Missing Magnifying Glass in iPhone text editing.

YESSS!! So Annoying !!!!

No magnifying bubble !!!

🥴 When I try to use the new bigger line, my finger is covering the text so I cannot get a good look at where I need to edit. The bubble made the letters big enough to see. Plus, the line doesn’t stay put where you want it... it bounces to the front or back of the word. 😡

We pick up the chat story after the first Apple customer service person passed the buck [edited down from full, hour-plus version]...

• Okay, thank you so much. I see that you are having issues with your camera and iMessages is this correct?

• Basically.

• Alright, thank you now would you provide me with the nonbasic version and fill me in so I know how to best assist you with this, please?

• When I used to be composing a text, if I needed to go back to a word and edit it... I could press down and the "magnifying glass" feature would come alive.
• I could see the word better and have improved access to a particular point where I needed to revise.
• One day... gone. Doesn't happen anymore. So I hope we can fix that.

2:17 PM

• Alright. Thank you. Now, I am up to speed. When you say it just vanished, was this after an update or just poof! Gone!

• An update is the only culprit I can imagine. But I'm not sure.

• Alright. What version of iOS are you currently running?

• 13.1.3

• So, give just a couple of moments to do a bit of research on this issue and I will be back to further assist you.
• Thanks.

2:30 PM

• Can you provide me a screenshot of you iMessages screen open?

[Shares one.]

2:36 PM

• Thanks. I appreciate this. I am going to chat with another advisor for options because the information I have found so far it appears to be there, but the shot you just sent I am not seeing it. So, give me a just a moment to chat with another advisor about your issue.

2:42 PM

• Thank you. So, iMessages no longer has this option since the update. They have several features that have been added. I am going to attach an article for you in hopes that maybe you can find an option that may be compatible with the magnifying glass.
• Here is the first article: Use iMessage apps on your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch and this one also: Use message effects with iMessage on your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch

• Well, no offense, but... you work at Apple. If you can't find one, is there one to be found?

2:59 PM

• Alright. I was correct. It is no longer there since the update. What I can do is submit feedback for you about this on my end, and make sure it’s documented in your case here. We can also submit feedback about this at www.apple.com/feedback – We have a team here at Apple, who’s entire job is dedicated to reviewing this feedback, and escalating it to the proper outlets (such as the engineers for iTunes, iPhone, iPad, etc.) so you can rest assured that your voice will be heard!

• Can we undo the update?

• Unfortunately, once you have updated to the latest version you can’t go backwards.

• Next problem...

• Alright, explain, please.

• Previously, with the camera, when I shot a video and went in to edit that video, upon saving, there would be a prompt with the option to save the edited video as a separate file.
• This gave the option of keeping the original intact, and having a new edited version.
• Now, there is no such option.

• Alright. This one I know about. Let me pull my
• I just wanted to double check to make sure I was correct. It’s the same thing as the iMessages. The feature is no longer an option since the update. So, again I suggest leaving feedback for this.
• I apologize apple took these two features away.

• This is really not okay... on a few fronts.
• We spent over an hour to get here.
• Additionally, what about the term "update" suggests removing features?
• Regardless, if an update is going to remove features... how about telling folks?
• Before they update?
• And if that's too difficult...
• How about being able to tell them after the fact... in less than an hour?

3:16 PM

• Sorry, All I am not in charge of the updates, the developer of these updates do what they do for apparent good reasons and to support apple customers. If the customers are unhappy with the removal or addition of features my only option is to file your complaint and provide you with the information to leave feedback and let the developer know you are extremely unhappy about the changes.

3:17 PM

• File away.
• If I send over an hour writing something, it should end up published.

Well, you don’t have to press on the spacebar to achieve the bigger line. You can press anywhere on the text like always, only instead of getting the magnifying glass, you now get this bigger vertical line. I live almost entirely in the world of typing text, and I too miss the magnifying glass. From what I can tell, it’s just gone with iOS 13. Still exists with prior iOS versions.

This was IMO the best feature that ever existed as far as editing text goes and is incredibly annoying not having it. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. C’mon apple, stop changing stuff that works for no reason at all! So annoying!!! 🤬🤬🤬

Holding down the spacebar to move the cursor around feels unnatural compared to being able to move the cursor about with the magnifying glass on the actual text itself.

Locating the cursor on the piece of text to edit using the spacebar is not as easy now since the view is no longer magnified despite the cursor size being increased. It's still not as easy.

The spacebar is one of the keys furthest away from the text so again feels like you are removed from the text editing process even more.

Sometimes in the act of holding the space bar another space is added to the text meaning I have to then remove this.

Trying to place the cursor on the section of a word to edit usually highlights the word instead and the suggestions rarely match what the edit required is.

Trying to place the cursor on the correct section of text is usually unsuccessful as fingers are far larger than text.

For these reasons this change is now making me at least an order of magnitude less productive when messaging.

Everyone's going to have to just get used to how it works now in iOS 13. Every year when the newest iOS version rolls out, people miss a certain way they were used to doing something. Personally holding my finger on the space bar and then being to navigate my way around by sliding my finger works just fine for me. I've now gotten used to it.

Since we are all users on this forum, there's nothing anyone here can do to bring back a feature Apple has changed.

You can however, provide feedback to Apple since they aren't here reading these posts, by using this feedback link --> Feedback - iPhone - Apple

Asking Apple to do anything on this forum will get you nothing. Apple isn't here and isn't reading these posts. This is a user to user only forum.

Provide feedback via this link: Feedback - iPhone - Apple

They replaced it with another method. Press and hold the space bar then use the keyboard layout to navigate.

Here's a link to the Apple support link:

https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/type-and-edit-text-iph3c50f96e/ios

Asking us to give back anything will get you nothing. This is a user to user ONLY forum. Apple isn't here, isn't reading these posts and won't do anything because you asked for it (even with please :-)

While I have no issue with the new process, if you and anyone else does, you need to use this link to get your message to Apple --> Feedback - iPhone - Apple

Here is the link to give Apple feedback. If more of us let them know through proper channels we could make a difference.

https://www.apple.com/feedback/iphone.html

This forum is a good place for help from other users but not good to affect change or in this case going back to the way it was.

981Vory wrote:

I miss the option of being able to hold a word and the magnifying glass appears and I can place the curser where I want it to correct. Please bring it back

No one here can bring it back and Apple is not reading here for suggestions. So, making the request here is pointless.

Use the feedback page:

Product Feedback - Apple

Apple is not going to make the magnifying glass optional. Apple doesn't believe in options, even for people who love the magnifying glass. Your choice is to learn how to use the tools that Apple gives you or get a different product.

You can provide your views to Apple, but don't expect them to revert to a tool that they decided could be replaced by a better tool. https://apple.com/feedback

I don't miss the maginifying glass for one minute. But that's me. Tell Apple you want it back. Telling us users you want it back is pointless here on this user to user only forum, which Apple doesn't read or participate in.

You can provide feedback here: Feedback - iPhone - Apple

rheta wrote:

WTH Apple.?🙄 The magnifying glass was one of the very best features of iPhone. Please put it back ASAP‼️

Apple isn't reading here for suggestions. You can let them know how you feel here:

Product Feedback - Apple

Note, however, that this change is probably in large part the result of all the complaints Apple has gotten over the years about the magnifying glass.

I used to teach classes on how to use iPhones and iPads. The magnifying glass was an very common source of frustration.