Text selection is Clunky

I posted elsewhere about the inability to select text in scrolling view. This is different.

When I switch to page view, I can select text, but it is very 'clunky'. My method, which I think is the recommended one, is to hold on a word until it highlights, then drag the 'handles' forward and backward to highlight the entire desired selection.

The problem is, the handles are tiny and I have big fingers. In addition, the handles are hypersensitive, and sometimes it takes three to five tries to get the things dragged to the right position without them cycling out or changing the selection to a note or highlight instead of a simple selection.

If I could post a video of it here, I'd do so.

There has to be a more stable way of selecting text. Perhaps adding a selection tool so the app isn't trying to guess what I'm doing? Hold and drag instead of handles?

Can we find a better way? The current method is so frustrating as to cause me to want to give up the app for something better.

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Comments

Mike Binks

Do we need something like the 'turn keyboard into trackpad' facility that is available when you give a keyboard a long hard push?

But without the keyboard.

Todd Phillips

I have the same problem. It seems like iOS selection handles have gotten more finicky. The app often does a page change when I try to drag the handle too fast. Another particular problem is that the left handle is also too close to the pop-up menu. It's almost impossible to get it without hitting the menu option above it.

Kevin Byford (Faithlife)

My method, which I think is the recommended one, is to hold on a word until it highlights, then drag the 'handles' forward and backward to highlight the entire desired selection.

Have you tried turning on the Swipe to Highlight setting and trying it instead?

The problem is, the handles are tiny and I have big fingers. In addition, the handles are hypersensitive, and sometimes it takes three to five tries to get the things dragged to the right position without them cycling out or changing the selection to a note or highlight instead of a simple selection.

Have you tried adjusting the font to a larger size? This will make the selection handles taller.

Doc B

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/783374#Comment_783374

Have you tried turning on the Swipe to Highlight setting and trying it instead?

No. Where might I find documentation on how to use this feature?

Have you tried adjusting the font to a larger size? This will make the selection handles taller.

I am not willing to adjust the font size every time I want to select text. The problem is that the process is already too slow. Adjusting the font size slows it down even more.

Todd's point is also important, and I forgot to add it. There needs to be more space between the popup and the left handle.

Kevin Byford (Faithlife)

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/783407#Comment_783407

Have you tried turning on the Swipe to Highlight setting and trying it instead?

No. Where might I find documentation on how to use this feature?

Here's the Documentation:

1. Open a resource, tap on the screen and then tap "Aa."
2. Look for Swipe To Highlight in the View Settings panel.
3. In the Swipe To Highlight row, press the circle icon and drag it to the right.
4. Tap on the resource to dismiss the View Settings panel.

Swipe to highlight is now turned on and you can press-drag on text to highlight it. It might take a little practice to get the hang of it.

According to your previous post you already know how to turn Scrolling View on and off (https://community.logos.com/forums/p/115111/761791.aspx#761791). Have you considered just trying out some of the other View Settings for a few minutes to see what they do (and get more familiar with the app along the way)?

You should be able to learn everything else that is available in View Settings if you just try them out. Turn them on/off, try the sliders, etc. The adjustments in View Settings should be mostly self-explanatory if you try them out.

Have you tried adjusting the font to a larger size? This will make the selection handles taller.

I am not willing to adjust the font size every time I want to select text. The problem is that the process is already too slow. Adjusting the font size slows it down even more.

I was not suggesting you change the font size every time you want to select text, and then change the font size again, but simply leave the font larger; this is simple one possible solution if you have large fingers and have a difficult time selecting the blue bars.

We are using standard Apple iOS selection controls that are the same on nearly every other app on iOS; it is not Faithlife's custom control. In other words, if you have a hard time selecting text in the Logos app you will have the same exact problem selecting text in nearly all iOS apps.

If that doesn't work I suggestion you look into trying a stylus.

Kevin Byford (Faithlife)

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/783407#Comment_783407

Todd's point is also important, and I forgot to add it. There needs to be more space between the popup and the left handle.

Please see https://community.logos.com/forums/p/115111/783428.aspx#783428 ; this is already fixed internally.

Kevin Byford (Faithlife)

The problem is, the handles are tiny and I have big fingers. In addition, the handles are hypersensitive, and sometimes it takes three to five tries to get the things dragged to the right position without them cycling out or changing the selection to a note or highlight instead of a simple selection.

