People are using iPad OS features on their iPhones

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Desire for openness and control

  • Many see these hidden iPadOS features on iPhone as proof of how much Apple locks users out of their own hardware.
  • Several commenters say they’d rather have “boring” but open devices (Linux laptops, Android/GrapheneOS phones) than powerful but constrained Apple hardware.
  • Some argue that, as paying adults, they should be allowed to assume more risk (sideloading, root, custom OS) if they want.

What people say they’d do with a more open iPhone/iPad

  • Run full browsers with extensions, true ad blocking, and alternate engines.
  • Sideload apps (especially FOSS), install personal/internal apps permanently without paying Apple, and pin old versions to avoid “enshittified” updates.
  • Script and automate via shells (termux/a-shell–style), run CLIs like ffmpeg/yt-dlp, packet sniff, fine-grained firewalls, and even Emacs, Python stacks, or Mathematica.
  • Customize UI/UX (window managers, key remapping, disabling unwanted UI “glass” trends) and small quality-of-life fixes (flashlight behavior, Screen Time controls).
  • Use phone/tablet as a dockable desktop: external display, keyboard/mouse, desktop-class multitasking, maybe even VMs.

Security, battery life, and complexity

  • Opponents of openness stress that phones hold “entire lives” and that relaxed security, root, and sideloading would massively increase risk for typical users.
  • Others counter that desktop OSes work despite weaker models, that power users could improve battery by killing unwanted background services, and that Android/Lineage/GrapheneOS show FOSS can be efficient.
  • Some think iPad/iPhone multitasking UIs are already too complex for nontechnical users; others argue complexity should be optional, not forbidden.

Mac vs Linux and “locked down” debate

  • Debate over whether Apple Silicon Macs are truly “locked down”: many say macOS lets them build/run anything and is a good dev machine; others dislike notarization, UX constraints, lack of Linux boot, and proprietary GPU/Vulkan stack.
  • Asahi Linux is mentioned as partial relief but not yet a full mainstream replacement.

iOS vs iPadOS and feature gating

  • Thread consensus: iOS and iPadOS are clearly the same codebase with features toggled via configuration, not separate OSes.
  • Some see the separation as largely marketing and possibly regulatory strategy (keeping iPad out of EU “gatekeeper” rules).

Multitasking, small screens, and external displays

  • Mixed views on split-screen and Stage Manager: some find them useless or cramped even on 11" iPads; others rely on split-screen even on small Android phones.
  • Strong interest in a DeX-like or even macOS-on-iPhone/iPad mode when docked to a monitor, but skepticism Apple will ship anything that cannibalizes MacBooks or weakens App Store control.

Meta: article accessibility

  • Multiple complaints that the linked site is overloaded with ads, trackers, and/or Cloudflare errors, making it nearly unusable without reader mode.