Text selection weirdness. Anyone else?!

[Saturn007]

I've run into a major problem of late. It seemed to start after I upgraded, inadvertently, to iOS 15.1 on my iPad Air 2.

In Safari, in the text entry box, I used to be able to select a word and then drag the edge marker of the highlight to select more text. Now, often when I try that, Mac Rumors scrolls way back up the page away from the text entry box!

You end up having to scroll back down, where you'll find some extra letters selected.

AFAIK, MacRumors is the only website where this text selection funny business happens!

Has anyone else experience with MR or any other website? It's bizarre and, as you can imagine, frustrating!

 

[now i see it]

I’ve noticed that erratic text selection behavior before on some other websites (not MR). When it happens, my thought is WTF? What did I do wrong? After it happened enough times, I tried to repeat the behavior to see what the hell was going on. It seemed that after selecting a word, then slowly moving the selection cursor up just a tiny bit while pulling it — triggered a jump to the top of the page.
It doesn’t always happen but has happened several times. On other websites too.

iPhone 8 Plus running iOS 14.8.1

 

[Saturn007]

Now I See It, I’m glad you do, too!

I've found a test page that CONSISTENTLY shows the text selection problem. It's one of Apple's own.

Go to

Apple Watch User Guide

Here’s everything you need to know about Apple Watch and the Apple Watch app on iPhone, straight from Apple. This definitive guide helps you get started using Apple Watch and discover all the amazing things it can do.

support.apple.com

Scroll all the way to the bottom, to

Add an emergency contact​

Try selecting the text in items 1 and 2 under that! Can't be done.

Or, select the word “Open” in #1 there and try to extend the selection upwards to include the 1. and the bolded heading. It instantly selects the rest of the page!

Staying on that page, try double-tapping a word ANYWHERE to select it — it doesn't work. Try triple-tapping to select a paragraph, that doesn't work, either! Maybe that only works in a text entry box…

According to Apple, however, it should work anywhere! And, that’s in iOS 15!

“Select and edit text​

1. To select text, do any of the following:​

• Select a word: Double-tap with one finger.
• Select a paragraph: Triple-tap with one finger.”

Select, cut, copy, and paste text on iPad

On iPad, select and revise text in text fields using the onscreen keyboard, an external keyboard, Apple Pencil, your finger, or Dictation.

support.apple.com

 

[Mr.Blacky]

1st gen 12,9" iPad Pro running iPadOS 15.something, no issues here.

 

[now i see it]

Now I See It, I’m glad you do, too!

I've found a test page that CONSISTENTLY shows the text selection problem. It's one of Apple's own.

Go to

Apple Watch User Guide

Here’s everything you need to know about Apple Watch and the Apple Watch app on iPhone, straight from Apple. This definitive guide helps you get started using Apple Watch and discover all the amazing things it can do.

support.apple.com

Scroll all the way to the bottom, to

Add an emergency contact​

Try selecting the text in items 1 and 2 under that! Can't be done.

Or, select the word “Open” in #1 there and try to extend the selection upwards to include the 1. and the bolded heading. It instantly selects the rest of the page!

Staying on that page, try double-tapping a word ANYWHERE to select it — it doesn't work. Try triple-tapping to select a paragraph, that doesn't work, either! Maybe that only works in a text entry box…

According to Apple, however, it should work anywhere! And, that’s in iOS 15!

“Select and edit text​

1. To select text, do any of the following:​

• Select a word: Double-tap with one finger.
• Select a paragraph: Triple-tap with one finger.”

Select, cut, copy, and paste text on iPad

On iPad, select and revise text in text fields using the onscreen keyboard, an external keyboard, Apple Pencil, your finger, or Dictation.

support.apple.com

Ok I tried out that Apple page.

On my iPhone 8plus iOS 14.8.1, I can select any word on that page by pressing and holding on a word until it gets highlighted- then I can drag the the selection bars to wherever I want to increase the selection. Works perfectly.

Double tap does nothing on that page.
Triple tap does nothing on that page for me

 

[Mr.Blacky]

Ok I tried out that Apple page.

On my iPhone 8plus iOS 14.8.1, I can select any word on that page by pressing and holding on a word until it gets highlighted- then I can drag the the selection bars to wherever I want to increase the selection. Works perfectly.

Double tap does nothing on that page.
Triple tap does nothing on that page for me

View attachment 1923239View attachment 1923240

Because double- and triple tapping only works where you can enter and edit text.

 

[Saturn007]

Blacky, you're right about the tapping biz. Even in the text I quoted, it says it applies to “text fields”, which I suppose means text entry boxes!

The triple-tapping works for me inside many, but not all text entry fields, e.g., MacRumors and Washington Post. But, then, other times, it doesn't. And, trying to drag highlight across a line or down often, most often, doesn't work at all! For example, I cannot select down in this paragraph!

As to that Apple page, your combo of iPad and iOS 15 works fine on that web page as your video showed (thanks for that); mine definitely does not! It's terrible!

What could possibly be causing that? I've even forced-rebooted the iPad and still have it!