Apps are faulty and display incorrectly

[Carol Darby]

First up my iPad 2 seems to update the apps automatically. Not that long ago there would be a list of apps with updates and I could choose those that I wished to update. Now that list has disappeared and it seems the apps update automatically. I don't like this.

I have quite a few games on my iPad and over the past few months I have started having issues with quite a few of them. They will be working fine and then all of a sudden they have display issues and are no longer usable as part of the display is missing. I have checked with some of the app creators and note that some of the issues are with their app and am awaiting an update to hopefully fix the problem.

However many of the issues just start randomly. I updated to the latest iOS 7 yesterday. After that my Sudoku app has the top part of the screen blocked by the time and battery level indicator so is unusable. Strangely a logic puzzle app that I was having a problem with is now displaying fine. However another logic puzzle app from the same company which was displaying okay now has the problem that the other one had. There is a black border around the puzzle and the clues are off kilter to where they should be so it is impossible to play the game.

I am almost at the point of dreading using the iPad before I discover what else is going to go wrong. I have had great use of it since purchasing until the last few months. Now many things seem to be going haywire.

Can anyone shed some light on these issues? I have been through all the settings and can't seem to find anything that I can adjust to rectify things. I think the apps are having issues with the various operating systems. Strange that it is only of recent times that this has happened.

Hope someone can help.
Carol

 

[scifan57]

First up my iPad 2 seems to update the apps automatically. Not that long ago there would be a list of apps with updates and I could choose those that I wished to update. Now that list has disappeared and it seems the apps update automatically. I don't like this. I have quite a few games on my iPad and over the past few months I have started having issues with quite a few of them. They will be working fine and then all of a sudden they have display issues and are no longer usable as part of the display is missing. I have checked with some of the app creators and note that some of the issues are with their app and am awaiting an update to hopefully fix the problem. However many of the issues just start randomly. I updated to the latest iOS 7 yesterday. After that my Sudoku app has the top part of the screen blocked by the time and battery level indicator so is unusable. Strangely a logic puzzle app that I was having a problem with is now displaying fine. However another logic puzzle app from the same company which was displaying okay now has the problem that the other one had. There is a black border around the puzzle and the clues are off kilter to where they should be so it is impossible to play the game. I am almost at the point of dreading using the iPad before I discover what else is going to go wrong. I have had great use of it since purchasing until the last few months. Now many things seem to be going haywire. Can anyone shed some light on these issues? I have been through all the settings and can't seem to find anything that I can adjust to rectify things. I think the apps are having issues with the various operating systems. Strange that it is only of recent times that this has happened. Hope someone can help. Carol

I can answer your first question. In iOS 7 automatic app updates are turned on by default. To turn them off go to Settings>iTunes & App Store and make sure these switches are turned off.

 

[leelai]

I see Scifan has now shown you how to turn off Automatic updates which were introduced with an earlier iPad update.......you will now see all of your updates come through and be able to update them when you like.

Whenever the iPad receives an update, developers also need to update apps to ensure they run properly on the new OS. There is always a teething period with updates, whether for the iPad itself or the apps which run on it....Devs will eventually release an update for their apps, it's normally just a matter of time. Some Devs also abandon apps altogether, I have one now that I use regularly which is also giving me the problems you describe with the top of the screen now covering the top of the app screen, making it very hard to use. This app is no longer available, and there's nothing that I can do about it......annoying yes, but it has nothing to do with anything being wrong with my iPad.

Do you perform any maintenance on your iPad? Eg. Closing out apps completely regularly, I tend to do mine each night. A restart and/or reset of your iPad occasionally? These steps are just a little housekeeping for your iPad and are also the first steps to take when something isn't working right. It's also a good idea to perform a restart and/or reset straight after you do do an update on your iPad, it just helps everything settle in right.

Closing apps - When an app behaves strangely it is best to close it completely and then relaunch it. From the home screen do the four finger swipe up or double press the home button to reveal your multi task bar. These are all the apps that you have opened at one time - just swipe up on the image above the app icon to close it. It's also a good idea to close all these apps, as it helps the iPad run smoothly.

