Products · Broad category
Apple products
Raised as a usability problem by 1,127 people on Hacker News over 20 years (2007–2026), in 950 threads.
This is a broad category rather than one product, so its issues aren't ranked on the home page.
No issue was raised by at least 3 people in 3 threads this year.
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- 26Siri often fails to do requested tasksUnreviewed
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Every issue, all time, most people first
Confusing product names make model differences hard to tellUnreviewed
20072026- Can't tell which iPad model is current or how models differ2026-03-12
- Can't tell from the iPad names which model is an improvement2024-10-11
- Naming products by model numbers rather than descriptive names makes it confusing to know what you're buying2024-03-18
Scrolling is hijacked, making pages hard to scroll naturallyUnreviewed
20072026- Scroll animations break the page feeling like a solid surface when skimming fast2026-05-26
- Scroll animations make it hard to skim and find product information2026-03-18
- Scrolling is hijacked, making the page hard to scroll naturally2022-07-13
API documentation is buried, incomplete, or missing, hard to findUnreviewed
20072026- Finding current API details is slow; docs are missing, outdated, or buried in videos2025-08-29
- Docs omit critical info, so developers waste hours or weeks figuring out APIs2024-01-08
- Documentation doesn't explain how to actually use APIs2023-08-15
Mail is very slow with large Gmail accounts and search is unreliableUnreviewed
20072026- Becomes unusable with 100,000+ mails in an IMAP account, especially search and indexing2026-10-14
- Mail search is so slow and poor that scrolling back is quicker2026-09-15
- Search goes to server on poor connections and unfetched emails hang when offline2024-12-27
Long notes lag on phone and are hard to scroll to bottomUnreviewed
20072026- Enter key lags several keypresses, splitting the last word between tasks2026-03-02
- Long notes get laggy on phone and hard to scroll to the bottom2025-12-11
- Long notes stutter on text input and scroll jerkily, forcing users to split notes2023-10-27
Useful features are impossible to discover without being toldUnreviewed
20072026- Useful features are impossible to discover without being told about them2026-03-28
- Hidden feature makes the calculator's display hard to discover, so users never find it2024-09-01
- Hides features so users can't discover them unless they already know they exist2021-07-28
Appointments impossible to book, forcing walk-in lineupsUnreviewed
20072026- Appointments only available days or weeks away, at inconvenient times2025-03-21
- Staff ignore customers who already know what they want, with no clear ordering of who is served next2021-05-06
- Customers can't tell who to approach, and wait 45 minutes before being served2020-06-26
System animations are much slower than competitors', feeling sluggishUnreviewed
20072026- Screenshot interface is overcomplicated and slows interaction noticeably every day2026-10-20
- System animations are much slower than competitors', making the interface feel sluggish2026-04-20
- Interface is slow and users can't find things2025-09-16
Text is hard to read, with text placed on top of textUnreviewed
20072026- Text is hard to read, with text placed on top of text2025-06-09
- Low contrast makes text like "Nao" unreadable for aging eyes2025-06-09
- Text is unreadable on anything smaller than a 27-inch 4K display2024-08-31
Account locked with wrong-password errors and no explanationUnreviewed
20072026- No export option, forcing users to reset and re-enter every password manually2024-06-11
- Account locked out with wrong-password errors and no explanation given2024-04-27
- Can't tell how to unlock, pay, or close the account; support keeps failing2021-03-02
Page Up and Page Down keys missing or misplacedUnreviewed
20072026- Keyboard-only navigation with Tab or arrow keys is broken in Reminders2024-02-17
- Page Up/Down keys missing or misplaced, forcing awkward arrow key use2023-03-24
- Arrow key layout on Apple keyboards is awkward to use2020-02-11
Changing Apple ID loops, requiring deactivated credentials and manual sign-outsUnreviewed
20072026- Users get locked out of Apple ID and Sign in with Apple accounts, with passkeys making recovery harder2024-04-27
- Locked out of Apple ID with no explanation and keys don't work2024-04-27
- New Mac rejects correct saved password, locking user out of Apple ID2022-01-08
Notes edits don't sync to iPad after closing, with no explicit saveUnreviewed
20072026- Notes crashes and loses recent unsaved work, forcing user to duplicate notes2025-03-03
