Q: I cannot delete iPhone keyboard shortcuts.  They keep restoring.

Erasing everything is basically not an option as I'd like to keep all my messages intact.

I tried the method; it worked for awhile... but I'm guessing it is because I have an icloud backup as well that may have messed things up.... I will try to remove my icloud backup and see if that will fix it.

What I just did, using the newest itunes 12.2.1.16:

1. deleted my icloud backup

2. backed up to my computer; closed itunes

3. opened ibackupbot; found my backup from 2. and deleted 'CoreDataUbiquitySupport' folder; closed ibackupbot

4. restore my phone from itunes to factory settings - this solved the "not enough space on phoneto restore from backup" issue that i had

5. restore from backup made from 2.

Other things of note:

- my apple ID is ONLY linked to the iphone (no other apple products such as ipads or macbook)

- i refuse to restore from scratch as a $1000 phone that doesn't let me permanently delete something so simple as shortcuts sounds ridiculous

- i first thought my icloud backup was the issue... but I have since done the whole process after deleting my icloud backup.... no dice.

Should I delete the whole keyboard folder from the backup? Will that wreck the backup itself? Please keep in mind that since I now have no cloud backup... I desperately cannot ruin all my offline computer backups and risk losing my histories.

Any suggestions/tips can help... thanks.

I agree, and there's no need to lose anything.  However, I'm hoping you used icopybot rate than ibackupbot as you stated.  That won't work.  Also, make sure you deleted any old (2013) files above the ubiquity folder.  That was the issue in addition to the multiple files in the folder for many people.  Your steps look right other than what I've mentioned.

NEW INFORMATION and POSSIBLE COMPLETE AND TOTAL FIX FROM APPLE --

Well, I've been here in this thread too long (see previous posts) and have stubbornly (and perhaps foolishly) refused to use the 3rd-party solution.

However --

After months of calling Apple, amounting to countless hours for wasted time on the phone, having been passed through no fewer than a dozen Senior Technical Advisors, and after having gone up to Mt. Olympus to ENGINEERING twice, the case was finally passed to an even higher power: THE DEVELOPERS. (everyone say: ooooooooo!...)

What I could not do, what no Advisor could do, and what the first set of ENGINEERS failed to do the first time, THE DEVELOPERS have apparently done. And here's the solution:

Get an Android.

Had to do that, sorry.

No, seriously. Here it is:

Get Apple tech front-end on the phone. Get him/her to "escalate" your case to a Senior Technical Advisor. Don't back down and let the ever-helpful, ever-earnest tech to try to fix it: s/he can't. Don't back down. Get to a Senior Tech, then get that person to work with you to have the ENGINEERS put your account Apple ID into "test mode" (allows them into your account and requires that you let Apple set a temporary password, which you can change when the account is released from test; no apparent risks or mischief). Advise the Senior Tech that the ENGINEERS will need to engage THE DEVELOPERS (dum-dum-DUM). The exalted DEVELOPERS will need to go into your User ID and remove the shortcut file. Once removed, you'll sign in and out of your Apple ID on each device, and voila! No Zombies.

Duh.

It's now been done on both my iPad, and I will -- obviously -- be keeping a sharp eye out for ghosts, vampires, Bill Murray, Glenn Close, the Walking Dead, Spinal Tap, those Grateful guys who play guitars, the random phoenix, soap opera stars who successfully renegotiated their contracts, and anyone who is fluent in Manx. Will report back. I hope I do not eat my words.

I can share more info if you'd like. Just ask.

How long ago did you do that? If they didn't remove the keyboard files from your actual devices, then whatever they did will NOT work. You'll see. Within a week all the shortcuts will be back.

Just today -- and your warning is well taken, and thanks.

I've gone round on this for some time (see earlier posts), but as I said, resisted the 3rd-party fix. I very much intend to keep watch (of course), but the process on this was different. I didn't have to delete a single thing on either device, which deleting has been a hallmark of previous attempts to "fix" the problem. They did their thing, I signed out and back in, and poof! No zombies.

Granted, it may be illusory, but as I said, this time it does SEEM as if something was done at the Mother Ship. There was also a tacit acknowledgment that the problem emanates from the iOS and infects the OS, but not always.

Will keep posting.

I followed your link from page 17...

I found another download but when I try opening this program I am stuck at "loading database from device, please wait..." for like 30 min.

<Links Edited By Host>

What i did is i delete all the shortcuts. Chose another language as the only keyboard. Reset the phone/ipad 3 times. With each reset do check whether does the shortcuts came back or not. It didn't for me. Then delete away the foreign language keyboard and choose your own language and then add back the shortcuts you need. Problem solved for me.

Boetielee close the app and try again. it will work.

Two issues:

1. I can only "open" icopybot when I am not connected to my iphone; I have tried restarting the program repeatedly, as well as my phone, my computer etc. before I concluded on this issue.

2. The "icopybot" interface was nothing like as stated from the fix (no system files or anything of that sort; the "ibackupbot" interface was exactly as mentioned in the previous posts, however.

I'm not sure how I mis-downloaded the program....

This is a really weird and frustrating issue and I hope Apple will fix it in iOS 9 !!!

I do not own a Mac so cannot follow this "fix" you describe pagemakers4 and there seems to be no rhyme of reason to the periodic return of the zombie shortcuts.

I have an iPhone 5 and an iPad Air 2, both will behave perfectly for weeks, then for some reason both of them will repopulate the Keyboard shortcuts list with a number that have been deleted. I re-delete them on both devices and calm is restored .... until the next time!

When this happens does not coincide with iCloud Backups, it seems quite random and affects both devices at the same time.

Hard to diagnose not being able to see your screen.  Can you take a screen shot of your screen with the icopybot program open and post it here.  I've not heard of your issue happening.  I have heard of an issue when the other program was used by mistake.

What you are experiencing is exactly the random recurring problem that we've all had.  Unfortunately iOS 9 won't fix the problem.  However, you don't have to have a Mac to fix it.  You can download the windows version of the program and do the same thing in iTunes.

Huge apology to bowtielee!!!  I was confused by your issue with icopybot and I went back to look and indeed you were using the correct program.  ibackupbot is the right one, but is located at the icopybot website.  It's been so long since I used it I got them confused.  My sincere apologies!  And yes there is both a windows and an Apple version of the sofware for iTunes.

Thanks I'll have a go at that ....

strange this happens even after I have backed up iPad and iPhone to iCloud, with only the shortcuts I want. Even then the previously deleted ones eventually return