How to scroll back to re-read text while replying

My solution is to tap anywhere on my message, click “select all” and “cut”. Then you can instantly see the previous message. Then tap in the now blank message field, click “paste” and resume your typing. It’s clunky and needs to be fixed but it works well.

I have the same problem when using iphone 15 and ios 17. So frustrating!

But I did find a way to at least see the text i am replying to. More cludgy than simply scrolling back but at least I am not losing chunks of hair.

NOTE: This only works if the person who you are texting with is pinned. Touch and hold on their pin box. This brings up the text they sent.

To get back to your draft reply just tap their pin box.

If responding to several parts of a text I do have to do this as often as needed. I dont think i tried copy and pasting to Notes. Will update if that works next time.

Not sure but assume if you pin someone after they sent a text you can use this method to see it as you reply.

As many are saying, Apple needs to fix this problem!

I do one of two things:

if I am typing a long text response, I might dictate/type it out in the (native) notes app so that I can switch back-and-forth between the notes app and the text. When I am all done typing, I can select all , then cut and paste into the text field and send.

The other thing I usually do is type out what I want, then select all and cut. Then I can see the text that I’m responding to, then I can go back and just paste and continue typing.

not sure if that makes sense…

This is still an ongoing issue TO THIS DAY! I cannot for the life of me get back to my original conversation while replying back with a long text message. I’ve also found if you go to the bottom of your reply text, tap, and hold for a sec at the last word, hit select all, cut, then reread what you need to, then when you’re ready, paste it all back. Just don’t get sidetracked and forget, otherwise you’ll lose it. For that, just paste in notes or something. This is super, super frustrating, and the 3 row return at the top of text does not work anymore. Apple, HELP US!😭

quick fix and work around (until Apple fixes the bug), Select all on the reply text>Cut>go back to the original text for context>paste the reply.

The only thing that works for me is composing everything that I remember and then I “select all” and I “cut”. (If you’d feel better, you can paste it in a note just in case something happens). Anyways, then you’re able to scroll back and see the previous text, and then you can go back into your reply, paste, and then continue typing.

One more QUICK work around:

make the text size TINY!

Then you can see much more and be able to scroll up to their texts.

Settings > Display & Brightness > Text Size (drag all the way left)

Hi GAOldLady,

Thanks for posting in Apple Support Communities.

With Messages freezing as you're trying to scroll through the app, back up iPhone and update to iOS 16.5. Updating will provide performance fixes to address software anomalies.

Regards.

I have this exact same problem with iMessage and I have posted a few times before trying to explain it like you did and there is no solution. Except doing things like you said which is dumb! We shouldn't have to compose our message elsewhere and then paste it back. But that's what I have been doing, I compose in email and then just refer back to iMessage. Not every messages is short and quick I need to refer back to make sure I answered everything. I just don't understand why we are unable to scroll back? Randomly it will let you, but sometimes leave like a two line window to scroll through the message. But 90% of the time once the window has filled up with your message it won't let you go back and see the other message you're replying to. Super annoying!

One little quick fix for you if trying to edit something at the top of a long message. If you scroll to the top of the message and tap on the spot where you want to edit a word. After it scrolls you down to the bottom you click backspace and will keep the cursor where you put it, then you should be able to cut and paste and do things. It's really stupid that we have to use all these tricks just for some simple messaging. Plus why is other programs like email and Facebook Messenger not have these issues? Very poor performance for Apple!!!

I found that entering three empty rows at the top of a text usually lets me scroll up to prior messages on my iPhone pro 15 running iOS 17.1.2. Two rows doesn’t usually work though. It’s not perfect and most of the time I use the Notes app to draft longer texts, copying and pasting them into iMessage.

Apple really needs to fix this inability to scroll up to past texts when typing a long text. If not, it will drive people like me straight back to Android, like my Samsung S23 where texting was amazingly great in comparison!

So dumb, but I have found that *sometimes* I can scroll in the VERY far left margin to scroll up to the text I’m replying to.

Hello GAOldLady,

Thanks for reaching out to the Apple Support Communities!

What exactly's happening when attempting to scroll while replying? Does the keyboard hide?

Is your iPhone fully up to date? This can help you check: Update your iPhone or iPad - Apple Support

If it is, do you notice any improvement if you restart? Restart your iPhone - Apple Support

Testing this will help narrow down what's happening.

Cheers!

Hello GAOldLady,

Let's check multiple Messages conversations to see if this happens with all conversations, or only a specific one. That will help us to isolate this further to a conversation specific or app wide conflict.

Additionally, do you use other messaging apps? If so, does this occur with other app when attempting to reply to a message?

Let us know, and we'll keep moving forward based on those details.

I found that sometimes it helps to eliminate any space at the bottom of the text box you are using, and making sure that the curser is in the spot after the last letter you typed. This works for me sometimes, but not always.

Thousands of people are having this problem and have been for well over a year now. This is ridiculous. Literally everyone I know with an iphone has this complaint. And the behavior is inconsistent as well. Asking about being up to date and have you rebooted is useless. No version of iOS does the scroll-back correctly consistently since over a year ago. The behavior is that once you type enough text to push the previous message of the top of the screen, you cannot scroll back to it to re-read the message you're responding to. Yes, the keyboard does hide, but the text entry box then fills the entire screen. Everyone ONCE in a while, it WILL work, and scroll back, reducing the typed text box to half the screen as it always used to do. But it is rare that this happens as it should.