This issue has already been discussed in the Apple world and you are not alone. Although I rarely experience this problem it does happen every now and then. Those who consistently experience it should maybe look into purchasing a stylus (just my personal opinion).

From http://www.macworld.com/article/2894238/accessibility-improvements-apple-should-make-in-ios-9.html :

Kevin Byford (Faithlife)

There has to be a more stable way of selecting text. Perhaps adding a selection tool so the app isn't trying to guess what I'm doing? Hold and drag instead of handles?

Yes, the hold and drag method you just suggested (instead of highlighting and then using selection handles) is a great idea. Thing is, it's worked that way in the Faithlife mobile apps for years and I'm a bit surprised you've never tried it.

Here's a screencast: https://monosnap.com/file/qun3P0r3JY4GqJqOmFwmeBj3iDrV8p

I should explain that in the screencast the circular icon with a mouse pointer in it indicates that a finger is being pressed and held down, and then dragged. When the circular icon disappears, that means the finger is no longer being held down.

Kevin Byford (Faithlife)

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/784695#Comment_784695

Here's another way to select text by using two fingers at once. Yeah, this feature has been there for years. Put one finger down at the beginning of the text you wish to highlight, and the second finger at the end of the text you wish to highlight - hold, press, and release. Very easy.

https://monosnap.com/file/79wzhSxCKLwgZ4R1GtIDA6CCN09xQb

Sorry, there is no printed documentation on how to do this, but I hope the video helps.

Jack Caviness

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/783374#Comment_783374

Have you tried turning on the Swipe to Highlight setting and trying it instead?

To me, that is the most annoying feature in this app. Far too often, I get highlighting when I intended to simply change frames. I agree with what others have said about text selection. It can be most irritating.

Kevin Byford (Faithlife)

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/784714#Comment_784714

Have you tried turning on the Swipe to Highlight setting and trying it instead?

To me, that is the most annoying feature in this app. Far too often, I get highlighting when I intended to simply change frames. I agree with what others have said about text selection. It can be most irritating.

I understand that there is nothing (ever) that will please any customer (ever). Yet, many customers have never tried any setting (ever). Therefore, I have failed (forever).

Yasmin Stephen

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/784719#Comment_784719

I understand that there is nothing (ever) that will please any customer (ever). Yet, many customers have never tried any setting (ever). Therefore, I have failed (forever).

I'm confused by this response - is it sarcasm? A joke? An expression of frustration? What?

Jack Caviness

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/784723#Comment_784723

I understand that there is nothing (ever) that will please any customer (ever). Yet, many customers have never tried any setting (ever). Therefore, I have failed (forever).

I'm confused by this response - is it sarcasm? A joke? An expression of frustration? What?

Would like to know the answer to that question.

Kevin Byford (Faithlife)

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/784788#Comment_784788

Sorry, I was exasperated. Jack, if you don't like Swipe to Highlight, have you considered turning it off? It's in View Settings. A lot of people really like it.

if you don't like how the app works, there is likely a setting to change what you don't like to something you do. To open View Settings, tap on the screen when you are reading a resource, then tap the "Aa" icon. Please take a few minutes, try some different settings, experiment, etc.

Jack Caviness

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/784803#Comment_784803

Sorry, I was exasperated. Jack, if you don't like Swipe to Highlight, have you considered turning it off? It's in View Settings.

I have turned it off, but on occasion I have found it reenabled. This does not happen often enough to report, and it is not reproducible, just annoying when it happens. Perhaps it happens with some app updates. If it happens again, I will report.

JT (alabama24)

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/784913#Comment_784913

Sorry, I was exasperated. Jack, if you don't like Swipe to Highlight, have you considered turning it off? It's in View Settings.

I have turned it off, but on occasion I have found it reenabled. This does not happen often enough to report, and it is not reproducible, just annoying when it happens. Perhaps it happens with some app updates. If it happens again, I will report.

I have seen this behavior, although it has been a while since I noticed it. I have come to like "swipe to highlight," so that is my default now anyways.

Ben Clark

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/783426#Comment_783426

Wow! I never realized that the Aa was a settings option. I always assumed it was just for changing text size. Several times I've searched the app settings screen (from the More) menu for some of these view settings. Good to finally find where these settings are.

Ben Clark

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/783507#Comment_783507

It's interesting to hear that Logos uses the Apple standard for text selection. The part I find frustrating is when I want to select a large amount of text, as in more text than fits on one screen. I use scrolling view (and really love it). It seems to me that when I get to the bottom of my screen and am still dragging my selection downward, the screen should start scrolling so that I can expand my selection. Is there a reason this doesn't happen? Is this a different enough question that I should start a new forum page for it?

