VO skipping to top after iOS 12.1.1 update

You have described the problem very well. The VoiceOver focus is jumping periodically back up to the top of articles inside the Apple News app on my iPhone 8. I am now having to share articles with Voice Dream Reader in order to read them. I am truly grateful that you have brought this up. Now, we all need to let Apple accessibility know.

Best wishes,

Morgan

Of course we will be reporting also, but since this bug is also persisting across multiple apps and navigating the today screen is nearly undoable, its got to go!
So, any hints for rolling back this latest iOS mess? Thanks much!

I am experiencing the exact same issues on my iPhone 7. I will be reporting this too.

I experience this as well and because I activated screen curtin VO anounces screen curtin on because VO restarts. After this restart of corse the VO Focus sits on top of the screen as you described.

I’ve noticed this in the News app as well, but I don’t think it’s because VoiceOver is crashing, since the focus simply moves to the top of the screen. I don’t hear any announcement about the screen curtain either, even when I have it on.

Rather, I think the bug is being triggered by advertisements refreshing. Whenever I find the cursor moving to the top, I inevitably encounter a banner ad shortly thereafter. If I don’t hit an ad, then VoiceOver doesn’t jump to the top.

This isn’t the first time it’s happened in the News app either. A year or two ago, I had to deal with the exact same bug, under the exact same conditions. It cleared up after an iOS update, but now it’s returned. Annoying, but I can deal with it. I keep my finger close to the bottom of the screen, and when the bug triggers, I just tap near the bottom and I usually end up at where I left off, or very close to it.

Maybe the next iOS that just came out today will fix the problem.

I am not having the same problem. Using iPhone xx and iOS 12.1.2 and when was using iOS 12.1.1 did not either.

I am having this same issues as well after updating to iOS 12.1.1. Updating to iOS 12.1.2 did not resolve the issue. I contacted Apple Accessibility about the issue. Here is the response I received:

Hello Aaron,

Thank you for your email. We appreciate the feedback and wanted to let you know that Apple is currently investigating this issue. We cannot comment on when it may be resolved.

Sincerely,
Apple Accessibility

Hello,

When you folks report this to Apple, do you specify which device and IOS you are using? I think this is a device specific error/issue. I noticed this on my iPhone 7 when a news update was made for the ipad. I think it was 12.1.1.

Anyway, keep letting Apple know about the issue and if you must have your news, you can try smart news.

HTH and good luck.

I have had this focus jumping to top issue ever since iOS 11.
I remember sending Apple an email maybe one year ago about this same bug, but then about my iPhone 8.
Nothing has changed for me since that, and now I'm on iOS 12.1.2 on a new iPhone XS.
I got the same reply from Apple Accessibility then as the poster above, and frankly that's the only answer I've gotten from them lately on any issue I report to them, so I've more or less stopped sending them emails about issues and bugs, due to their seemingly lack of interest, and the feeling one gets of wasting both their and my own time when writing to them.
But I hope just as strongly as you that this bug will be taken care of soon once and for all! But I guess I have grown pretty used to this bug, and have even changed my way of interacting with the phone the last year, probably more unconsious, with tapping a few extra times on each item I want to open before double tapping on it, especially right after opening an app. That's when the issue is most notisable for me.

You should not stop reporting problems to Apple. I think the reason everyone gets that same canned response is because Apple can either spend time working on individual personalized e-mail responses or they can spend more time trying to fix problems. Also, like a previous poster said, don't forget to let Apple know what device you are having the problem on.
Have a great day.

I have the same problem in the news app. Here's the response I got.
Hello,

Thank you for your email. We appreciate the feedback and wanted to let you know that Apple is currently investigating this issue. We cannot comment on
when it may be resolved.

Apple Accessibility

I have the latest updates. updated using iTunes instead of over The air. Reset my phone to factory settings again connected to the PC. I showed this to an Apple rep a month ago. And it's still a problem. Are they ever going to fix this?
If it's device specific I have an iPhone SE.

Greetings everyone! It is always risky to post possible good news as each device and each user seems to experience unique problems even though we all use iPhones, iPads and iOS! A couple of things: I had this issue just like you guys using iOS 12.1.3 ! The biggest culprit for me was the RSS reader: newsify! I had enough and deleted the app! This helped but, that's skipping to top was still there in news and Safari to a degree but, a lesser degree! Go figure? However, there is hope! I am currently running the iOS 12.2 beta! I can report that I am not experiencing this issue anymore! It does appear that Apple has dealt with this issue in iOS 12.2. Rumor has it that iOS 12.2 public release is expected in March, If not sooner !So hang in there folks! Cheers… Rocker

This has easily been the most disruptive and annoying VoiceOver bug I have ever experienced in my nine years as an iOS user. Rocker, that’s very encouraging news about the 12.2 beta! Knowing relief is just around the corner, I can deal with it for a few more weeks. LOL. Thanks for that update

I’m using the newest beta release and still not fixed. I’m experiencing it with the weather channel app mostly but in some other places as well.

I too am running the latest IOS version and using an IPhone 7.
This bug is a royal pain for me in the news app, Apple really needs to fix this bug soon!!!
Keep hammering away attum folks, send in those reports. ☺️

After reading the earlier post that this appeared fixed in the iOS 12.2 beta, I finally decided today that I had enough of putting up with this bug and decided to install the beta myself to see if this fixed the issue on my device. I can confirm that after installing iOS 12.2 Public Beta 4, I have no longer experienced this issue in Safari or the Apple News app. I have only read a small number of articles so far, and will update this post if I end up encountering this bug again later after installing the beta.

I believe the rumor is that iOS 12.2 will drop by the end of the month so hopefully we'll all be liberated from this bug soon. This has been the single most irritating bug I have had on an iOS device, and Apple's lackluster response and delay in fixing this issue ha seriously made me consider making the switch to Android when it's time to replace my
1 1/2 year old iPhone 8 plus. It really seems that Apple does not prioritize accessibility anymore, especially when you compare them to Google's products (i.e. Android, GSuite, Chrome), , which have all seen really significant improvements in accessibility over the last few years.

It is good to hear that this bug might soon be squashed. It really is a regular bone of contention to me. I can't wait for it to be a distant memory.

I only have 1 device so I won't beta test. I want to. Because, maybe it is product specific. I am using an iPhone se.
It seems like the budget models experience more bugs than the norm. Just an opinion based on what I read and experience myself. I started with iPhone 5s that seemed to have bugs other people could not replicate. And, Apple couldn't help me with.

I'm just exhausted. It's like having a rare disease. Most people don't experience it so don't get it.

Enough gryping. Bob. Alternatives to iOS could be less convenient.cc

“Alternatives to iOS could be less convenient.cc”

os-wise, android has become very good, i bought an android phone for practice purpose in case the eventuality comes to pass. the most daunting task is to find comparable apps i use daily, and that’s no easy job. i don’t buy movies from apple, so it won’t cost me thousands to switch. there is no hurry, i can research apps when i have nothing to do, plus, i want to give apple another opportunity to prove itself.

Unfortunately, the problem still exists in iOS 12.2. In fact it gets even worse: you simply do a one finger swipe to read through the article and all of a sudden, it lands you on the 'Back' button, Very frustrating.