iOS 7 Bugs: Will They Ever be Fixed

By Nicholas Parsons, 28 September, 2013

Forum
iOS and iPadOS
Initially when iOS 7 came out with a number of bugs, I optimistically thought it wouldn't be a problem as they would soon fix them in an update. Now I've changed my mind. Not because they haven't yet fixed the problems – it's far too soon for that, even though they have already released two updates. I'm less optimistic now because I remembered there's still bugs from iOS 6 which haven't been fixed, so what evidence do we have that Apple will fix these bugs? I also can't help thinking that fixing these bugs was really something that should've happened during the beta testing phase. I know there were VoiceOver users beta testing iOS 7, and I'm pretty sure they would have sent bug reports to the relevant people. So I can only conclude that the issues are too complicated or that Apple isn't dedicated enough resources to fixing accessibility bugs. I hope I'm proven wrong. Apple seems great at bringing out new features which respond to accessibility issues which have been reported or even some we never knew we had. But they don't really seem all that good at fixing weird annoying bugs. This would be a good place for people to comment with examples of past bugs which Apple has fixed. I only started using iOS with iOS 5, so I've only experienced two major updates. Each time they seemed to introduce many new features and a few new bugs, but didn't seem to fix many bugs, if any. I suppose I'm not surprised by this. Most of Apple's resources during beta testing are probably dedicated to responding to bugs sighted people encounter, as most of Apple's customers are sighted. Moreover, it's probably easier to develop new features than it is to identify and correct VoiceOver bugs, and it's probably more rewarding to show off cool new accessibility features than it is to announce improved focus with VoiceOver. I really hope I'm wrong, but I can't help thinking that iOS 8 will be released and we'll still have 95% of the existing bugs, a handful of new bugs and a few cool new flashy features. I like some of the additions in iOS 7, but I'd happily trade handwriting and greater prominence in the Settings app for improved VoiceOver stability and focus reliability. I appreciate what a fantastic job Apple does with accessibility in general, I just wish they'd alter their priorities a bit, and at least focus on eliminating VoiceOver bugs before developing new VoiceOver features.

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Comments

By allseed on Wednesday, October 23, 2013 - 21:35

I've heard recently that "apple have more important things to deal with than accessibility". This is simply not the case, apple never said it and it's sad that perhaps a conversation with someone inside of apple was taken that way.

Hello. I'll state I've read all the comments, and am not surprised that people when above and beyond common sense, but that's my distaste showing. For one thing, voice over has never really been a part of the iPhoneproduct launches. If you remember back in IOS6,5,4, and i think used 3.2, it was never really brought to a major hey look, this is for blind users to use the screen. I think expecting them to go all or nothing on voice over support isn't quite accurate. First off, how many people are really on the accessibility team? If there are only say three or four, and one of them is dealing with a deaf person's request to do something, and two others are trying to get something right for someone with limited motor skills to work, they may only have one person on the Voice over task, if at all. They way i see it, blindness is a limited disability. What i mean by that is, there's always help for us, whether or not we choose to avail ourselves of it. I went through years of asking to have phone calls deleted because I wanted nothing on my history should someone borrow my phone. Now since the iPhone's introduction, I'm grateful that we have the ability todo that, forget the texting and all the apps for just a minute. For someone who has a comunicative disability or deaf, not everyone knows sign language, or the person can read lips, so if the accessibility team is working on a lot and voice over is the least of their concerns, I see nothing wrong with it. When I had the four and it took ages to start a text, but went fine after the first reply, it drove me crazy, but i stuck with it. Things will always get bigger, better, faster, and some of us may not like how new releases behave. I say wait to see what happens and if you are so disheartened, either change operating systems, or when the next IOS comes out, stay with yours. No law says you have to update. My dollar fifty's worth. Siobhan

