Unable To Get To The Status Bar

By Earle, 30 March, 2025

Forum
Braille on Apple Products

I'm borrowing an old Focus 40 from a friend. I want to get used to using a Braille display before my Mantis arrives. This is an older Focus, but I'm not sure which generation it is. The problem is, I can't get to the status bar by using chord s. When I try the command, nothing happens. Under the Braille commands, it says that chord s should take me to the status bar. Even if I'm in keyboard help, I'm told that chord s is the status bar command. Just wondering if someone might have any ideas about what may be happening. Any help would be appreciated.

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Comments

By Dennis Long on Sunday, March 30, 2025 - 16:25

Hopefully, this will be fixed in 18.4. Just hang in there, and we'll see in a few days. As always, the good folks at AppleVis will have a list of what
is new and fixed.

By allabtech on Sunday, March 30, 2025 - 16:25

If memory serves, this issue has been around sinse iOS 18.2. What I do to fix it is just touch the top of your phone.

By allabtech on Sunday, March 30, 2025 - 16:25

I'm on the RC of iOS 18.4 and it's not fixed yet.

By Dennis Long on Sunday, March 30, 2025 - 17:25

They are talking about braille displays are you using one of those when attempting to go to the status bar?

By Earle on Sunday, March 30, 2025 - 17:25

I'm also on the RC and it is not fixed. I thought it was just me. Good to know I'm not the only one.

By Brian on Sunday, March 30, 2025 - 17:25

Forgive me if I am misunderstanding the terminology, I do not use a braille display.
What happens when you type S by itself on the home screen?
Have you tried going into settings, accessibility, VoiceOver, commands, and checking to see if there are any braille keyboard commands that are customizable?

Thanks in advance.

By daybreaker on Sunday, March 30, 2025 - 21:25

Hello Earle. I do not have this problem and I have a focus 14 and do not have this problem. I am running the latest beta and so I do not think that is the problem. In windows where there is no satus bar. What app are you using?

By Brian Giles on Monday, March 31, 2025 - 11:25

4th gen Focus 40 Blue here. I've noticed this since last year in iOS 17. Sometimes typing S chord to go to the status bar works as it should, but other times it does nothing and VO just plays the sound as if you'd touched a blank area of the screen. I haven't found a consistent pattern as to when it works or doesn't.

I also occasionally noticed the same behavior with a BT keyboard pressing VO-M to go to the status bar.

By nikos daley on Monday, March 31, 2025 - 12:25

I also experience the same issue especially when something is on the dynamic island I have not found any work around to consistently go to the status bar. I am using the NLS EReader. Is there a way to minimize or disable the dynamic island, or move its location?

By Dennis Long on Monday, March 31, 2025 - 14:25

Absolutely report this. In the report be sure to include the model of display you are using.

By Katie P on Monday, March 31, 2025 - 15:25

Hi, something I have noticed when using both a display and command mode with BSI, is that if something is active in the Dynamic Island, this issue tends to show itself.
If your phone does not have this, or if you are using an iPad with your display, I have no idea what else could be contributing to this frustration.

By nikos daley on Monday, March 31, 2025 - 16:25

The other thing I have noticed is that if you have an alert that needs attention the status bar goes away or at least you cannot get to it with the S command. When I was using the Iphone Se 2022, I never experienced this bug, just on my pro with dynamic island.

By Brian on Monday, March 31, 2025 - 19:25

Thank the gods I do not have a dynamic island. I never understood why Apple did not make that a toggled feature.