Several iPhone users have reported a bizarre bug in iOS 17 that suddenly activates the app switcher while they are typing something on the keyboard, accidentally making them switch to another app. The bug seems to be affecting all versions of Apple"s latest OS, starting from iOS 17.0 to the most recent iOS 17.1.2 update.
User reports posted on social channels such as Reddit and Apple Community forums (via MacRumors) suggest that the bug in question is hard to recreate but it might appear when a user is quickly typing on the virtual keyboard.
While multiple user reports have surfaced in the last few weeks, it"s yet to be known if Apple is aware of the issue and working on a fix. However, a temporary workaround that seems to fix the issue for several users has been floating around.
You can turn off Reachability on your affected iPhone to supposedly get rid of the iOS 17 typing bug. To disable Reachability, go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch. Here, turn off the toggle button that Reachability.
Reachability is an accessibility feature that lets you reach the top of your iPhone screen with one hand. You can swipe down on the bottom edge of the screen to lower the top half so it"s within the reach of your thumb. On older iPhone models, you can double press the Home button to lower the top half of the screen.
Apple is no stranger to unwanted bugs this year. It recently fixed the iPhone 15 bug that disabled the device"s NFC chip when charged wirelessly via some recent BMW and Toyota Supra models. Adding to that, iPhone 15 Pro users also reported an overheating issue with their newly bought devices which was fixed in a software update.
iOS 17 was first previewed at WWDC 2023 and released alongside the iPhone 15 series in September. The latest update packs numerous features, including StandBy mode, AI Stickers, Live Voicemail, and Personal Voice. Some pending features such as AirDrop over internet were added in the iOS 17.1 update.