Opinion : iOS - Swipe to Edit or Delete

1

my iOS app has a table, each row can be either updated (edit) or deleted.

In YOUR opinion what is the best mechanisim

  1. Swipe LEFT and show icons for EDIT and DELETE
  2. Swipe RIGHT and show icons for EDIT and DELETE
  3. Swipe LEFT for DELETE and Swipe RIGHT to EDIT

Right now I have implemented #3, but seen many apps the use #2 instead

2

Heh. I prefer #1. Swipe left to get the Edit/Delete buttons.

Does option #3 have a confirm for delete or is it automatic?

3

Delete has a confirm action attached…

and I was wrong… most other apps I’ve seen use #1 not #2

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4

Full disclosure: I’m an old fart.
I hate having to guess what I need to do to cause a particular effect on a UI. I’ve always thought that swiping / pressing / long pressing / shaking / etc. should definitely be options for doing stuff, but it seems to me those things should be the equivalent of using keyboard shortcuts on a desktop. I shouldn’t have to already know the keyboard shortcuts in order to cut / copy / paste / new / etc. There are UI guidelines for some platforms and those should be followed if possible. For example, everyone knows that on a desktop, to copy you hit CTRL + INSERT. To paste is SHIFT + INSERT. Cut is SHIFT + DELETE. Backspace is CTRL + H. Moral of my rant… Really old folks like me will appreciate if those delete / edit functions are otherwise visibly discoverable.

5

I too am an old fart…
but Copy is Ctrl-C, Paste is Ctrl-V and Cut is Ctrl-X

but since this is an iPhone none of those matter.

6

Yes, starting with Windows 3.1, Microsoft chose to loosely copy Apple’s shortcuts. They still knew better than to eliminate the ones that all the old farts already knew though. Seriously… try them. I bet the ones I mentioned still work (and are more intuitive). I no longer have a physical Windows computer with a 101+ keyboard or I’d verify it myself. They should work on at least on Windows, DOS, OS-2 (I think), Linux, and others. This doesn’t apply to Macs or iOS of course. It was intended as an example of why it is important to follow prescribed per platform UI/UX guidelines in order to maximize the effect of your user’s muscle memory.

7

#1, all apps I use do it this way.

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8

Swipe left for edit and delete is what I am accustomed to / expecting in IOS apps, though I’ll admit I mostly use that in IOS chat, I think also Telegram, etc. I don’t use my phone for all that much besides, you know, calling people, lol. Old timer disease I guess. Don’t like working through that little peep-hole.

My iPad I use almost totally for Kindle. I am a dinosaur.

9

Stegosaurus ?

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