It is not possible to access and type accented characters when using Touch Typing mode with the onscreen keyboard

Category
Miscellaneous
Severity
Serious

Description

When using a language that has accented characters (such as French, Spanish or German), it is not possible to type these characters with the onscreen keyboard if you are using the Touch Typing mode.

In versions of iOS prior to 11.0, you held your finger briefly on a character, until a pop-up appeared on screen showing any available alternate variants of the character. You would then slide your finger to the one that you desired. When you then lifted your finger, that variant of the character would be typed.

This is currently not working under iOS 11.0.x.

Bug First Encountered

iOS 11.0

Device(s) bug has been encountered on

iPhone 6S

How often the bug occurs

Always

Workaround

It is still possible to access and type accented characters when using Standard Typing mode. However, for experienced users, this mode is likely to be slower and far less desirable.

Status

Fixed

Fixed In

iOS 11.1

Options

Comments

By splyt on Sunday, November 5, 2017 - 15:20

There is a work around I have found.

1- In professional typing, find the letter to be accented.
2- Lift your finger, you will enter that letter. But do not move your finger, just let it away from the screen but at the very same position it was.
3- Now double tap and hold.
4- You will see the popup. Move your finger to the appropriate character and lift, you will enter the correct character.
5- Blearg ... now move one character back with the rotor and delete the non accented character you entered when you first lifted your finger...
6- I suppose if you double tap and hold directly where the letter is you can skip the steps 1 2 and 5 but this is the way direct touch typing works not the way professional typing does. This is a bug that needs to be fixed.

By splyt on Sunday, November 5, 2017 - 15:20

You can though type accented characters even in touch typing mode but this makes typing really slow for languages where these characters are very frequently used.

In order to type the accented characters, make the following:

1- In touch typing, find the letter to be accented.
2- Lift your finger, you will enter that letter. But do not move your finger, just let it away from the screen but at the very same position it was.
3- Now double tap and hold.
4- Now the popup will appear as usual. Move your finger to the appropriate character and lift, you will enter the correct character.
5- Blearg ... now move one character back with the rotor and delete the non accented character you entered when you first lifted your finger...
6- I suppose if you double tap and hold directly where the letter is you can skip the steps 1 2 and 5 but this is the way direct touch typing works not the way touch typing does. This is a bug that needs to be fixed.

By Louis on Sunday, November 5, 2017 - 15:20

The problem does not happens only on an iPhone 6F. I have an iPhone 5s snf «i have the very same problem.«

By Diana on Sunday, November 5, 2017 - 15:20

Also struggling with the same thing. I have an iPhone 6. I hope apple fixes this soon.

By Elfo on Sunday, April 5, 2020 - 15:20

iOS 13.1.1 / iPhone11 and I’m experiencing the same problem for a month now. Restart doesn’t help.