Touch My Pony (iOS) July 20, 2021 11:42 PM   Subscribe

Is there anything that can be done about being locked out of editing a draft post after changing tabs or exiting the editing box on iOS Safari?

Once the touch keyboard is gone, there doesn’t seem to be anyway of re-entering editing mode and getting it back without reloading the page. Even if you can get iOS to enter selection mode.

This has been going on forever, and maybe there’s a way to get around it but I’ve never been able to figure it out and it’s super frustrating to lose a laboriously pecked out comment this way.

I’m tagging this as a bug as I’m guessing it’s not the intended experience, although maybe it’s a platform limitation that would require a workaround (making it a feature request).
posted by snuffleupagus to Bugs at 11:42 PM (14 comments total) 2 users marked this as a favorite

I've noticed this (on iPad, not iPhone), and hitting Preview is my workaround. The keyboard persists after that.
posted by Pronoiac at 1:40 AM on July 21, 2021 [3 favorites]


Same, I have to hit Preview to type again if I have dismissed the keyboard
posted by JDHarper at 10:52 AM on July 21, 2021


Weird. I do not appear to have this problem, either on my iPhone or iPad.
posted by rodlymight at 4:38 PM on July 21, 2021


I get this on my iThings too. It comes back on preview. If I dismiss the keyboard I have to do a new preview.
posted by egypturnash at 5:57 PM on July 21, 2021


I don’t have this problem on my iPhone, keyboard pops up if I tap the text box again.
posted by brook horse at 8:16 PM on July 21, 2021


I haven't had this problem on an iPhone.
posted by Joe in Australia at 8:25 PM on July 21, 2021


For me it pretty much always happens on my iPad, and occasionally on an iPhone (possibly not on my newest iPhone).

I'll play with the preview thing now that I'm aware of it.

At least I'm not the only one!
posted by snuffleupagus at 5:43 AM on July 22, 2021


For folks who have (or haven't for that matter) encountered this on their Apple devices: info on what browser and what iOS version you're on could both be helpful in figuring out if it's constrained by those factors.
posted by cortex (staff) at 9:19 AM on July 22, 2021 [1 favorite]


I don't have this problem on iOS 14.4.2 (iPhone 5S) using Safari.
posted by brook horse at 9:30 AM on July 22, 2021


Currently, the problem's seen in Mobile Safari, iPadOS 14.6, using the Classic theme (that's in Preferences, if anyone else is wondering), viewing the Desktop not Mobile website.

About the timing: I think I first noticed this around when I, uh, first accidentally experimentally verified the maximum number of open tabs in Mobile Safari on my iPad. So I figured the problem was on my end. It's been a couple of years.

Looking at the different themes, it looks like it isn't a problem on all of them.
* Buggy: Classic, Plain
* Ok: Modern, Modern Dark
I'd love to hear if this is true for others.

I couldn't reproduce the issue on my iPhone, Mobile Safari, on iOS 14.6, with any theme. There's no live preview of comments, either. I use my iPad more here anyway, so I'm not sure I'd notice a sporadic issue.
posted by Pronoiac at 12:50 PM on July 22, 2021


Reproduced using iPadOS 14.7 Safari while writing this comment.

Steps to reproduce:
1. Start typing
2. Pop a new tab open
3. Return to the original tab.

Expected result:
Text box can be selected for entry

Actual result:
Text box can not be selected for entry

Supplemental information: I use the old UI and am in portrait orientation.
posted by majick at 6:25 PM on July 22, 2021 [1 favorite]


So, me, not having this problem on iPadOS or iOS 14.6, Safari, Modern Dark theme.
posted by rodlymight at 6:42 PM on July 22, 2021


I have frequently noticed this problem, and am glad someone finally mentioned it!

I only use Safari, and have noticed this for what feels like a couple of years. Definitely remember it on an iPad, I think on an iPhone as well. I keep my iOS version up to date, so I think it's happened on both iOS 13 and 14. Oh, probably biggest data point, I'm using classic metafilter.
posted by skewed at 7:37 PM on July 24, 2021


Problem exists in Safari on my iPhone SE (old) which is on whatever iOS is directly before 14.7.1. EDIT: Oh and I don’t know what theme I’m using, must be default
posted by hungrytiger at 12:13 PM on July 27, 2021


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