Understanding ‘Press Home to Open’ and ‘Press Home to Unlock’ in iOS 10

When Apple introduced the second-generation TouchID sensor in the iPhone 6s, users were quick to notice how much faster it was at recognizing fingerprints than its predecessor. This meant that users could unlock their iPhones and access their data faster than ever, but it introduced an interesting new problem: TouchID worked so quickly that users didn’t have an opportunity to see their pending notifications before being dropped at the home screen. Even a casual graze of thumb or finger over the home button could trigger the iPhone to unlock.

To address this issue, Apple has changed how iOS devices are unlocked in iOS 10. Gone is the famous “slide to unlock” and in comes the new “raise to wake,” which coordinates with TouchID. While you can still press the home or lock buttons to wake your device, the iPhone will now “wake” to the lock screen when you raise it.

From here, resting your thumb or finger on the home button unlocks the device but does not open it, instead leaving the user at the lock screen. This gives the user the opportunity to review any notifications. To access the home screen, or open the last running app, the user must press the home button.

This new unlock/open system is a welcomed change for many, but some users may prefer the previous method of unlocking and opening the device immediately after using TouchID. Thankfully, Apple allows users to switch back to the old method via an option in the iOS Settings. Here’s how to find it.

From your TouchID-enabled iPhone or iPad, head to Settings > General > Accessibility > Home Button. There, find the option labeled Rest Finger to Open.

With Rest Finger to Open disabled (the default configuration in iOS 10), touching the home button with your finger will unlock your device but leave you at your lock screen. Enabling the option will automatically unlock and open the device when your finger touches the home button, taking you to the home screen or your last open app and effectively reverting the way that TouchID functions to pre-iOS 10.

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