Siobhan, I appreciate your contribution and respect where you're coming from… But it seems like you're focusing more on the prominence of voiceover in an update when this is not the issue at all. The issue is that there are certain bugs that almost all of us are experiencing that most certainly should have been caught in the beta testing process… But for some reason were not. If the accessibility team is set up as you described… apple needs to do some more hiring. Also… The point is that we are not going forward with the accessibility of the iOS… In some cases in iOS 7 accessibility has actually going backwards… That's the problem. If I had installed iOS 7 and there were a few bugs here and there… That would be fine. However… There are some things that are not accessible in iOS 7 that used to be accessible in previous versions of the iOS. Here in lies the issue. I'm perfectly aware of that Apple has never truly advertised accessibility… And I've never had a problem with that.

By Unregistered User (not verified) on Wednesday, October 23, 2013 - 21:35

Just so you know, Voiceover was announced with the iphone 3gs . Steve Jobs himself actually showed it at the wwdc in 2009. It was part of the presentation and took up roughly 20 minutes. Apple actually did say, "hey, here is voiceover." They showcased it to a sighted audience, andhave been maintaining it ever since.

By Unregistered User (not verified) on Wednesday, October 23, 2013 - 21:35

I disagree about 7 being a step back. The truth is that there are bugs that are fixed and others are not for whatever reason. That doesn't mean they won't be fixed in the future. IOS 7X has been generally very stable as far as accessibility goes. True, there are a few issues, but none have been deal breakers in any way for a user's overall experience. That does not mean that we shouldn't voice our concern about the bugs. We should be doing it politiely, calmly, patiently. Apple is the only company I am aware of that has both an email address and an actuall phone number to call regarding reporting accessibility bugs, learning more about accessibility, etc. Yes, I want the bugs to be fixed. But I report them when I find them; both through emailing and calling. Now, if we get to IOS 8, and the same bugs exist, then maybe we should be worried. The fact is that apple has committed to accessibility and I personally have no doubt that things will eventually get better.

By allseed on Wednesday, October 23, 2013 - 21:35

I find that those apps that have been updated to iOS 7 work fine. there are still quite a few that have not ben. I also find that all the functionality present in iOS prior are either still present or enhanced. Are there bugs or map performance issues, yes! They have more to do with the new platform though than with prior functionality.

Hello all, I am hopeful that come next Tuesday, October 22nd when Apple holds it's I-Pad event that it will be releasing an update to IOS 7.x; perhaps IOS 7.1. I have heard that this is possible. Let's hope that this is the case and that the issues we have all been discussing on this forum get resolved, or at least some of them do. Cross your fingers. -Andrew-

Yes, I am aware that voiceover was introduced once. Back in 2009… But aside from that, it really doesn't get a hole lot of publicity. I never said there were any bugs that were a deal breaker for users experiences… Although they have been annoying enough for some of us to downgrade… and even try out other platforms. But consider these following issues… The screen sensitivity issue… An Interface that was once stable is now hampered by erratic focus. Notification badges not being announced when viewing folders on the home screen… This was a nonissue in previous versions of the iOS… but in iOS 7? it is. Voiceover not reading vital information in the favorites list… Not a problem in iOS previous… But is a problem for many users in iOS 7. Accessibility issues when composing an SMS… However minor they may be… Again completely accessible in previous versions of the iOS… For many in iOS 7? Not so much. This is what I mean by iOS 7 taking a step backwards… Things that have worked fine on previous versions now are unstable. It doesn't matter how big or small things are… It's a matter of things being accessible and then becoming less accessible as the platform progresses. If you like iOS 7? Awesome! I think it was rushed to protect corporate interests like Market share. And yes… I am well aware that this is purely speculation at this point… But it's not a crazy hypothesis. As I have said time and time again… Many of these bugs that many of us are experiencing should have been caught in the testing phase. I don't care if they just appeared in the gold masters addition… That is no excuse to rush the product into the market.

