Just what is the Back button < supposed to do?

extreme_one

I must say the back button on the top left of the forum behaves most peculiarly.

Let's say I'm viewing the Feedback Tag, I enter a thread and view the contents of the thread, then click on the Back button.
Where do I end up?

I would expect to arrive back at the Feedback tag view, as that's where I was previously.

Instead I'm taken back to All Discussions.

This means, to get back to where I previously was I need a couple of additional clicks to return to the Feedback tag view.

Personally I find it inconsistent and unintuitive.

peterhall0012

extreme_one same for me

pw6049

extreme_one like blackfive460 said I use the bottom of the page back button and that seems to work.

shabazmoqsud

extreme_one yes the back button.should take you back to the feedback discussion but doesnt its silly really. i have to use my own phones back button then it works properly.

danwillen

extreme_one ever unusual behaviour from this button.

just click button and are taken back to all descutions - wrong action based on url button links to should take you back to discussions list
long press and open in new tab and will tack back to discution list was n eg feedback
if accessed descution from notifications always taken back to notifications page

all these actions witnessed in both desktop and mobile.
based on url button links to i think is ment to be a back button.

andyslc

extreme_one maybe they could rename it to the “Groundhog Day” button. It’s quite frustrating. Not yet trained my brain to use the back arrow at the bottom of the page (on iOS app).

stephenpperry

extreme_one oh I only just saw your post and made my own just before! Sorry!

I have this issue too!

blackfive460

I wouldn't call it unexpected behaviour since what you are seeing is what it does on every other Flarum powered forum so presumably that is how it is supposed to work.

To get the behaviour you'd like to see, you'll need to use your browser's back button.

extreme_one

blackfive460 The fact that it behaves similarly on all Flarium forums doesn't detract from the fact that it is peculiar.

Another example: If I'm in my list of Notifications and click on one of the notifications to view the related post, when I click the back button I'm taken back to my list of Notifications. That's what I would expect. So it behaves correctly in this instance, and not in others.

The behaviour of the back button is inconsistent, it's unintuitive and it's confusing.

isabel1066

blackfive460 To get the behaviour you'd like to see, you'll need to use your browser's back button.

Thank You that works for me.

davidevans0000

blackfive460 To get the behaviour you'd like to see, you'll need to use your browser's back button.

Cheers thats saved me some time and less faff on.

endorphin

Hmm, I see that unexpected behaviour too but not all the time. Also if you right click on the forum's back button and choose Open in new Tab/Window it works 100% as it should!? Well at least it does for me.

gvmhb

I find this recent 'update' very annoying.

Don't know if it's the same on desktop site, but on my mobile when going back from reading a post, instead of taking you back to where you were it goes to 'all discussions' so then have to do the tags thing to get back to GD.
What on earth can be the reason for this? 😠

isabel1066

gvmhb what you have to do on a phone is click the back button at the bottom of the screen that works.and on a pc we have to click the browser back button must admit the other way was better.

i_am_sy

gvmhb

That's standard functionality for a button there, it takes you back to the top level. Else you could be clicking it 20 times in a row depending on how deep you have gone.

Your phone will already have a back button that takes you back a page at a time.

davidevans0000

gvmhb you will get used to it eventually.

extreme_one

i_am_sy Go to your notifications list, then click on one of your notifications to view the post. Now click on the back button.

See?
You end up back where you were, in your notifications list.

The back button is inconsistent, it's unintuitive and it's confusing.

The fact that people are complaining highlights poor design.

A UI shouldn't need continual explantation, it should behave in a natural and intuitive manner! if a button icon looks like a Back button then it should behave like a back button.

tonicurtis1967

Id not noticed lol

i_am_sy

extreme_one

It works perfectly in that sense as that's what it is supposed to do, you'll find many apps certainly on Android work the same way, so it's consistent with them.

To go back a page at a time you should already have a sperate back button on your device.

harrrrrry

extreme_one The back button is inconsistent, it's unintuitive and it's confusing.

I suspect it's not meant to be a back button and ought to have a different icon:

in some ways, it's working more like a cross between a back button and a home button, a sort of "local-home" (going back to the parent level). We need to decide what function(s) the icon presently does and split them up -- maybe using < for back and ^ for local home
it's also confusing that the same < icon is used on desktop to collapse the pinned pullout

extreme_one

i_am_sy you'll find many apps certainly on Android work the same way, so it's consistent with them.

With respect I've been an Android user since Honeycomb and I've rarely seen a back button behave so erratically. In fact I'm struggling to think of even one app, ever, where a Back button doesn't actually take you Back. 🤣

If this was common behaviour then nobody would be complaining.

If the developers want this button to have some other functionality, such as moving up a level, or taking you to the top level from your current location, then they need to redesign the icon and actually make it behave in a consistent manner.

Currently it behaves as a Back button sometimes, depending on where you are, and at other times it moves you to top level.

There's no greater sin, when creating a UI, than confusing your users with inconsistent behaviour.

blackfive460

extreme_one

It seems to me that the obvious, and hopefully fairly simple solution to your problem would be to have the button that appears on mobile along with the notifications list changed to take you to the All Discussions list. As far as I'm aware it's only with the notification list and only on mobile that there's any inconsistency in behaviour so if that's changed there'll be no doubt as to how it's supposed to work.
@alex_w is that a possibility?

extreme_one

Another member complaining about the same issue.

It looks like a Back Button, but it doesn't behave like one.