Hints at iPhone Copy and Paste in Firmware 2.1?

[bretm]

My simple effective method?

The best method I can figure is by holding down the Home button and tapping the screen at the start point and then at the end point. At which time a message appears asking you if you want to cut or copy the text.

Pasting would be performed by holding down the Home button and then double-tapping at the correct location. This does limit it to text only, and not to images, but I think Apple should take baby steps with this as there is no easy solution that is going to be as user-friendly as using a physical keyboard and mouse.

I think there needs to be a robust Clipboard for the iPhone that you can access like the Notes app. Meaning, a clipboard that holds multiple data sets in memory and one that can be manually edited for future use and quick access pasting.

It has to be something people are going to discover naturally. The magnifying glass is discovered somewhat naturally and is pretty self explanatory when it pops up.

Here's my simple suggestion...

Do the magnifying glass thingy until you're at the starting point of copy/cut. Normally, you'd release at this point and begin typing. That doesn't change. However, let's say that now if you hold the magnifying glass in a certain spot for say 2 or 3 seconds (can be a preference in settings) a screen menu pops up. The selections would be simple... "START SELECT, END SELECT, CUT, COPY, PASTE, or (for those that didn't mean to bring up this menu) MOVE CURSOR"

That's it. End of story. Problem solved. Doesn't alter current function of magnifying glass. Adds all the features desired. Don't have to drag out a selection. Plus it will be naturally discovered, and is a pretty common sense way of doing it.

If Apple wanted to add multiple copy/paste caches then it would just ask which you wanted to paste when you pasted.

I know all these methods have their issues, but I don't see the flaw in this one. Someone tell me.

 

[MisterK]

Another copy/paste implementation idea

Simple. Touch screen over text. After a delay the loupe comes up just as with a text field now. Touch with second finger and a second loupe comes up. Release once you have marked the start and end of the text to be copied. There is no cut. If it is a text field the text remains highlighted so you can delete it to simulate a cut. Pasting is just a mater of choosing what gesture you want to use for the paste feature (maybe touch until the loupe comes up to choose your insterion point then tap with second finger).

I just don't find that very simple. Maybe holding down two fingers on the screen creates a "copy loupe" that will capture any text you roll over. You could place an insertion with the loupe as usual, then tap with three fingers to paste. Maybe we're saying the same thing.

 

[B. Hunter]

Copy & paste does not help me much if I can't edit iWork documents.

 

[schubes]

Just got mine last night. Overally its awesome, have none of the problems I've read about here: ie, yellow screen, ridiculous lag on camera, contacts, etc.

Main complaints (probably rectified eventually): lack of ability to send a text to multiple recipients (correct me if I'm wrong), lack of ability to add own ring tones/text sounds, and, of course, copy/paste.

All in all its pretty slammin' though B-)

Sorry to quote myself but I see that I was wrong about not being able to send texts to multiple recipients. 1/3 complaints resolved already

 

[bretm]

Just got mine last night. Overally its awesome, have none of the problems I've read about here: ie, yellow screen, ridiculous lag on camera, contacts, etc.

Main complaints (probably rectified eventually): lack of ability to send a text to multiple recipients (correct me if I'm wrong), lack of ability to add own ring tones/text sounds, and, of course, copy/paste.

All in all its pretty slammin' though B-)

If you want to send to multiple recipients, just keep adding recipients to the to field. Tap the field and you'll get another plus sign to add from contacts or just type in a number.

 

[GoCubsGo]

yay, an end to the whining.

Glass houses my friend.

Copy and paste makes sense but the topic has been beaten to death.

 

[gibbz]

Including the whining about whiners?

People who complain about whining are just as annoying.

...and people who point out that people who complain about people who complain are just as annoying.

Where will it end?

 

[schubes]

If you want to send to multiple recipients, just keep adding recipients to the to field. Tap the field and you'll get another plus sign to add from contacts or just type in a number.

Thanks for the tip. Has anyone made much progress toward adding custom ring tones/text sounds etc? I saw a topic somewhere about adding your tracks to a folder in iTunes and then simply importing, but I've also been told its not this simple on 2.0. Anyone savvier had any luck on this?

 

[newyorksole]

I have found the need to use copy/paste MANY times and would love for it to be released finally. I just don't see Apple releasing it anytime soon even if there are hints in the firmware.

Also, when and if copy/paste is released, there will still be whining most likely.

 

[joeshell383]

Sorry to quote myself but I see that I was wrong about not being able to send texts to multiple recipients. 1/3 complaints resolved already

Open song in GarageBand.
Use cycle to identify the ringtone clip (max. 40 sec.)
Go to Share menu.
Click Send as Ringtone to iTunes.
In iTunes click on Ringtones under library.
Rename the ringtone w/ appropriate artist and title info.
Sync iPhone.

 

[bacadd]

How I hope it works

I hope when copy paste is available for the iPhone/iPod Touch it is something easy to use and intuitive. Maybe something like this?

