Can't drag the cursor up in text messages on new iphone 15 Pro iOS 17

I switched from my iphone 13 pro with iOS 17 (no problems with the upgrade) and now I've lost a bunch of features. This post is about typing a long enough text message so the beginning is hidden at the top. I can scroll to read the whole thing but I can't edit at the beginning. I push/hold on the message (or spacebar) and drag to the cursor to where I want it. I let go and it pops back down to a different part of the message. I don't need it often but it's something that Apple should be aware of if it's happening to others.

iPhone 15 Pro

Posted on Oct 3, 2023 10:51 AM

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Posted on Oct 17, 2023 2:13 PM

I just wrote a long text and nearly cried. When I scroll to a place to edit the whole thing suddenly flips to another place. Trying to control the cursor is useless. If I put the cursor somewhere it immediately pops back to the last place it was — or some totally random place. I could scream. The caps key goes off before I even have a chance to type. It’s basically doing the same thing as the cursor. Totally uncontrollable. And this back arrow editing thing is insane. Almost everything it suggests is not a real word so just trying not to touch it. I’m so regretting iOS 17.

199 replies

Nov 15, 2023 3:29 PM in response to KateT1208

This has been a problem since iOS 17 was introduced, still there with 17.1.1. I can get it to work with much effort, pressing and holding to try to move the cursor, trying multiple times, and eventually, I can get it to allow me to get to the top of a long message to edit. It's frustrating, for sure, and you would think it'd be fixed by now. Come on Apple, at least let us know you're aware of the issue. And don't tell me the fix is to keep message to 140 characters or less. ;-)

Nov 18, 2023 4:18 PM in response to KateT1208

I have an iPhone 12 mini and just upgraded from 16 point something to 17.1.1. I started having this problem with longer text messages and it was driving me crazy as well.

Turns out that what you do is: press down on the space bar until everything turns gray. Then, keeping your finger on the screen, move it to where you want the cursor to be in your text message. As long as you keep your finger on the message, you can then set the cursor where you need it. When I programmed software long ago, we would jokingly call this a “feature”.

Nov 20, 2023 5:55 AM in response to redmachelp

You just pulled everything related to these ISSUES out of my brain and articulated it in your post.


What did the Genius person finally do/suggest?


I cant believe something as necessary and basic as the cursor has turned into such a crippled mess.


And that none of the recent updates have corrected this. My phone is basically useless given the amount of texting and writing that I do on it.

Nov 20, 2023 7:08 AM in response to zenpop_seattle

Genius wasn’t aware of it. He thought poss my phone. I asked if he was on iOS 17 - after establishing he was, asked him to emulate on his own phone to demonstrate not my phone. Same thing happened on his. Nice chap but wasn’t too phased as said he didn’t write long messages.. (Obvs, not the point.) He said he’d flag it and assumed it would get sorted out in an update.

As I say, is also more than failing to be able to locate cursor when editing at top of longer messages. There’s fundamental problem with the functioning of the cursor generally. These issues are consistent across iOS 17, 17.1, 17.1.1

Would be great if Apple replied to this post and gave an update of where they were with this problem(s). Because, as we agree, it is rather fundamental.

Nov 20, 2023 7:48 AM in response to redmachelp

I posted this reply earlier. Turns out that what you do is: press down on the space bar until everything turns gray. Then, keeping your finger on the screen, move it to where you want the cursor to be in your text message. As long as you keep your finger on the message, you can then set the cursor where you need it.

they actually consider this a feature. 🙄

Nov 21, 2023 6:22 AM in response to zenpop_seattle

zenpop_seattle wrote:

No, if it’s a super long text message the ’feature’ you suggest doesn’t work as your still unable to scroll/move the cursor up into the parts of the message that reside higher, beyond the view of the text message field.


Yes, it works even with a long message. Where you might have a problem is if you preview the message by pulling down. This makes the keyboard disappear. But, as long as you press on the spacebar and then keep your finger on the screen, you can move the cursor to the top of the message. Note that your finger may go above the keyboard. That's okay.

Nov 21, 2023 3:28 PM in response to KateT1208

I’m having the same issue, try to go back and edit a text message, the cursor won’t stay in place. It jumps down to a different part of the message.

Very frustrating. As a workaround, I tried ‘select all’ to copy and rewrite the message in Pages and repost…nope …I can’t even ‘select all..’

Nov 21, 2023 10:51 PM in response to IdrisSeabright

Nope. Thank you for your advice IdrisSeabright but it does not work. Unfortunately functions the same as I stated in previous. I have another iPhone which I did not upgrade to iOS 17. All works wonderfully on that still.

There is a fundamental problem with iOS 17 around the cursor as well as around how it functions in the message app.

I do hope this is acknowledged by Apple soon.


Nov 22, 2023 11:12 PM in response to FeffyB

Nope re. suggestion of turning phone landscape to edit text - in that it’s very hit and miss. (While also of course it’s most suboptimal to have to start changing the direction of phone just to edit a text message.) If you try and tap the cursor where you want on portrait and then turn phone landscape without touching it again it can sometimes allow you to edit but as soon as you scroll down to read what you’re about to send (in landscape) and scroll back up to edit some more, you have the same problem as before, it won’t let you.


Additional feedback: the behaviour is different depending on whether you have the ‘To:’ field filled in in messages app. If you do not, it sometimes lets you edit large texts in the area at top out of site. But if you’re replying to someone, as is far more usual, it won’t let you.


It would be most encouraging if Apple acknowledge these issues.

The user friendly difference between my iPhone running iOS 16 and iPhone running iOS 17 in terms of writing and editing is enormous.

Nov 25, 2023 8:11 AM in response to KateT1208

Updated to iPhone 15, “Titanium”very cool but useless in exchange for poor or non functioning of practical features like using the cursor to correct texts, such as dates in a message. If it is necessary to edit critical dates or numbers at the top of a message —forget it! - IT WONT do it unless you have several hours to waste…you’ll have rewrite your message with NO corrections.

This is a poor level of functionality considering all the other features previous versions had, especially since Apple push the glamour of the Titanium as the big sell.

I want a phone that is smarter than this on a practical level.

The Dictionary function is also terrible, I have to Edit the phone, rather than it help me edit my texts!! And it “won't learn” corrections of its ridiculous spellings….! It cannot spell the word “the” correctly so far, i find it amazing that it is so incompetent at the basics.


I find that the auto correct takes more time to use, and the cursor function completely useless to correct anything.


What is the answer to this poor functionality? The iPhone 7 worked better! Camera, new lens’s, etc.. all great but I need an efficient texting device for communication (and $$$$ price) more than a perfect camera for social media…

Any answers? …

Can't drag the cursor up in text messages on new iphone 15 Pro iOS 17

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