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Sticking backspace (delete) key.

coachingguy

coachingguy

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Feb 7, 2003
699
217
The Great White, Albeit Frozen North
Okay, so I've got my 16gig iPhone, best piece of technology I've ever used, including Edge. Anyways, I'm typing an email today and I realize that I've misspelled a word that like 2 words from where I am now. I hit the backspace key, but instead of stopping where I want it to, it wipes out the whole email, 28 words! The backspace key glows white as does the caps key and I can't get it to stop. That's happened before too.

Anyone have an answer?

Coachingguy
 
I haven't had this happen, but are you using any type of screen protector? I don't know if it would make a difference or not. I haven't heard of this before. I would take it to your Apple store (make sure the phone's all "legal" and stuff first) and let them sort it out. Might be a defect that they'll just replace for ya. Worth a shot. It definitely shouldn't be doing that.
 
coachingguy said:
Okay, so I've got my 16gig iPhone, best piece of technology I've ever used, including Edge. Anyways, I'm typing an email today and I realize that I've misspelled a word that like 2 words from where I am now. I hit the backspace key, but instead of stopping where I want it to, it wipes out the whole email, 28 words! The backspace key glows white as does the caps key and I can't get it to stop. That's happened before too.

Anyone have an answer?

Coachingguy
Click to expand...

Sorry if you already know this but you can hold your finger down on the text until a magnifying glass appears, and then move to the word you need to alter. This saves deleting all the words after a mistake :D As I said though, sorry if you already know this.

That definately should not happen, what software you running?
 
I noticed this same problem today actually. Holding down the delete key turns it white, and feels like the screen freezes, while it deletes and deletes...
 
I had this problem a few times (particularily on certain sites that caused Safari to have memory problems like the BBC message boards) with 1.13, but it seems to have been fixed (at least for me) with 1.14. Have you upgraded your firmware yet?

Phazer
 
The Phazer said:
I had this problem a few times (particularily on certain sites that caused Safari to have memory problems like the BBC message boards) with 1.13, but it seems to have been fixed (at least for me) with 1.14. Have you upgraded your firmware yet?

Phazer
Click to expand...

I'm on 1.1.4, not jailbroken, and it was a forum post I noticed this happening to me.
 
Yes!

This problem: "iPhone Backspace key gets Stuck On"

I have had this problem for quite some time. You never know when it will happen, or why.

The only thing I have discovered that will STOP it from deleting your ENTIRE message, is to type, type, type..... As fast as you can, begin typing letters.

For example, press gggggggggggggggg And then, suddenly, it seems to interrupt the backspacing.... before it has a chance to delete ALL of your hard work.

Thanks, Apple.

Perhaps this is their "official" best solution..... as this problem has existed --- like so many others --- since the very first versions of the firmware.... and is still present in the latest versions of both the Original iPhone AND the 3G models.... today!

Forget about giving us super sophisticated modern technologies.... like.... Copy & Paste..... for example.... or...... Search or Find.... If you could just fix the simple "Backspace Key Gets Stuck On" bug, that would be tremendous. Too much to ask?
 
This same thing has happened to me on a few occasions. I believe hitting the space bar a few times will stop this though.
 
Actually, it's a feature, not a glitch.

If you hold down the delete key for a few seconds, it starts to delete whole words instead of one letter at a time, and then it automatically deletes whole words without you holding the button until you press another key.

I've had my iPhone since February, and that's how it's always worked.
 
Surely said:
Actually, it's a feature, not a glitch.

If you hold down the delete key for a few seconds, it starts to delete whole words instead of one letter at a time, and then it automatically deletes whole words without you holding the button until you press another key.

I've had my iPhone since February, and that's how it's always worked.
Click to expand...

I understand what your saying, but I think what the OP meant was "Out of Control Backspacing" Where after only hitting the Backspace button once or twice, the whole body of text will delete, as if your holding the button down, when you're really not.
 