- Notes and iMessage sync repeatedly break with no easy way to fix2023-03-26
- Notes taken on iPad don't appear on iPhone with no feedback about sync2023-01-13
Different iCloud and App Store accounts are confusing; Macs get nagged for Apple IDUnreviewed
20072026- Changing the Apple ID email is unintuitive, so the person can't easily remove their last contact option2023-12-27
- Must sign into an Apple account to use products and download apps2023-03-09
- Being logged into iCloud and App Store with different accounts is confusing, and Macs without an Apple ID get nagged constantly2022-06-28
Low-contrast design makes interface elements hard to seeUnreviewed
20072026- Low-contrast interface design makes elements hard to see2026-01-16
- Low contrast makes devices hard to see against black background2025-10-15
- Flat design doesn't clearly show which elements are controls or their state2025-06-14
Mouse charge port makes it unusable while chargingUnreviewed
20072026- Magic Mouse cannot be charged while being used2025-08-24
- Mouse charge port makes the mouse unusable while it charges2022-04-22
- Mouse charging port on bottom and inconsistent port types needing dongles2022-02-15
Mouse scrolling is choppy compared with trackpad smooth scrollingUnreviewed
20072026- Content stutters with mouse wheel or scrollbar dragging, and must be scrolled carefully to see it2023-06-13
- Scroll animations on desktop with a mouse wheel look clunky2022-03-08
- Scrolling with a mouse wheel on desktop is janky and awkward2021-11-05
Flat keys are hard to type on, worsening touch typingUnreviewed
20072026- Keys with 1.0mm travel feel worse to type on than older scissor keyboards2021-04-13
- Typing addresses with the rotary control on the virtual keyboard is atrocious2019-06-17
- Flat keys are hard to type on, making touch typing worse2019-01-30
Mouse ball gets dirty and is hard to clean without opening mouseUnreviewed
20072026- Must break the mouse open weekly; tiny connectors and screws make cleaning hard2016-02-17
- Older mouse's scroll wheel/ball jams easily with dirt2015-10-13
- Trackball gets jammed with dirt, making scrolling a huge pain2015-10-13
Documentation is outdated, with broken links and missing informationUnreviewed
20072026- Web documentation is hard to find, so users come up empty searching for help2026-05-18
- Broken links and hard-to-find documentation; users can't locate articles that were moved or removed2021-05-13
- Documentation is incomplete and not well organized, hard to navigate2019-10-28
Can't tell beforehand whether Apple Pay works at a storeUnreviewed
20072026- Confusing to see Apple Pay listed alongside other payment options in apps2025-07-05
- Forced to use bank's clunky HTML app instead of seamless Apple Pay for contactless payments2022-07-20
- Setting up Apple Pay on a website takes many hurdles, including unneeded developer enrollment and phone interviews2020-02-12
Siri often fails to do requested tasksUnreviewed
20072026- Siri fails to recognize voices, so it refuses commands from one household member2023-01-18
- Siri refuses to launch non-CarPlay apps, forcing driver to look at and tap the phone2020-03-22
- Siri misunderstands commands, so the driver falls back to the touchscreen while driving2020-03-21
Too many gestures to remember, harder to recall than shortcutsUnreviewed
20072026- Relies on gestures and memory, which is unintuitive and frustrating for beginners2023-11-04
- Platform-specific gestures break muscle memory when switching between operating systems2022-09-08
- Users must memorize many swipe gestures and complex keyboard shortcuts2020-02-27
Changing password triggers repeated login prompts on each deviceUnreviewed
20072026- Devices demand the password at random with no triggering action, via modal popups over current work2025-06-12
- Setup requires logging in repeatedly, spins, empties dialogs, and re-prompts for password2024-04-06
- Constant 2FA prompts on every login make switching accounts burdensome and app updates ask for passwords2022-10-04
Device is too small with no wrist support, causing strainUnreviewed
20072026- Caused wrist problems for years when used daily2023-08-05
- Cramped layout forces wrists and arms into painful angles, causing hand pain quickly2020-05-31
- Large palm rest edges press against wrists, making typing uncomfortable on tables2018-04-21
Autocorrect reverts a word already corrected several timesUnreviewed
20072026- Autocorrect reverts a word the user has already corrected several times2026-01-23
- Autocorrect injects unrelated words and replaces minor typos with irrelevant ones2025-04-16
- Editing near a misspelled word keeps replacing it, so the user keeps overwriting text2019-08-14
