The iPhone text magnifier makes a comeback in iOS 15. It disappeared two years ago, but returns in the next version of iOS and iPadOS. The magnifier makes it easier to place the cursor exactly where the user wants, without it being hidden behind their fingertip.
Everything old is new again
For many years, touching and holding on a word in a text message, email, etc. would display that word in a floating magnifier window. This allowed users with large fingers to more easily see what they were doing.
Then Apple killed the text magnifier in iOS 13 without giving an explanation. It wasn’t a popular decision. And the company changes course with iOS 15 and iPadOS 15. The magnifier window is back.
Reversing direction to bring back features it once dropped appears to be a 2021 trend for Apple. The MacBook Pro models expected soon will supposedly include MagSafe and HDMI ports, features that haven’t been in a new Mac notebook in years.
How to use the text magnifier in iOS 15
On iPhone and iPad, touch and hold on a word within editable text and the word being selected appears in a small window floating above the area the user is touching. Just like it used to.
Except the magnifier window is not really a magnifier. What’s in the window is the same size as the in-line text. And the pop-up window is smaller than it was in iOS 12 and before.
That said, this is how the feature works in the first beta of iOS 15 and the iPad equivalent. There might be changes between now and fall with the full versions of these operating systems are released to the public.
Source: Apple