Armin

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/886001#Comment_886001

As I have written elsewhere, the highlighting is very frustrating to me.

Kevin suggests here to increase the font size to deal with the problem of accuracy of highlighting. However, if my font is larger, I can only select very little text. So I have to use numerous highlights to select one paragraph of text. Then Logos tells me that I have too many highlights in my highlighter note files and that this slows down the performance.

Here's another way to select text by using two fingers at once.

I cannot see how trying to use two fingers at the same time increases accuracy that one finger cannot achieve.

What I usually do when I want to select larger sections of text is the following: I make the font smaller, try my best to select the text that I want. It usually fails, so I delete the highlight. Then I try it again, just to fail again. After about 5-10 attempts it eventually works. Unless, of course, my other problems happens that erases the highlights on the previous pages:

https://community.logos.com/forums/t/131677.aspx

Then I start re-reading previous text to recreate the highlights on the previous 3 pages that Vyrso/Logos/... deleted.

Sorry, I was exasperated.

So am I. In fact, I am so exasperated with the Logos apps for iOS that I don't use them any more, at least not on my iPad Pro, which I mainly purchased for my Logos apps.

Daniel Di Bartolo

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/886391#Comment_886391

Ben and Armin,

Thanks so much for taking time to articulate some issues and frustrations you're having with highlighting. A developer will be looking into this shortly in order to investigate the issue and hopefully provide a fix.

We know it's frustrating when it takes awhile for us to provide a solution-- so thanks for your patience as we prioritize and execute.

Thanks

Daniel Di Bartolo, Mobile Product Manager

DMB

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/886512#Comment_886512

I'm mystified. There's got to be a reason why the user experience is so different. My highlighting (hold-drag) operates a hair slower than Kindle/ios (which might be good), but otherwise it's a perfectly enjoyable task for both apps. Or I missed the whole issue. I'm on an old mini.

Ben Clark

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/886534#Comment_886534

Hi Denise,

You said you're on an old mini. Is that a Mac Mini? If so, you're using the desktop software. I agree that text selection in the desktop software is a breeze; no problems there. My issues is on the iOS app on my phone. When I get to the bottom of my phone screen and want to keep selecting text beyond what fits on the screen, then the process gets quite clunky and challenging.

Ben Clark

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/886512#Comment_886512

Thanks for looking into it Daniel!

Blessings

Ben

JT (alabama24)

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/886565#Comment_886565

You said you're on an old mini. Is that a Mac Mini?

Presumably she means an iPad mini.

DMB

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/886573#Comment_886573

You said you're on an old mini. Is that a Mac Mini?

Presumably she means an iPad mini.

Safe bet. Mac Mini's won't fit in your purse and people wonder about the cord. Plus Kindle/ios runs on ios.

OTH, I am contemplating (like JoshRI, a long time) a Mac. My wondering is just how long Bob will fund the Phoenix office before pulling the plug. It's an honest wondering.

JT (alabama24)

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/886578#Comment_886578

My wondering is just how long Bob will fund the Phoenix office before pulling the plug

Do you mean that literally (location) or figuratively (mobile)?

DMB

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/886582#Comment_886582

I was referring to the Mac version of Logos. Maybe they're throwing tons of resources at the new Faithlife Church Management app, but it just seems everything is running 'thin'. I'd hate to be orphanized. Happened to me with L4 and netbooks.

Keep Smiling 4 Jesus :)

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/886592#Comment_886592

I was referring to the Mac version of Logos.

Microsoft purchased Xamarin (Mono) a year ago, which has been followed by Microsoft supporting .NET Core on more platforms. Hence the Logos 4 (and newer) code base shared by Windows and macOS has substantial shared code with practical difference being graphical user interface: Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) and Cocoa.

Thankful for substantial feature parity as of Logos 5. Tue 1 Mar 2011 had stable 4.2a release with combined code base release notes that continues.

Thankful can choose Windows or Mac as desired for Logos 7 , Verbum 7 , and Noet 7.

Thankful for Apple's world wide share of traditional desktop PC's being 7.5 % in 4Q 2016 => https://www.appleworld.today/blog/2017/1/11/idc-macs-have-75-global-computer-market-share-in-quarter-four-of-2016 (albeit disappointed by overdue technology refreshes for a number of Mac models)

Keep Smiling [:)]