The iOS 11.1 update released Oct. 31 brought "bug fixes and improvements," but the main pull for many of us was the 70 new emojis. From mermaids to takeout containers, we have even more ways to express ourselves — my personal favorite is the cursing angry face. After you were finished basking in new emoji glory, though, you may have noticed something strange: Typing out a simple sentence is a bit more difficult in iOS 11.1. Some users are experiencing a weird iOS 11.1 bug where predictive text is replacing the letter "I" with a letter-symbol combination. "I want to grab dinner" becomes "A[?] want to grab dinner." If you're one of the unlucky ones dealing with this bug, you're probably asking yourself, "Why can't I type 'I' in texts or email?" Bustle has contacted Apple for comment, and we will update this post when we hear back.
This isn't a universal problem — I've had no issues with iOS 11.1 (knocks on wood), but it is frustrating for the users dealing with it. On Twitter, people are complaining about not being able to find a fix for the issue. Some users had to get creative in their tweets to Apple because the letter "I" isn't an option.
The official Apple Support account is being flooded with tweets every minute from people desperate to find a fix. Apple is trying to resolve things with customers via DM, I don't blame those who are frustrated — or as someone affected by the bug might say, eye don't blame them. I don't think I realized just how much I use first-person pronouns until I thought about what I'd do if they weren't available anymore. Apple began to hint at a solution Friday morning, telling users they might be able to offer additional guidance via DM. Until Apple makes a solution public, though, people have come up with some workarounds. These aren't perfect and may bring inconveniences, but at least you'll be able to type normally.
Turn Off Autocorrect
I rely on autocorrect religiously, so turning it off would mean everyone would realize just how bad I am at spelling when I'm texting. Still, if you're looking for a solution, this is a popular one on Twitter. Once you turn autocorrect off, you'll likely have temporary relief, even if your spelling and grammar are trash as a result.
To turn autocorrect off, open Settings. From there, go to General —> Keyboard —> Auto-Correction. Toggle the button to the off position, and you have a temporary fix to your problem.
Disable Predictive Text
Predictive text is another feature that has made our lives infinitely easier, but if you're dealing with this bug, it may be worth disabling it until Apple releases a fix. Because the weird character shows up in the predictive text bar, some users are theorizing that turning off predictive text allows you to type normally. To turn off predictive text, open Settings, then go to General —> Keyboard —> Predictive and toggle it off.
Create A Keyboard Shortcut
The creativity of iPhone users knows no bounds. Another solution people have brainstormed is creating a text replacement shortcut that essentially disables the weird symbol from popping up. This fix forces your phone to not change "I" to anything else, and if it works for you, it's likely less of an inconvenience than the other two. To try it, go to Settings, then General —> Keyboard —> Text Replacement. Click the plus sign in the top-right corner, and make "I" both the phrase and the shortcut.
You could just avoid talking about yourself in any way until Apple fixes the issue, but that probably isn't realistic. These fixes will provide some relief while you wait for an update that fixes the bug. A[?] wish you luck.
