undo back button

Question

Level 1

9 points

undo back button

I was almost finished typing out a thoughtful, somewhat long paragraph when I accidentally tapped the back button on the left-hand side of my iPhone 6's keyboard in landscape mode, and the entire paragraph was deleted. I then tapped Undo and it just kept deleting. If that back button is going to exist in such a precarious spot, there must be a redo button. I'm not finding such a feature and am hoping to get someone's insight as to how I can get my paragraph back. Thanks much!

iPhone 6, iOS 8

Posted on Oct 24, 2014 7:35 AM

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Answer 1

keneneu Author

Level 1

9 points

Oct 24, 2014 7:03 PM in response to Kilgore-Trout

I'm confident the keyboard is working properly and I've included an image here of what it looks like. I had a chance to play with it more during my train ride home and found that the "back" button, when tapped, goes back as far as the last time you hit back space or enter, whichever comes first. It would seem I didn't make any errors in my long paragraph this morning to warrant back spacing, therefore it wiped out the entire paragraph when I hit that key by accident.

I was still unsuccessful at figuring out how to recover from an accident. Ultimately I was/am hoping for a redo option. That key is a hazard without one. Nevertheless, thanks much for your input.

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Answer 2

Oct 21, 2015 6:19 AM in response to Jeffiepoo

Jeffiepoo wrote:

I had the same problem, it deleted a whole heart felt paragraph that I can't reproduce. I suppose because I typed it quickly, it figures that I didn't want any of it. This feature was an awful experience, and it is truly up there on the list of why I am going to try out Android for my next phone. Anyway, the lesson learned here is I need to shake my phone when I'm angry at it, and then it might give me the option to fix whatever may have gone wrong. Weird, but true in this case. Please remove this button, or find another way to lean towards data safety and recovery like the industry tends to do. A Redo button would do it as the poster pointed out, or put it on the number view instead for a couple options.

http://www.apple.com/feedback/

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Answer 3

Oct 24, 2014 11:51 AM in response to keneneu

Try a reset: Simultaneously hold down the Home and On buttons until the device shuts down. Ignore the off slider if it appears. Once shut down is complete, if it doesn't restart on it own, turn the device back on using the On button. In some cases it also helps to double click the Home button and close all apps BEFORE doing the reset.
Add another keyboard to the array in Settings, and return to Pages. Switch keyboards and see if that might not correct it.

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Answer 4

Oct 24, 2014 9:22 AM in response to keneneu

The left hand side? And it deleted an entire paragraph with one click? Are you using a third party keyboard?

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Answer 5

keneneu Author

Level 1

9 points

Oct 24, 2014 9:33 AM in response to Kilgore-Trout

No, using the standard keyboard (though I wish it could be split as some 3rd party keyboards will do). It's the key below the microphone key and above the comma key when the phone is in landscape mode. I don't know the official name for the button, but it's shaped like a U on its side opening up to the left. And yes, the whole paragraph. It would seem this button leaves no room for error. At this point I've accepted my paragraph is gone forever, but I'm hoping to find out what to do next time I hit this key by accident. I've done it while composing text messages and those are easy to recover from (just do it again). But not so while using Pages.

Thanks for your inquiry, James,

Ken

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Answer 6

keneneu Author

Level 1

9 points

Oct 24, 2014 10:36 AM in response to Kilgore-Trout

I just had a look at a friend's iPhone (not 6) who had upgraded to iOS 8 and he does not have the key I'm describing. Perhaps you can consider yourself lucky for not yet being exposed to this key. Thanks again for checking in, though.

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Answer 7

Yorker69

Level 1

8 points

Dec 26, 2014 10:33 AM in response to keneneu

HI Ken, I cannot believe that there is not more information about this button. It is driving me CRAZY with all the texts I am having to entirely rewrite. have you not found a way to delete it yet? Or like you say....a redo button?

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Answer 8

Mar 27, 2015 12:23 PM in response to keneneu

For those who have not yet found a solution, it did finally discover a way to "redo" the accidental "undo" or "clear" button located like a land mine just above the comma on an iPhone 6 keyboard in landscape rotation: Shake the phone violently like you are upset losing an entire paragraph worth of thoughtful prose, and a "Redo" dialog may pop-up. Hope this helps someone else find the answer in less time than it took me!

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Answer 9

Oct 21, 2015 5:54 AM in response to keneneu

I had the same problem, it deleted a whole heart felt paragraph that I can't reproduce. I suppose because I typed it quickly, it figures that I didn't want any of it. This feature was an awful experience, and it is truly up there on the list of why I am going to try out Android for my next phone. Anyway, the lesson learned here is I need to shake my phone when I'm angry at it, and then it might give me the option to fix whatever may have gone wrong. Weird, but true in this case. Please remove this button, or find another way to lean towards data safety and recovery like the industry tends to do. A Redo button would do it as the poster pointed out, or put it on the number view instead for a couple options.

Reply

Answer 10

zapex

Level 1

10 points

Feb 1, 2017 5:59 AM in response to keneneu

Holding the button does not work in 10.2 iPhone 6.

Shaking the phone brings up a "redo" button and you can salvage the text.

Very poorly thought out!

Well this is too mild: an absolute nuisance of keyboard design.

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Answer 11

Jun 7, 2017 1:01 PM in response to keneneu

I keep having the same problem and it's so frustrating. I saw your solution where you mention to hold down the "undo button" to get additional options but that feature does not seem to be available on my keyboard eventhough I have the latest IOs. I have lost so many texts to this...Apple please help!

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Answer 12

Oct 24, 2014 10:00 AM in response to keneneu

What you are describing is not consistent with the keyboard on my device in Pages. A specificlanguage keyboard difference? An iPhone 6 change (I'm using a 5)?