Oh and I forgot to mention… I to am optimistic. I am both an iPhone and the MacUser… But I think it's healthy to do some Apple bashing every now and again. It's never good to become a mindless Apple fanboy. Will see if their commitment to accessibility holds up. Truth be told… Even for a snappy as iOS 7 is… There are really no innovations. And at this point it's going to be hard to come up with anything groundbreaking… I realize that… But it never hurts to know that much of iOS 7 was influenced by android whether you like it or not. I know me saying this is going to make some people angry but,The facts are there… Do the research. Things like the control Center have been on android for a couple of years now… And the new handwriting feature that comes bundled with voiceover in iOS 7? That's available to the general public on other phones that Run Android. I'm not trying to restart the Apple versus android debate… But the facts are the facts. When all is said and done, despite my ramblings, I still believe that Apple is the best choice for accessibility. … And they do a much better job protecting the intellectual property of musicians, artists, and software developers than Google ever did.

By allseed on Wednesday, October 23, 2013 - 21:35

I thought the front page of the site made it clear that this is an apple and apple only site but two things have come to light that cause me to realize my error. First, the page encourages other discussion and second, this post from someone who is obviously better at crafting than I am. I do have a couple of observations to make though.. -- If you want the most accessible tiny os on the planet, apple iOS is your choice. -- If you have other concerns that over ride accessibility, good luck getting your accessibility needs met. -- It's sad that one company and one company alone overnight back in 2004 turned the blindness technology field on its head by daring to put the access tech in the os, and did it again in 2008 by creating the worlds first speaking click wheel topping it off with the worlds first touch screen interface in 2009. I remember the discussion during those years about how inaccessible and out of reach to us the iPhone was and folk saying it'd never happen. I told apple that "when the iPhone becomes accessible I will buy one" and I did. That day in june came on the heals of the death of my partner Jennifer Etowski of 15 years of small cell cancer on february 9 of that same year. A regret I've long held was the she never lived to see it for she loved apple products and sought hard for a truly accessible wireless phone.

By allseed on Wednesday, October 23, 2013 - 21:35

Reading the above post, it's apparent tome that some things are settleable by the user. 1> it's not apple's fault that you have an older phone. It was said before the roll out that older devices would take a hit and in my opinion, at least one device and you know it if you have it should not have been included in the upgrade. 2> Some say that there is no innovation here and in fact, some have attempted the scare tactic of mouthing the idea of company complacency with regard to accessibility and this couldn't be further from the truth and this includes all accessibility. We have made huge strides in this iOS alone. 3> on the 5 s at least, it is possible to mitigate the sensitivity issues by turning on "reduced motion" and even where it is not present, I've pretty much adapted to the enhanced interface and indeed have found it to be an advantage. I will say that there are two issues that have cropped up as a result which are difficulty with regard to triggering alternative characters and somehow getting into a select mode when typing. I am confident though that this is avoidable and will post my findings on it when solved. 3> There have always been issues with regard to badges. I would see "one new item" on a folder but when I looked inside at the apps, one would have a number greater than 1. 4> I wouldn't call messages completely accessible in previous versions but see my prior comment. 5> Each new roll out has its issues and some of the issues present in ios6 are with us today still like the lock screen bugs but I wouldn't necessarily say we are going backwards based on the above evidence. We focus on issue resolution which is how it happens.

By Greg T Kelchner on Wednesday, October 23, 2013 - 21:35

Firstly… I'm very sorry to hear about the death of your long-time partner. It's also very sad that she never got to experience voiceover on the iOS. Despite my ramblings… And my various complaints about some of the issues with iOS 7… You are absolutely right. The iOS is still the most accessible tiny OS on the planet. And you're also absolutely correct that Apple has done revolutionary things by incorporating a screen reader right in to their operating systems. That was a revolutionary step for the computer back in 2004? And it was an even bigger innovation when it was introduced on the touchscreen platform of iOS back in 2,008. These are precisely the reasons why I critique Apple so much… They have set such an awesome precedent… And I would hate for that to crumble as their internal workings continue to change. I mean let's face it… I know that Apple products are group effort, but as far as leadership is concerned… Tim Cook is most certainly no Steve Jobs.

