I don’t see “Select All” option when I highlight text on iPhone

I got it! In the text message, with the cursor anywhere, press and hold it for just a second. A bubble will pop up above your finger and then select all will be an option! I don’t know why the powers that be keep “fixing” things that aren’t broken!

The next problem to solve is the mess that ensues when you try to put the cursor somewhere to add or correct or change something in this very message. Sometimes it will highlight a word close to where you touched. Sometimes it will highlight the word with the options to move the highlighted area to include a bigger field. Eventually, if you keep tapping different places the plain old cursor will show up. At that point, I use the spacebar to move it to where I want to go. Very inefficient and annoying. (Or I could be doing it incorrectly. If so, please let me know how to do it properly.) 😉

Hello everyone! I have the answer for this issue. When typing and the need to “select all” arises, simple single click any word in your text. This will place the cursor. Once the cursor is placed, single click that word once more and the “select all” option will be visible.

Hope this helps! Have a great day!

You can do this by single clicking on your text. If you select any text, you won't get the select all option. Don't select anything, and single click on the cursor. Then you'll get this option. I accidentally found this out, very weird that we don't get this option after selecting something.

I figured it out. Woohoo. So (1) highlight the first word you want to delete. (2) when the blue dots appear take the end dot (end of the word) slide it to the beginning dot. The options will appear scroll over to select all. Note: Select all does not appear unless both dots are together at the beginning of your selection. Hope this helps everyone.

I figured it out. Woohoo. So (1) highlight the first word you want to delete. (2) when the blue dots appear take the end dot (end of the word) slide it to the beginning dot. The options will appear scroll over to select all. Note: Select all does not appear unless both dots are together at the beginning of your selection. Hope this helps everyone.

In some apps this works for me. Thank you for sharing.

I figured it out. Woohoo. So (1) highlight the first word you want to delete. (2) when the blue dots appear take the end dot (end of the word) slide it to the beginning dot. The options will appear scroll over to select all. Note: Select all does not appear unless both dots are together at the beginning of your selection.

I stumbled on to something else that seems to work. Tap and hold on a blank space (a line with no text) and the “select all” will come up in a context menu.

it works right here as I am writing this reply. :-)

I just read most of these responses....I don't get it. It is simple - select all - in a text. Hold your finger or tap on any word in the text. slide the two blue dots together. Tap on the arrow next to select in the popup....there it is SELECT ALL --another way ...hodow your finger on any word in the text till a bubble appears...let up and a popup menu shows up. Click on the arrow and --SELECT ALL -- not sure what it is such a problem. IOS 17.2.1 - 13 Pro. Worked the same way before latest update and on my last 12 pro. Good luck...but it works for me.

Thank you so much. I hope this is replying to the right person, but it worked what you said worked clicking on it where there’s a cursor on the word and then pressing once more on that same word where the cursor is and then the select all pops up I’ve been so frustrated thank you so much. I am so sick of all every time I do an update like so many different things go wrong like especially this last time. I’ve had like four different issues that are big things because they’re wasting my time.

You can still find Select All - tap anywhere on the text, then tap again (not double tap) - Select All appears.

But then I just saw above, which I'd missed, to

TRIPLE TAP WITH SINGLE FINGER TO SELECT ALL.

Doing this doesn't seem to work on all apps though. 🤔

Just tap a neutral blank space in the text box and then tap a space between words. The Select All option will pop up in the menu

TRIPLE TAP WITH SINGLE FINGER TO SELECT ALL

If you place your cursor at the very beginning of the message, before the first letter, then tap again, there is an option to select all.

edit: this only applies to writing iMessages. Haven’t tested it elsewhere yet.

What absolute nonsense - as pointed out below. Single click a word twice and tap select all.

That's correct I tried it in the "Notes" application. If you click/tap on a word 3 times, it highlights a paragraph of section and then you can drag the cursor to whatever you want to copy.

Hey, I found a workaround for what I want to do. It’s a bore, and I agree with all the others who think this is totally customer unfriendly and the explanation given by an Apple employee is absurd. Steve Jobs must be spinning in his grave.

I compile long sections of text in draft in email, and I use “select all” to highlight the draft I’ve made and then paste this version into a new email which I send to myself as a back up.

I noticed that on an email as it arrives in an inbox, when it cannot be edited, “select all” still appears as an option. So my solution is to send the draft I’ve made as an email, wait for it to arrive, then select all, then paste the draft into my editing email, and start my new draft, it’s inconvenient, but at least it works.

Whoever made what seems to be the star reply to this link needs to be fired, and needs to make an apology to us all before he gets a new job shovelling sh*t.