Can't drag the cursor up in text messages on new iphone 15 Pro iOS 17

It sounds like you're experiencing a text editing issue on your new iPhone 15 Pro Max with iOS 17 when trying to edit a long text message. This could be a bug or an issue with the new iOS version. To address this problem, you can try the following steps:

1. Restart your iPhone: Sometimes, minor glitches can be resolved by simply restarting your device.

2. Check for Software Updates: Ensure that your iPhone is running the latest iOS version. Apple often releases updates that address various bugs and issues.

3. Reset Keyboard Settings: You can reset your keyboard settings by going to Settings > General > Reset > Reset Keyboard Dictionary. This might help with the text editing behavior.

4. Report the Issue to Apple: If the problem persists, consider reporting it to Apple through the Feedback app or their official support channels. This can help them identify and address the issue in future updates.

In the meantime, you can also explore third-party keyboard apps from the App Store as they may offer different text editing features that could meet your needs.

Hi! Just got done crying for this exact reason but just realized something. When I’m trying to place my cursor at the top half of the long message it doesn’t let me and does the same things you described and my keyboard also goes away when trying to scroll up to the place I want to make an edit but for some reason when I swipe away the message app to return to my home page and then go right back I’m suddenly able to? And I don’t mean fully swiping the messages app from all the recent opened apps on your phone I simply mean just getting out of messages and going right back. Try that! It seems to be the only way to fix the issue lol.

I keep reposting these two workarounds, because I’m not sure where we are in these various threads. One I discovered myself, I actually stumbled upon it on some apple support website. The other was suggested by multiple users.

1. Go all the way to the bottom of the text message, position the cursor below the bottom of the text message. Press the space bar until the keyboard turns gray. Keep your finger on the screen. Then you should be able to move the cursor around in the message and position where you need to be. Not perfect, but it generally works as long as you start at the very bottom of the message.
2. Several users have mentioned that the cursor is actually where you need it to be, it is just the view that is wrong. So if you just start texting or dictating, you are actually in the correct position and your view will adjust so you can see what you are typing or dictating and then you are fine. I have found this to generally work, although it messes with my head more than I would like to admit.

I tried something tonight that worked. I sent a long nonsense message to myself. Then, I had two of the same message to myself. I tapped and held on the gray message as if I was going to forward the message. I could not get the cursor up to the top of the message. But, when I did the same thing on the blue message, again as if I was going to forward it, It gave an option to edit the message. I tapped on that, and I was able to move the cursor anywhere in the message. So, until they fix this, if I am writing a long message to someone but find I need to edit it, I’ll send it to myself first, tap on the blue message, edit it, and then forward it to the intended recipient.

I have an iPhone 12 mini and just upgraded from 16 point something to 17.1.1. I started having this problem with longer text messages and it was driving me crazy as well.

Turns out that what you do is: press down on the space bar until everything turns gray. Then, keeping your finger on the screen, move it to where you want the cursor to be in your text message. As long as you keep your finger on the message, you can then set the cursor where you need it. When I programmed software long ago, we would jokingly call this a “feature”.

I posted this reply earlier. Turns out that what you do is: press down on the space bar until everything turns gray. Then, keeping your finger on the screen, move it to where you want the cursor to be in your text message. As long as you keep your finger on the message, you can then set the cursor where you need it.

they actually consider this a feature. 🙄

Also, the ‘best answer’ stated on this discussion - That one should update from 17 to  17.1  - does not appear to be constructive. 

A constructive answer would far more accurately represent the reality of the feedback. In this way it would be more honest and therefore more useful. A best answer would therefore be more like this:

The issue appears to be not with a new phone but with the new operating system iOS 17. While a few have said 17.1 fixes the issue, others have said it does not and the issue persists with all iOS 17 updates (so far up to 17.1.1). 

For this text message editing issue, a workaround, while far from ideal, has been to ‘select all’, cut and paste into ‘notes’, edit, paste back into messages. 

It has been stated by users that the difficulties with the cursor in the messages app are not isolated to the messages app. The cursor has been found to be hard to control elsewhere when operating iOS17: such as when writing in this forum - e.g. one taps in a location of text and the cursor refuses to go there or it selects text that one does not wish it to. 

However, when writing in ‘notes’ there is no issue with the cursor in iOS17. It works normally just like in iOS 16. 

In summary the problem appears to be fairly broad around the cursor - cursor problems showing themselves in a number of apps/interfaces when one is using iOS17. 

It appears that this problem has not yet been resolved by Apple.

From the other discussion: they point out that now if you select a spot in your text message - high up out of view that you can’t usually select - although the cursor doesn’t flash there and the view bounces back down and that spot goes out of sight. If you ignore and start typing, you’re taken back to that spot and you can edit.

Of course far from ideal and very irritating but they’re right about that - I just tried it.

Here is the best workaround suggested by other users:

When you encounter this problem, your cursor is actually in the right place. It is just that the view in your message window pops back down to the bottom. So if you start typing or dictating, THEN the view will shift to the correct spot, corresponding to your cursor placement, so you can see what you are typing or dictacting. Then you are fine.

I have tried this multiple times and it has worked the best. Still a ridiculous and inexcusable problem, but the best workaround.

I will share with you the solution that a couple of users shared with me: when this problem happens in a text message, and you are popped back to the bottom of the text message, your cursor is actually in the right place. So if you just start typing or dictating, then your view will be corrected to where you are typing and dictating, where you had placed the cursor. Then everything seems to work pretty well. It’s just weird and disorienting and of course completely inexcusable. I think Tim Cook has enough pocket change to get this resolved.

But thankfully, a couple different users shared that with me and it has been extremely helpful.

Here's how we got around it: place the cursor at the END OF A LINE (far right margin), then drag the cursor up from there to the line you want to edit. The screen should now visibly scroll so you can see where you are. Once at the line you want, drag the cursor left to the text you want to edit, and it should perform as expected.

Update 12/11/2023

I just installed update iOS 17.2

It seems to have corrected this issue. I started a new text and copied in a lengthy message. I was able to place my cursor anywhere in the text and edit it. 🎉🎉

I too had the highly annoying issue with the cursor, both with my iPhone 12 and two iPads. The phone updated to the 17.2 version automatically, as it is set to do, so at some point that cursor problem had gone away. However, I just discovered that for unknown reasons my iPads did NOT run the updates automatically, even though they are configured to do so (another software bug, perhaps?) After I ran the iPad updates the cursor problem seems to have disappeared from them as well. Thanks to everyone on this board for the input!

Here's how to get around not being able to drag the cursor up in text messages to edit long text messages before you send them. Scroll to and tap the location where you want your cursor to be in the message. It will automatically scroll down to the end of the message. Hit the delete key once and it will take you exactly to the place where you tapped for the cursor to be and you can work on the message. If it happens again where it scrolls you down to the bottom of the message repeat the steps above and you will be able to edit your message where you want to. Works for now until Apple fixes it!