Maps can't be pinch-zoomed and stops can't be added while navigatingUnreviewed
20072026- Map panning requires tapping tiny on-screen d-pad buttons while driving2025-01-23
- Can't pinch-zoom the map and can't add a stop while navigating2023-09-25
- Zooming the map is clumsy, and the map can't stay visible while using other apps2022-08-17
Verification uses SMS codes instead of an authenticator appUnreviewed
20072026- Verification code keeps failing, saying to try from an Apple device, with no way to proceed2025-09-06
- Verification codes never arrive, support disconnects mid-wait, and agents lack context2021-03-02
- Couldn't use verified phone number to approve sign-in; forced through repeated sign-out and calls2019-02-13
Touchscreen-dependent CarPlay is hard to use without touch while drivingUnreviewed
20072026- Navigating without a touchscreen takes significantly more steps than tapping the item2022-05-25
- Touch-based in-car interfaces are hard to navigate while driving; wants simple button-based menus instead2020-03-21
- Touchscreen controls distract drivers more than physical knobs and buttons do2020-03-21
Buying a computer involves over an hour of upselling before leavingUnreviewed
20072026- Simple power cord purchase took 1.5 hours of waiting in store2016-12-10
- Buying a computer in-store means waiting a long time for help and staff fetching stock2012-02-19
- Must wait for a salesperson to buy something, taking over half an hour2012-02-19
Can't turn off Bluetooth from quick settingsUnreviewed
20072026- Wi-Fi toggle is greyed out, so it can't be turned off in settings2025-11-20
- Bluetooth toggle turns back on instead of staying off2022-06-21
- No Control Center toggle for Bluetooth or Location Services, which is a dark pattern2021-04-21
Two-factor authentication is hard to turn off and needs a second deviceUnreviewed
20072026- Cannot turn off SMS as a 2FA option, only enable others2022-11-30
- Two-factor authentication is hard to turn off and requires a second Apple device2020-07-11
- Two-factor authentication cannot be turned off once enabled for a set period2019-02-22
Parents can't see or cancel child's subscriptions; must ask childUnreviewed
20072026- Parents can't see or control children's purchases; flaky, hard to find shared purchases2023-05-22
- No way to cancel or even view a child's subscription online2023-05-04
- Parents can't see or cancel subscriptions their child bought; must ask child to cancel2021-08-16
Notes app removes line breaks from pasted or typed textUnreviewed
20072026- Notes app removes line breaks from pasted or typed text2026-09-23
- New lines make half the note text disappear until pressing return several times2025-06-05
- Copy and paste silently breaks in Notes until the app is restarted2024-08-31
Touching anything in the app immediately dials a numberUnreviewed
20072026- Important calls and texts fail to ring or appear, and notifications vanish before tapping2026-08-05
- Pressing end call after the other person hangs up flips screen and dials a random recent contact2025-03-04
- Touching anything in the app immediately dials a number, causing accidental calls2022-11-15
Clicks fail unless pressed exactly on the misaligned click spotUnreviewed
20072026- Accidental mis-click with no way to back out2026-09-22
- Couldn't click it no matter how hard pressed; hand misaligned with click spot2021-02-02
- Elderly users accidentally click when resting hands on mouse; no clear button2009-10-10
Update flow pushes users into enabling automatic updatesUnreviewed
20072026- Automatic updates still require manually visiting settings to get timely update notifications2023-09-24
- Updates download automatically over shared connections, leaving users without internet and with no way to disable it2021-09-23
- Update flow pushes users into enabling automatic updates they did not choose2019-12-23
Prompts steal focus and ask for already-given consentUnreviewed
20072026- Unexpected prompts steal focus and interrupt work, often asking for already-given consent2026-03-05
- Repeated opt-in prompts appear at inconvenient moments, pushing users toward sharing data2024-04-04
- Software pushes unwanted prompts, tips and onboarding dialogs that block use until dismissed2021-08-30
Missing haptic feedback makes the trackpad hard to useUnreviewed
20072026- IOS apps on Mac require an awkward trackpad-driven interface instead of touch controls2021-06-24
- Lack of haptic feedback makes the trackpad confusing to use2019-12-23
- Trackpad is hard to use for precise pointing work2010-09-16
Must re-enter Apple password for every app downloadUnreviewed
20072026- Has to re-enter Apple password every time downloading an app2025-06-12
