiping on the edge on the keys, revealing a sidebar for cut/copy/paste, similar to the landscape keyboard on the larger iPhones. This would allow users to manipulate and reach the corners of the keyboard easier with one hand.
With the code being available since iOS 8 implies that Apple was working on the feature alongside the development of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus back in 2014, the original debut of the 4.7 and 5.5-inch displays. Obviously, the feature isn’t a top priority for Apple as it hasn’t shipped yet.
In the past, there’s been tons of hidden code that shows what Apple is working on or has been considering for quite some time. But it is apparent that this feature is almost ready to go as it seems to be really polished.
Users can either swipe in from the left or right side of the keyboard to reveal the shortcuts for cut/copy/paste which implies that it works for both left and right-handed users.
Steve Troughton-Smit tweeted a video of the feature in action.