Restart - Press and hold the power off button, the one at the top right. You will see a slide appear to power off, slide this and the screen will go dark and a Whirly will appear. When the Whirly disappears your iPad is now off. Press the power button again until the Apple logo appears, this will take a few seconds and your iPad will restart. You should restart your iPad occasionally also as it will keep it running well.

Reset - Hold the power off button and the home button simultaneously, keep holding them in and you may see the power off slide appear and disappear, wait until you see the Apple logo appear before releasing the buttons. It will take a little longer for your iPad to start.

I hope this helps you.

 

[Carol Darby]

Thank you very much for your replies. Much appreciated.

I had already done a restart and a reset but the problems still exist. Thanks for telling me where to turn off automatic updates. Also how to delete all the apps that were still showing as open. That has changed and I didn't know how to do it.

I went into the apps page to view all the apps I have downloaded. Some free and many purchased. The three apps that are having the display problem do not show on my list of purchased apps though all are most definitely purchased. It is strange that it is these ones that don't even show on the apps purchased lists are the ones with the black border around the edge.

I have deleted and downloaded theses apps again. They acknowledge that I have purchased them so I don't have to pay again. But they still don't show on the apps list and they still have a display problem. I have hopefully attached a screengrab so you can see what I mean.

Carol

 

[leelai]

Thanks for the Screen shot......that looks like the same issue with the app I'm having trouble with also......before I didn't have the wifi icon and time showing when in this app and now it shows and covers what I need to see.

It's very unusual that these apps are not showing in the Purchased list especially if you can download them again. I have no explanation for why this is happening to you. See if you can find them by the icon rather than the name though.....apps you have purchased can be hidden from this list but you would know if you have done this to any of your apps.

The best thing you can do is get in touch with the Developer and tell them what you are experiencing with these apps......it's only when updates are released that glitches do come to light.

I'm hoping someone else can come up with why these apps aren't showing in your Purchased List and for this reason I've moved your thread to our Help Section where more will view your problem and hopefully be able to help you.

Try closing the App Store app and relaunch it and see if that makes a difference though.

 

[Carol Darby]

Thanks again. I have done many resets and refreshing of apps. I have sent emails to two of the developers but can't find any way of contacting another one that is having a different issue. However I see on their web site that they are aware of the problem and are working on a fix.

I tried locating the missing apps on the apps page by icon and name but no luck. Most strange that the missing ones are the ones with the problem. Thanks for moving me to the help page. Hopefully the problem can be solved.

Carol

 

[abababababab]

Thanks again. I have done many resets and refreshing of apps. I have sent emails to two of the developers but can't find any way of contacting another one that is having a different issue. However I see on their web site that they are aware of the problem and are working on a fix. I tried locating the missing apps on the apps page by icon and name but no luck. Most strange that the missing ones are the ones with the problem. Thanks for moving me to the help page. Hopefully the problem can be solved. Carol

If the developers are aware and working on a fix, then probably, this problem will be solved with the next update. Stay tuned!

 

[twerppoet]

If the app's are not yet listed as compatible with iOS 7 in the App Store page, they may not show up in your purchased tab. (that's a guess).

Or, if the apps are actually iPhone apps, then they will not show up in the App Store unless you change the view to iPhone apps (usually at the top left of the screen).

That said, the app you show in the screen shot appears to be an iPad app, since I don't see a 2x/1x button. {On an iPad Mini I believe iPhone apps always show up in the 2x mode. You don't get the option to see them at the original iPhone resolution, since that would be very small on the Mini.}

Still just guessing.

 

[Carol Darby]

I have attached another screen grab of a problem app. I do believe this is the one that should be fixed but I have no way of communicating with this developer and am just assuming they are fixing from what I have read on a comment page. The solid blue bars at the side of the puzzle all have instructions which can't be read. And the blue over the clues at the bottom keeps changing from the correct position you see here to running vertical at the side of the puzzle.

I can't find anywhere if there is a way to change the display on the previous screen grab sample game. I will check the App Store and see if they are supported by the latest iOS 7.