- Users must re-enter Apple ID and local passwords many times, especially on virtual keyboards2017-05-14
- IOS and macOS ask for iCloud password so often that it's frustrating2016-04-16
Autocomplete selects a different address than typed, even on confirmUnreviewed
20072026- Emails vanish, reload slowly, shift selection unexpectedly, and contacts autocomplete is unreliable2022-01-27
- Autocomplete selects a different address than the one typed, even when confirming2019-03-21
- Similar method names make autocomplete mistakes easy and hard to notice2016-01-28
Time zone wording confusing; suggested fix doesn't stop the behaviorUnreviewed
20072026- Apple's time zone wording is confusing and the suggested fix doesn't stop the behavior2025-01-21
- Appointments silently change time when travelling across time zones, so entered times are wrong2019-05-06
- Labels, timezones and names are entered and displayed in ways that waste time and break expectations2016-12-20
Family Sharing unclear: how accounts, credit and purchases relateUnreviewed
20072026- Family Sharing seems confusing; unclear how accounts, credit and purchases relate2025-02-12
- Family account setup is buggy, and purchases had to be re-bought three times2021-09-21
- Family Sharing has no granularity and parents must re-sign in to update games2018-11-04
Books app deletes downloads, forcing redownloads that fail offlineUnreviewed
20072026- Books app deletes downloaded books and must redownload them, failing offline2026-02-19
- App lags badly and crashes often, forcing reboots when opening books2024-03-19
- Books vanish on reopen after failing to save to iCloud, with no explanation2023-12-13
Cannot merge accounts, move purchases, or change Apple email IDsUnreviewed
20072026- Changing email leaves purchases scattered across multiple accounts2025-06-20
- Can't change email on the card; support from bank and Apple both pass the user around in circles2024-10-23
- Can't merge accounts, move purchases, or change Apple email IDs2012-08-25
Password reset unexpectedly affects App Store account without noticeUnreviewed
20072026- Users unsure which of two Apple accounts a sign-in prompt wants, leading to wrong logins2025-02-12
- IOS asks for an old Apple ID password on app update without saying which account2022-01-08
- Confusing two accounts on device; password reset affects App Store account unexpectedly without notice2021-07-11
Icons replace text labels, so users can't tell what controls doUnreviewed
20072026- Icons replace text labels, so users can't tell what controls do2021-05-03
- Icons differ only by shape and lack labels, so users must hover to identify them2020-11-23
- Black-and-white icons without text labels make desired icons harder to locate quickly2015-08-13
Reopening an already-read book lags one to two secondsUnreviewed
20072026- Gets kicked out of the current book every few minutes due to syncing2024-01-04
- Opening an already-read book takes a noticeable 1-2 second lag2022-12-17
- Jumping through book content has become slow to respond2022-06-23
Control and Command key positions awkward for editing shortcutsUnreviewed
20072026- Control key sits in a far corner, making frequent Control shortcuts awkward to press2018-07-14
- Control and command key positions are awkward for editing shortcuts2008-12-09
- Had to remap keys and uses awkward Cmd shortcuts, reducing productivity daily2008-10-20
Mail search works unpredictably, missing what users expectUnreviewed
20072026- Mail doesn't sort or search messages reliably anymore2026-09-18
- Bugs in AirDrop, Mail search and Spotlight search are maddening to use regularly2026-01-23
- Mail search works in bizarre, unpredictable ways for the user2025-05-01
Taps during bouncing scroll missed until animation stopsUnreviewed
20072026- Must swipe excessively and can't skip animations to reach the next text2026-03-18
- Animations delay reaching content and horizontal scrolling breaks expected scrolling behavior2026-01-22
- Animations delay interaction; taps during bouncing scroll are missed until animation stops2025-09-05
Search often fails to find notes containing a known wordUnreviewed
20072026- Search only matches word prefixes, so finding a note by a mid-word fragment fails2025-08-13
- Searching 'starbuck' fails to find "Starbuck's" in notes, even for simple phrases2025-06-30
- Search often fails to find notes containing a word the user knows is there2022-11-16
Unreviewed issues were grouped by machine: Claude Haiku labelled each comment as a usability complaint, named what it's about and summed up the problem in a line, and a small model grouped similar problems. Nobody has checked them by hand. Expect mistakes.