NOTE: This is a mock-up. Not connected to Apple in any way.

 

[pomus]

Thanks for the tip. Has anyone made much progress toward adding custom ring tones/text sounds etc? I saw a topic somewhere about adding your tracks to a folder in iTunes and then simply importing, but I've also been told its not this simple on 2.0. Anyone savvier had any luck on this?

you could add custom ringtones via Garageband for free.

 

[PowerFullMac]

Finally, the top-end glory that is the iPhone will finally be able to do one of basic functions of my dad's 5 year old Motorola! Next: MMS.

 

[Donz0r]

Finally, the top-end glory that is the iPhone will finally be able to do one of basic functions of my dad's 5 year old Motorola! Next: MMS.

Apple will not do MMS, they see it as a dead technology, it's just a modified version of SMS and is ****, just e-mail pics. It would be nice if they would allow incoming MMS to come in as E-mails though

 

[Klaxons2012]

How about...thank...you?

I mean, we can wait until version 3 of the software and continue to write down long urls and complain about the lack of cut and paste...or we can be grateful that Apple listens to its users about its functionality issues.

Personally, I've had very few issues with the 2.0 Firmware. I'm annoyed by people who act like it's flawed or buggy because its been pretty good to me.

 

[schubes]

Open song in GarageBand.
Use cycle to identify the ringtone clip (max. 40 sec.)
Go to Share menu.
Click Send as Ringtone to iTunes.
In iTunes click on Ringtones under library.
Rename the ringtone w/ appropriate artist and title info.
Sync iPhone.

Thanks a lot

 

[PowerFullMac]

How about...thank...you?

I mean, we can wait until version 3 of the software and continue to write down long urls and complain about the lack of cut and paste...or we can be grateful that Apple listens to its users about its functionality issues.

Personally, I've had very few issues with the 2.0 Firmware. I'm annoyed by people who act like it's flawed or buggy because its been pretty good to me.

2.0 is good over here, too, still dosent excuse the fact that copy and paste is a basic feature which should have been there on launch.

 

[Klaxons2012]

Finally, the top-end glory that is the iPhone will finally be able to do one of basic functions of my dad's 5 year old Motorola! Next: MMS.

Why mms?

 

[PowerFullMac]

This is such an annoying request.

Screw the fact that there are numbers of photography programs available on the App store that allows you to share photos in new and exciting ways...i want an archaic means of transmitting messages AND I WANT TO BE CHARGED FOR IT!

You are forgetting one thing: not everyone has a iPhone!

 

[goodfellaNW]

Doubt that, 90% of the problems I've had are all on Apple's part... Lagging default apps, maps loading extremely sluggishly, needing to restart the device couple of times a day because it starts crawling while doing anything. Scrolling lists is extremely jerky/laggy... the list goes on and has nothing to do w/ 3rd party apps. If anything the apps worked perfectly fine for me for the most part...

All of that can be related to 3rd party apps. It could very well be a memory leak caused by the SDK and/or bad programming techniques in those 3rd party apps. When memory leaks occur, it will affect all apps, including default apps.

I've noticed that over time, after using certain apps, I'll notice sluggish behavior until I reset the phone.

 

[nutthick]

If there are localized strings, doesn't that mean that they are going with a button approach with cut and copy written on them?

For what it's worth I posted this a while back after getting bored waiting for Apple.

 

[jdechko]

Why mms?

Because MMS does not always mean picture messaging. Sure for pictures, email is a much better solution- just email me the darn picture. But you can send contact information via MMS as well. And even though copy/paste would allow you to get the information from a contact and send it over SMS, it's very easy to save the contact file and have it automatically created/stored. As it stands currently, there is no easy way to transfer contact details (bluetooth, email, MMS or otherwise).

//Back from the inside.

 

[PowerFullMac]

Because MMS does not always mean picture messaging. Sure for pictures, email is a much better solution- just email me the darn picture. But you can send contact information via MMS as well. And even though copy/paste would allow you to get the information from a contact and send it over SMS, it's very easy to save the contact file and have it automatically created/stored. As it stands currently, there is no easy way to transfer contact details (bluetooth, email, MMS or otherwise).

//Back from the inside.

You can send anything through MMS, you can even send .sis files if you own a S60 phone!

 

[LoganT]

The best idea I can think of for copy and paste is:

Hold your finger in the middle on the screen that enables "select mode"

a magnifying glass shows up, you use it to drag, it asks you if you want to copy

When you go to a text field, you do the same thing, hold your finger down and it will say paste.

 

[jdechko]

You can send anything through MMS, you can even send .sis files if you own a S60 phone!

Which was exactly my point, A point lost on some people. Sure picture messaging is of limited use when you have the email capabilities of the iPhone, but if you are going to completely shun MMS, then there should at least be a way to attach files other than pictures to an email.

As for C/P, I think the loupe is a great starting point. But I'm sure that part of the reason we haven't seen it yet is that Apple want's to make it intuitive, and work really really well.