By allseed on Wednesday, October 23, 2013 - 21:35

I have it on good authority that tim is as committed to what steve stood for as steve was. Steve picked and groomed him we must remember and keep in mind. Although he might not be the visionary that steve was, his commitment is strong and we'll see that over time. He's had time to drastically change the direction of apple and yet, it is still on the path it has been since steve was at the helm.

I actually didn't see your comment that was posted when you take issue with some of the points I bring up… As for the speculation that I have an older phone… No… I have a five. The phone being a year old is pretty young by most people standards. If Apple expects everyone who bought a five to upgrade to a new phone just to experience the latest iOS a little more than a year after the phone came out? What kind of business model is that. a lot of people are under two-year contracts anyway. As for making great strides in this iOS alone… What do you consider some of these great strides? Honest question… I'm not trying to attack you here… But what are the great strides? I will even get behind you here… Being able to turn on voice over with Siri was a pretty good stride. Beyond that… There really weren't any deal breakers as far as features were concerned… in my opinion. Wait… I can think of one more… Being able to access the control center and the notification Center with one-handed gestures or two-handed gestures… Okay that's another one. The "increased screen sensitivity "may not have affected you that much… But it made messages very frustrating to compose an edit for me. I do take interest in the way you offer to fix it… To turn on reduce motion... Part of me wants to upgrade back to iOS 7 just to see if this works… But I'm a little afraid to… I have the talking tuner app so I can independently and accurately tune my guitar… And if that doesn't work with iOS 7 I'm SOL. And lastly… If you have it on good authority that Tim is just as committed as Steve… That's awesome. But that is a personal subjective experience. Many of us have had personal subjective experiences with the accessibility team seaming dismissive and are well within our right to voice our concerns. Oh… And you say that there has always been problems with badges… I could see the problems you described going unnoticed… But to have folders with badges and have VO not announce them altogether should have been easily detectible. The same goes for the issues with the favorites list.

Okay… In all fairness… I have to say that I thought of a few more innovations in this operating system… But some of them are really not that revolutionary… It's honestly surprising why some of these didn't appear in earlier versions of the OS. But I'll start with the awesome renovations first… First of all it's nice to see that Siri got an upgrade… And can now perform more streamlined searches (searching things like Wikipedia and Twitter and Bing etc.) second… It's nice to be able to store credit card information like you can store passwords… That's a major convenience changeer. Three… As far as the 5S is concerned the fingerprint touch identification is a very nice security feature. For… It's nice to be able to put more apps and folders. Although I don't know why they just decided to increase that area of access now… But whatever. So… I'm going to make a concession here… You're right there have been some pretty awesome strides with iOS 7… Unfortunately erratic voiceover focus was one of the biggest most prominent bugs in my situation… And from the looks of it I'm not the only one. And I will still stand behind the fact that some of these bugs would've been easily caught before releasing the iOS to the public. But that aside… I did watch the keynote from today… And it has gotten me back in touch with optimism as far as Apple is concerned. I just want to reiterate that I am remaining optimistic… They really offered some very awesome innovations in their productivity and creativity apps… And one can only hope despite the bugs in iOS 7 that the accessibility team is working behind-the-scenes in the same manner. I know that we have been sort of debating… But I honestly want to thank you for taking the time to have this discussion with me… And I honestly hope it can continue forward in a productive manner.

I encountered the volume stuck issue on my work phone. I went into the sound settings and was able to adjust the phone volume. I cannot reproduce it again. I find the focus issue gets worse if I don't hold the phone in a 45 to 30 degree angle as if I were looking at the screen. Also, the touch screen responsiveness gets worse if I press hard on the screen as I get frustrated. So I recommend holding the phone at an angle. Use a very light touch. ,if you can hold the phone against something stable like a table top, even better.