The new Markup is terrible

[DDustiNN]

It gets worse. When adding arrows to my photos, I cannot choose freeform location, it appears to “snap-to” the nearest line or element in the photo that it apparently thinks I should be pointing to, which is not at all what it should be pointing to. Completely unusable. Anyone else having this experience in addition to the 16 step insert of a basic outline shape for annotation? Am I missing something?

🤷🏻‍♂️

 

[Steven SANH]

I can add arrows, move them wherever I want, move the start and end points individually, change the arc, all in freeform. The only “snapping” it appears to do is if I’m rotating a straight arrow, it seems to snap in place 45° increments.

My experience with my iPhone 14 Pro Max; is it will move around as you say, but is not user-friendly. i.e. If it thinks you have finished drawing, the adjustable nodes disappear. Instead of being able to tap the tiny 'undo arrow' (top of screen); the nodes should then be re-activated, prior to where you finished off. Not so... you have to tap the 'undo arrow' maybe a dozen times or more until the arrow disappears; then start all over! (this happens with text and shapes too).
If you tap the 'undo arrow button'; the feature should revert to the item being adjustable again; not having to start all over. Anybody agree on this?

 

[DDustiNN]

My experience with my iPhone 14 Pro Max; is it will move around as you say, but is not user-friendly. i.e. If it thinks you have finished drawing, the adjustable nodes disappear. Instead of being able to tap the tiny 'undo arrow' (top of screen); the nodes should then be re-activated, prior to where you finished off. Not so... you have to tap the 'undo arrow' maybe a dozen times or more until the arrow disappears; then start all over! (this happens with text and shapes too).
If you tap the 'undo arrow button'; the feature should revert to the item being adjustable again; not having to start all over. Anybody agree on this?

Instead of drawing the arrow, try using the Add Shape button. That lets you reselect it and adjust it as much as you’d like. It seems like manually drawing the arrow doesn’t offer those options afterward, for whatever reason.

 

[ManuCH]

still don’t understand why they eliminated the magnifier. That is the only markup tool I use.

Wait, what do you mean by magnifier? When I'm in markup mode, I can just pinch to zoom. Or was there some other magnifier feature before iOS 17 that wasn't just pinch to zoom?

 

[Steven SANH]

Instead of drawing the arrow, try using the Add Shape button. That lets you reselect it and adjust it as much as you’d like. It seems like manually drawing the arrow doesn’t offer those options afterward, for whatever reason.

Thanks for the "tips up" on this, as I tried the Add Shape arrow instead. In doing so I discovered something ever so obvious! i.e. Once you tap off your shape to finish; the editing nodes disappear. What was so obvious, is you don't even need to go to the 'undo/redo'; but simply tap back on the object you've placed and the nodes re-activate. It works on the Arrow as well. (it's a pity Apple don't have a tutorial on the Markup feature)

 

[TonyC28]

Wait, what do you mean by magnifier? When I'm in markup mode, I can just pinch to zoom. Or was there some other magnifier feature before iOS 17 that wasn't just pinch to zoom?

There used to be a magnifier you could add to a picture that would zoom on a certain spot to highlight something.

 

[soundsgoodtome]

What you could do in 2 button presses is now half a dozen. It’s an unnecessarily complex mess at the moment.

I agree completely. I participated in the public beta, and I complained vehemently about the new markup. Everything takes many more taps to complete. Making solid shapes the default is asinine. And after we make changes (outlines instead of solids, our preferred color, etc.), Markup doesn't remember them. So, each time you return to Markup, instead of it defaulting to your last selections, you have to start all over again.

It's objectively awful—and I told them so, over and over again.

Sometimes our beta feedback results in changes. But in this regard, they ignored us.

At this point, I'm hoping they've realized internally how bad it is and will improve it in iOS 18.