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Grey box overlapping my texting keyboard with 0:00

grey box with 0:00 ovetlapping where my texting should be, cant see what im typing happened after ioS9 update

iPhone 6, iOS 9

Posted on Sep 22, 2015 1:43 PM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Sep 23, 2015 1:57 PM

Hi Bugsington,


I see that you are experiencing an issue where your text entry field in the Messages app is being obscured by a gray bar. I would like to suggest that you first update to iOS 9.0.1, which was released today, and see if the issue is resolved by this update. If the issue is still present, you should go to your Messages settings and toggle the “Show Subject Field” setting. Simply turning this on, returning to your Messages app, then returning to the Settings to turn off the field again should resolve the issue:


Messages settings - iPhone

http://help.apple.com/iphone/9/#/iphf2d853e3


Thanks for using the Apple Support Communities. Have a good one!

63 replies

Sep 29, 2015 3:57 PM in response to Cassidy's iPhone

I'm on a 6s and ran the update when I received the phone on Friday. I didn't have the problem until I tried speech to text yesterday and then I could not get rid of it. I tried the "Show Subject Field" but it's just annoying. I then went and turned off the "Raise to Listen" and so far so good. I have even used the speech to text since then and it has not come back.

Sep 29, 2015 7:27 PM in response to cestmoira

Kinda been most of the topic here...


What's the practical function of this grey bar, and how does one adjust the option, particularly for me on an old familiar iPhone 4. I'm not satisfied with a workaround of selecting "Show Subject Field" which includes accepting a subject line directly above my text bar as a Band-Aid solution. No one needs to see, or uses a "subject" line in texts from what I know of. I want to ditch the function entirely and not see all the extra content for something simple as texting.


Still drowning in the iPhone 4 river....HELP!

Sep 29, 2015 10:01 PM in response to Cassidy's iPhone

I too am an Iphone4 diehard. The solution from braden85 worked for me. Go to settings then go to messages, then change the "show subject field" I found that it doesn't matter if it's set to on or off you just need to change it. Then go back to your message and that gray box should be gone. You can then repeat the step of going to settings and messages and then set the "show subject field" to whatever you like.


I had a question for why this happened, but Hunter Meyers answered that one, and also had another solution. I will try that if it happens again. Thanks Hunter!


It's an annoying little glitch but at least it's fixable.

Sep 30, 2015 12:04 PM in response to Hunter Meyers

Thanks Hunter, but as I've mentioned, I have an iPhone 4 and do not have a "Audio Messages" or "Raise to Listen" selection on my "Messages" menu....even by scrolling all the way to the bottom as some suggested.

Also, by selecting "Show Subject Field", I am not satisfied having this extra line of uselessness there, that nobody would need (who puts a subject line to a text?), ONLY to still have that nasty grey bar show up several times a day....

I simply want to get rid of the function entirely.

Oct 6, 2015 10:34 PM in response to Bugsington

I believe Apple needs to fix this. All solutions offered appear to be temporary only. The problem persists and we should not have to toggle the “Show Subject Field” setting to make the bug go away. Temporary fixes include toggling the character count On and/or Off in Settings > Messages and closing other apps such as Camera before returning to text message.

Oct 11, 2015 6:04 PM in response to gillianfromyateley

Wow, what an annoying update. Whoever thought this was a good feature to not only add but make the default needs to be fired. I've wasted hours trying to fix this. I guess the same rule that applies to Microsoft is my new motto for Apple too, NEVER DO THE UPDATES.


I was loving my new iPhone6 but I'm a lot less in love with it now since everything I've spent weeks getting exactly the way I wanted it is gone due to a stupid whim on Apple's part to force choices on me.

Oct 13, 2015 9:39 AM in response to Bugsington

Tried the 'Raise To Listen: OFF' fix but the gray box is still overlapping the text field. iPhone 6. How can this even be happening?


My Mac Pro with Yosemite is half the machine it used to be and for that reason I won't do the update to "El Capitan" (what a silly name).

I should not have updated to anything past iOS 8.1. I know better now. Good job, Apple!

Oct 14, 2015 7:26 AM in response to Latrellgill

Dear Latrellgill,


I found your personal observations helping me on so many levels. When you describe what you saw it triggered the sytem I was accustomed to living in Aegypt 1970-1974 using rotary phones and that all technolgies are inner conncected. So rather than continue with many different compartments of technolgys that may cause entanglements, burding the sound waves or universal grid and causing interferences in Signals, iphone or ipad or other concepts, androids, come in and condense the lifting of the phone I was doing in my early years and hand off the choice or method bi customizing my personal preferences in Setting. I wish others like you can help simpllify electronic technolgies since I share openly with you, I feel like a dinaosaur when I try to tackle what is wrong with our technology that we can claim to have visited space and yet death and disease are still in our mist. I will keep my ears and eyes glued to opportunities to listen to brilliant participants in life, like yourself, so I can retrace my steps, go in reverse if you will, and fix my cells with a simple click on settings on any of my electronic platforms. Thank you again for openly sharing how the gray zone banner can be viewed as a filter to keep one in suspense or to have a clear view of the screen shots. I prefer my eyes can check, before issusing texts that in a system that appear to be in chaos,meaning the language or intention is not crystal clear, texts could cross another channel and lead to images that feed our air waves and minds, cauising worlds to appear distant, and in different centuries and this would be a continues lock down on a repetitive program like a movie or song that is to repeat over and over until something fingers how to stop. You and others like you may be the greatest scientists and doctors any your setting needs fine tuning, just like the ways I grew up on, adjusting rabbit ears, to get a clear picture.



Warmest Regards to you and yours,


Rasha Ayad Mekhail

RAM

Oct 14, 2015 11:29 AM in response to RashaAyadMekhail

Why doesn't Apple fix this for gods sake?


its a simple bug that slipped in with a recent update, I know there are ways of clearing it but it's ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS that we should have to do it repeatedly.


As usual another Corporate giant avoids admitting a fault, these forums are theoretically a good idea but of what real use if there is no feedback from Apple as to A: admitting a fault exists and most importantly B: actually fixing it.

Grey box overlapping my texting keyboard with 0:00

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