It happened to my 1st Ge iPod Touch. I'm in Notes, typing something or a smal school project, and wham!!! I lose ALL of it.:mad: I stopped trusting it as much as I used to after that incident.
 
brucewagner said:
Yes!

This problem: "iPhone Backspace key gets Stuck On"

I have had this problem for quite some time. You never know when it will happen, or why.

The only thing I have discovered that will STOP it from deleting your ENTIRE message, is to type, type, type..... As fast as you can, begin typing letters.

For example, press gggggggggggggggg And then, suddenly, it seems to interrupt the backspacing.... before it has a chance to delete ALL of your hard work.
Click to expand...

I've noticed this exact same thing on my 16GB iPhone 3G.

I can't find a way to reliably reproduce it, and it only happens occasionally. but when it happens, it's really annoying. and it definitely happens.

I was hoping the latest 2.2.1 software update would fix it, but unfortunately it doesn't - I just updated and encountered the bug again while composing a note.
 
This too has happened to me.. all you have to do is tap the delete key again and it will stop... well atleast it does for me. I thought it was normal. :confused:
 
Private Dirt said:
This too has happened to me.. all you have to do is tap the delete key again and it will stop... well atleast it does for me. I thought it was normal. :confused:
Click to expand...

definitely not normal behaviour. for me, tapping delete again doesn't stop it. and no other key seems to suddenly auto-repeat after a single tap.

as the earlier poster mentioned, if you madly press some other typing key when the problem occurs, eventually it types that new character repeatedly and stops deleting - but not before most of your email/note has been erased.

I've seen others mentioning the same problem in forums elsewhere, but no solutions. p.s. my iPhone is not jailbroken. it seems to be a long-standing bug, as I mentioned still here in v2.2.1 :mad:
 
Thanks...

Surely said:
Actually, it's a feature, not a glitch.

If you hold down the delete key for a few seconds, it starts to delete whole words instead of one letter at a time, and then it automatically deletes whole words without you holding the button until you press another key.

I've had my iPhone since February, and that's how it's always worked.
Click to expand...

I had experienced this, but couldn't find it documented to stop it!
 
This happens to me all the time. It pisses me off! It just keeps going word after word, a single letter at a time, long after I let go of the delete button.

Nothing stops it, and I just sit there and watch it delete almost everything I typed before it decides to stop deleting. I'm on 2.2.1. Happens most when typing in some field in safari.
 
coachingguy said:
Okay, so I've got my 16gig iPhone, best piece of technology I've ever used, including Edge. Anyways, I'm typing an email today and I realize that I've misspelled a word that like 2 words from where I am now. I hit the backspace key, but instead of stopping where I want it to, it wipes out the whole email, 28 words! The backspace key glows white as does the caps key and I can't get it to stop. That's happened before too.

Anyone have an answer?

Coachingguy
Click to expand...

Yes, it's a known bug - in fact there are several threads about this already. It used to only manifest itself in the mail app, but it seems to be showing itself in other apps - especially in Safari.
 
Maybe some food or sugary drink spilt in, under the delete key making it sticky.... :D Sorry, had to say it.

Seriously though, this has also happened to me. It is annoying, but I now consciously just hold backspace until whole words start disappearing, and then let go immediately. It still deletes quickly, but not out of control. If you keep holding it once whole words start disappearing, you're in for a lot of re-typing.
 
macdim said:
Maybe some food or sugary drink spilt in, under the delete key making it sticky.... :D Sorry, had to say it.

Seriously though, this has also happened to me. It is annoying, but I now consciously just hold backspace until whole words start disappearing, and then let go immediately. It still deletes quickly, but not out of control. If you keep holding it once whole words start disappearing, you're in for a lot of re-typing.
Click to expand...

This feature doesn't work when composing an email, but it does when posting on a bulletin board, like now. I think it works when replying.It seemed to stop at a period. It seems some people were describing the whole writing disappearing quickly, not playing pacman with each word! I have not experienced that.

It just happened accidentally! Text that was off screen was not deleted.
 
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