People Are P***ed About An iPhone Update That Makes It Easier To Text At The Cinema

Remember the days when you couldn’t use your phone on an airplane? Those were good days. Now, you can swipe away merrily on Tinder or join in the group chat from the air thanks to the WiFi connectivity available on the majority of planes.

Yup, times have changed, and now one of the last stalwarts of the ‘Turn Your Phone Off’ brigade – cinemas and theatres – are about to get a rude awakening too. Leaked news of an upcoming iPhone update reveals that users may soon be able to text or check their phone during films and plays without bothering others, simply by enabling ‘Theatre Mode.’

You’ll be able to toggle the mode on and off via a popcorn-shaped icon on your iPhone and iPad’s Control Centre, and when it’s on sound will be turned off and screen brightness will be dimmed. According to well-known Apple leaker Sonny Dickson, the update could come later this month, as part of the iOS 10.3 reboot.

iOS 10.3 to feature a new Theatre mode – will include a new popcorn-shaped Control Center icon.

— Sonny Dickson (@SonnyDickson) December 30, 2016

That’s great and all, but surely the joy of going to the cinema or to a play is that you don’t check your phone? Otherwise you might as well be at home on your couch with one eye on the new episode of Sherlock and one eye on Twitter. Plus, even with a dimmed light, your screen is still going to disturb other audience members, and in the case of live theatre, it could distract those on stage too.

News of the update has yet to be confirmed, but there’s already rumblings of anger…

If you use your phone in the cinema you are my mortal enemy and deserve a lifetime of only watching Adam Sandler films. https://t.co/LStMqCiqok

— Jenni Block (@evilnoodle) January 4, 2017

My no.1 peeve in cinemas now is people checking their phone during the film. ‘Theatre mode’ should be the off switch.

— Ben Steer (@ben_steer) January 4, 2017

No @_andrew_griffin to theatre mode app.Will just legitimise phone use. Just turn off bleedin phones for 2 hours. #theatreettiquette

— Theatre Charter (@TheatreCharter) January 4, 2017

Under no circumstances should you have a phone on in the cinema or the theatre. It’s selfish and annoying and just don’t do it.

— kofi kufuor (@kofi_kufuor) January 4, 2017

Do you mind people using their phone in the cinema or is it Dealbreaker Numbero Uno? Tweet us @stellarmagazine!

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