Dictionaries missing in iOS 9

What region and language is your iPad set to?

I also have the same problem like yours. I have done everything like restoring, downgrading, recovery mode, changing language and resetting settings. 😟

I Have the exact same problem on my iPhone and two iPads. Worked fine on iOS 9 last week. I am on 9.3.3 but do not remember if the upgrade was done before or after the problem started.

Sorry, I'm not sure why I said iPad. Maybe because I was awake and on here when I should have been sleeping. 😝

Having tried all you have, have you restored the phone as a *new* device?

Same problem with me. The funny thing is that the dictionaries work just fine on my old iPad2 iOs 9.3.3 but not on my iPhone 5s, same software. Syncing reading and bookmarks works fine between the 2 devices in iBooks. I changed language and region to the same settings to no avail. Later this week I'll be able to connect to my iTunes. That's my last hope for the time although I can't see the logic for a remedy.

I'm afraid the problem has appeared because of Apple.

They changed (for some unknowing reason) the address for downloading dictionaries in one of the system files:

com_apple_MobileAsset_DictionaryServices_dictionary2.xml

Previously dictionaries download address pointed to "ios9.1" folder, but now it points to "ios10.0" folder. But looks like this new path doesn't contain required dictionaries. That is why the list of the dictionaries is empty when you try to manage them.

At the same time if you updated to iOS 9.3.3 (or maybe 9.3.2) and already had dictionaries on your device - they will stay there and you can use them. In my case I updated from 9.01 to 9.3.3 on my iPhone and can still use dictionaries downloaded half a year ago. But when updating iPad I had to do a restore and all dictionaries are gone now and I cannot download them again.

...meaning that there is nothing for us to do until Apple fixes this, or someone creates a jailbreak tweak to resolv this?

Looks like you are correct.

I tried to fix the problem on my iPad myself by "recreating" files and folder structure related to the dictionaries from my iPhone, but without success. It appears I missed something important, maybe some preferences file: lookup window refuses to show dictionaries on my iPad :-(

There are some other things pointing to this version...

Bigger problem is not missing calendars (this appears only if you make reset of device for iOS 9.3.x either by restoring of backup or through cleaning reset as new device) but impossibility to download new - button 'Add' is missing. Button could be missed because new location is not available. 😟

From other side there is a reasonable explanation why in actual versions of iOS 9.x they have wrong pointer to download resource - Apple prepare iOS 10. Any critical security fixes found there and fixed for iOS 10 should be propagated to lower supported versions (in our case 9.3.x). If any of these fixes where related to dictionaries mechanism then the small piece of code with wrong address could be just propagated from iOS 10 to iOS 9.3.x branch. See previous post:

maxim_k wrote:

Previously dictionaries download address pointed to "ios9.1" folder, but now it points to "ios10.0" folder.

So we can predict - either Apple will recognize mistake and fix it separately for iOS 9.3.x (other version could be not impacted as code merge to every version usually is separate operation) or problem will be fixed by upgrade ro iOS 10 - we see that for iOS 10 they already have correct address.

Let's push Apple service as much as possible and point to 'impossibility to add new dictionary' (to my mind this is correct point for pushing) so this will have a chance to be seen by them and maybe receive a fast fix.

pproblem gone away!

It looks we have pushed Apple to run dictionaries service for iOS 10 earlier than they planned. Or they removed blocking of it for non iOS 10 devices. 😉

In any case I would like to thanks to Maxim and all who raised hands and participate in pushing Apple to fix the problem!

it's all good now. Good job guys!

Indeed! Great job and thanks to Apple for correction.

So, jailbreak community saves the day by pinpointing the problem?

Yes, Looks like you are correct.