Thumb discrimination in mobile apps

Secret

I have a question for developers of smartphone program interfaces. And he is too vast to put him in Q&A.

Perhaps he is stupid and I don’t understand something obvious - in the end, my acquaintance with the science of creating interfaces is limited to the unread Ruskin and a couple of lectures. In this case, I apologize.

It justifies me that when I asked him the creator of one of the programs, he was very surprised and said that he never thought about it.

Actually, a question. Most of the time, the smartphone is controlled with one hand. Or rather, with her thumb. Then why in so many programs the most important button is out of his reach ?!

Material evidence

Corporate Twitter client. What is more important in this case - access to unsent messages or still the “Send” button? The text is entered as an example, from the bulldozer :-)

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RSS reader NewsRob . The main functions, in the mind - the transition to the next article and memorization of the article. The first is implemented as standard, tap along the edge. But why is the “star” somewhere in the attic?

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Evernote . Most often, you need to search and create a new note. Guess where they are :-) Yes, Evernote has a widget - but it is not always relevant.

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Yandex.Electrics . Check the schedule on the run, with bags in hand. Just do it!

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Dolphin Mini - a ray of light in the dark realm, a joy to the thumb. But they still put the “Share Link” button on the top - and even hid it in a submenu.

I am sure that you yourself will name a dozen more such programs.

Trying to understand

I understand that the screens on the devices are different and it may be easier to count the arrangement of elements from the top left. But somehow, the creators of the Opera and Dolphin browsers managed to place a toolbar with the most necessary buttons at the bottom! Not to mention the standard menu called by the button of the same name.

I understand that the user is used to the search button somewhere above and on the side, to the address bar and tabs at the top. But give at least the opportunity to activate them and control them from below - from where it is convenient from the point of view of banal physiology.

What other reasons? Can the on-screen keyboard cover the input field / button? Are there any guidelines from the secret world government ? ..

With all this, I have rather long fingers, and even on Desire HD it’s easy for me to bend the index and sideways click on the button or put the cursor in the input field. But it is inconvenient! And “work with both hands”, you see, is not an argument - you never know what the second is busy with.