Thanks again
Caro

 

[abababababab]

<img src="http://www.ipadforums.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=54380"/> I have attached another screen grab of a problem app. I do believe this is the one that should be fixed but I have no way of communicating with this developer and am just assuming they are fixing from what I have read on a comment page. The solid blue bars at the side of the puzzle all have instructions which can't be read. And the blue over the clues at the bottom keeps changing from the correct position you see here to running vertical at the side of the puzzle. I can't find anywhere if there is a way to change the display on the previous screen grab sample game. I will check the App Store and see if they are supported by the latest iOS 7. Thanks again Caro

What app is it? Someone out here may try it out and post back their results...

 

[twerppoet]

I wonder.

Is it possible you've accidentally activated Zoom mode, and simply not noticed it in other apps that have less at the edge of the screen?

Got to Settings > General > Accessibility and make sure Zoom is turned off. Alternately, double tap with three fingers to toggle Zoom (if it's turned on). If you go into the settings for Zoom it describes the gestures to activate, zoom in/out, and drag the zoomed screen around.

It's unlikley this is the problem, but it won't hurt to check.

 

[Carol Darby]

Thanks everyone.

great idea about posting the links to the apps so that others can try and see if the are having the same issue. I have an iPad 2 and the latest iOS. Well I was going to post the link but for some reason I can't paste from the iTunes site,

The apps are Logic Detective by goatsandtigers.com

Killer Sudoku by White Nile Systems

Logic Puzzles and Logic Puzzles 2 both by Punkstar (they also have a HD version but that is fine.

As they are paid apps I guess it will only be people who have them who can let me know if they are okay or not.

Carol

 

[twerppoet]

Hmm. They are all iPhone apps running in emulator mode on your iPad; which explains the poor graphics quality.

I'm a bit confused though. There should be a x1 in a circle at the top right of the screen, so that you can shrink down the app to normal iPhone size. If it were there that would be the simplest way of getting around your problem. I'm wondering if that's gone away with the iPad 2, now that almost all iPhone apps are retina.

Anyway,

Logic Puzzles and Killer Sudoku were last updated in 2008. Logic Puzzles 2 was last updated in 2012.

The problem is that the apps were designed to hide the status bar at the top, but iOS has updated how the status bar works, and the developers have not bothered to update their apps to reflect this; so now it covers just a tiny bit of each app at the top.

There is no fix that I can think of that doesn't involve the developers updating their apps. Given that they have not updated their apps for over a year, or longer, I'm not hopeful that they care enough to do so.



And since no one has mentioned it, and it might make a difference; here are the usual fixes. Things you can try, though I doubt they will make a difference in this case. If you are already familiar with them and tried them all, never mind.


------------------------------
The Usual Fixes
------------------------------

When you have problems with an app it's a good idea to clear it from RAM.

Close/Clear the app:

iOS 6: With the problem app closed, double tap on the Home button to get the multitask bar. Tap and hold on any icon in the bar until they jiggle, then tap the minus sign on the problem app.

iOS 7: Double tap the Home button to get the multitasking display. Swipe up on the problem app's thumbnail image (not the icon).

If that does not work try a restart,

Restart: Hold down the power button until the power off slider appears. Slide it off. When the iPad finishes shutting down, hold down the power button again until the Apple logo appears. Apple recommends you restart the iPad at least once a month.

and then a reset if that does not work.

Reset: Hold down the power and home buttons until the Apple logo appears. The iPad will reboot. This usually takes a bit longer than a restart.

Reset All Settings: Another, somewhat more drastic thing you can do is Reset All Settings. You'll find this under Settings > General > Reset > Reset All Settings. It won't erase any of your content, apps, or accounts; but you will have to go through most of your other settings and re-tweak them back to your liking. Do not confuse this with Erase All Content and Settings.

More detailed information at: http://support.apple.com/kb/TS3281?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US

 

[Carol Darby]

Thank you again for all the help and suggestions. I had done all those already and just did another reset. All to no avail. I am sure it is the latest iOS updates that have created the problem as they are all such old apps which haven't been updated.

Logic Detective is working on an update. I have actually been in touch with David Brewster from Punkstar and he is looking into it so there may be an update in the future. the one I enjoy the most is the Killer Sudoku by White Nile systems. I have contacted tem and received an automated reply that he is overseas until April 1st. so I will try again after then.

Carol

 

[twerppoet]

Ok. Good luck. And please let us know what happens.