I don't frequently use VoiceOver text editing, but I was using it today in order to write some training notes. I was working on an iPad Air with iOS 9.0.1. Basically, I can't get editing to work reliably; I've tried a soft reset, which had no effect. I'm using the body text of an email as my example. I turn the rotor to words and swipe down until I reach the word I want to remove. Next, I turn the rotor to Edit and swipe down to arrive at "select". I double tap, and the word is selected. The usual black row of options appears on screen and VoiceOver speaks "[selected word], show more items, menu item". If I swipe up at this point, the black menu disappears and VoiceOver speaks "unselected, [selected word]". The same happens if I swipe down.
I can get to cut by tapping on the black bar and swiping left or right to "cut" but this isn't any use for someone with no sight. Since the VO focus appeared to be on the item to the right of the black bar (but didn't show) I tried a left swipe. This took me to the email Subject field. A right swipe took me to "minimize draft". Oddly, after I've done all of that while writing this email. A second attempt at swiping up after selected has worked correctly and I can swipe up to cut.
And now it's working every time.
I then dismissed the mail app and restarted it. This time, if I swipe up after selecting, I hear "unselected, [word] The issue has returned!
I've not reported to Apple yet, suspecting I might be doing something silly. Any advice, please?
By Brian Negus, 25 September, 2015
Forum
iOS and iPadOS
Comments
Your roter
Do you have Text Selection enabled on your roter? I had a problem similar to yours until I enabled it on my roter.
Why not just del the word in
Why not just del the word in question after selecting it by hitting the delete key? This works on all platforms. I can reliably edit on voice over, have been since about 2013 or so.
Thanks both for your replies.
Thanks both for your replies. sockhopsinger, I didn't have text selection in my rotor (never used it); I added it but the odd behaviour persisted. ZE7ZUM, of course you're right, but I was using Cut as a trivial example in my training notes before going on to things like copy and paste.
I've checked more now and have duplicated my findings on two different generation iPads with iOS 9.0.1 and would really like to know if others can reproduce these issues.
First, I've only experienced the VoiceOver editing issues in the mail app.
Notes (the old version), for example, works as expected. I turn the rotor to words, swipe up or down to find the word I wish to work with and then turn the rotor to edit. I swipe up or down to find select and then double tap. Finally, I swipe up or down again and get the usual cut, copy paste, etc. options. That's fine.
In the mail app, it's different.
I turn rotor to words and swipe up or down to reach the word I want to work on.
I turn rotor to edit and swipe up or down for select.
I double tap.
The VoiceOver focus is now on "more items" and a swipe up or down causes the text to become unselected. Editing doesn't work as it did in Notes.
There appears to be a workaround thanks to the suggestion from sockhopsinger.
I turn the rotor to words, swipe up or down to find the word I want to work on then turn the rotor to text selection and then swipe right to select the word.Now I can turn the rotor to edit and swipe up or down for all the usual edit options, including cut, copy and paste.
So, on my two iPads with iOS 9.0.1, text editing doesn't work as Apple describe in at least one app- mail. I'll report a suspected bug to Apple unless someone points out my error.
Thanks, Brian