The newest 50 complaints
- Apple's products have become less seamless and annoyance-free than before2026-10-28
- Right side of documents is cropped when Always Show Scrollbars is enabled2026-10-27
- Screenshot interface is overcomplicated and slows interaction noticeably every day2026-10-20
- Navigating Apple software is a minefield of bizarre UX mistakes2026-10-18
- Remote can't find or connect to the Mac on the same network2026-10-16
- Basic features barely functional and UI hard to use, with many glitches2026-10-16
- Registering devices with Apple Home is painfully frictional and hard to complete2026-10-15
- Can't find recent emails from this week but finds old ones2026-10-15
- Becomes unusable with 100,000+ mails in an IMAP account, especially search and indexing2026-10-14
- Becomes a mess to use once you have more than about 10 IoT devices2026-10-13
- Home app interface is basic and poorly designed for user experience2026-10-13
- Drag-and-drop target gives no feedback and won't accept the IPSW image2026-10-13
- Notes app removes line breaks from pasted or typed text2026-09-23
- Apple apps repeatedly nag and auto-launch unwanted features like Music and Maps prompts2026-09-22
- Accidental mis-click with no way to back out2026-09-22
- Car display launches the last-used app instead of the one the user opened2026-09-22
- Hard to turn off settings Apple doesn't want you disabling; ad tracking toggle for Apple ads confusing2026-09-21
- Mail doesn't sort or search messages reliably anymore2026-09-18
- Can't zoom, pan or search the route map on the CarPlay screen; phone shows only a text list2026-09-16
- App time limits often fail to lock apps, break after OS upgrades, and can be bypassed2026-09-15
- Mail search is so slow and poor that scrolling back is quicker2026-09-15
- Parental controls and Screen Time are hard to set up or make work2026-09-14
- Forgot connections were disabled, so the device silently failed to connect to networks2026-09-08
- Can't get a calendar file to open in Calendar; events must be added manually2026-09-08
- Disabling the setting is confusing and needlessly cumbersome, a dark pattern2026-09-08
- Users can't see the status of bugs they report and get repeatedly asked for diagnostics that are ignored2026-08-22
- Apple's 'cool design' UI choices are idiotic and unnecessary, frustrating daily2026-08-20
- Fine-tuning controls across devices is a pain and has bugs where blocking fails2026-08-13
- Setting up restrictions takes about 18 precise clicks with many distracting options2026-08-11
- Fn key in bottom left corner is awkward and needs remapping2026-08-06
- Important calls and texts fail to ring or appear, and notifications vanish before tapping2026-08-05
- Apple's OS user experience has regressed, making software harder to use2026-07-05
- Audio stutters with pops and crackles under high CPU load until the machine is rebooted2026-06-30
- New devices are crap to use despite bigger spec numbers2026-06-19
- Parental controls are poorly designed, giving parents a bad experience2026-06-09
- CarPlay takes over playback, so the car's play button no longer starts the radio without extra steps2026-06-08
- Drag-and-drop blocks make manipulating data structures take ages to build2026-06-08
- Settings search requires exact wording and deeply nested menus make settings hard to find2026-06-08
- Search is unpredictable and shows unread badges on folders with no unread mail2026-06-02
- Removed refresh button forces users to wait for unknown polling interval to fetch mail2026-06-02
- Can't recover account because old security answers are forgotten and not accepted2026-06-02
- Custom fields and special fields are unsupported, forcing manual one-by-one copying into notes2026-05-27
- Scroll animations break the page feeling like a solid surface when skimming fast2026-05-26
- Shortcut-based buttons only work on MacBook Pro, not on other Macs2026-05-20
- Web documentation is hard to find, so users come up empty searching for help2026-05-18
- No way to adjust line spacing, so paragraphs look crunched together2026-05-10
- Command spelling is so unforgiving it's hard to get right2026-05-10
- Describes the developer-program experience as bad UX, without saying what goes wrong2026-05-09
- Tapping the wanted card often fails to select it, forcing repeated taps2026-05-05
- Card reordering is hidden in the Wallet app with no visual cues, and users accidentally change default card2026-05-05