FYI: Shortcuts on iPad Air not working after 8.3 update and continues with 8.4. Solution

[caq]

Ok, this issue seems to be an iPad Air issue only and after the 8.3 iOS update and was not fixed with 8.4 iOS update. I noticed on my iPad Air that the keyboard shortcuts were not working so I Googled it. It seems that on the iPad Air the 8.3 udate messed up the shortcuts feature of the keyboard and was not fixed on the 8.4 iOS update. This is with the stock keyboard that comes with the device. I do not have any other keyboards downloaded and the info I found did not state if it was a stock keyboard they were using, but my experience is stock keyboard.

I found this out a while ago and have been using my iPhone Plus more than the iPad Air and forgot about the issue. This morning shortcuts were taking a short nap again when I was using the iPad Air. I forgot about the issue and Googled it and found the same solutions and then rememered. Today's "Aha" moment. So, I thought it would be a good idea to mention it here.

If your shortcuts stop working, go into settings, keyboard, shortcuts. Just select a shortcut. Does not matter which one. Just select it, you don't have to do anything to it. Then back out of shortcuts, and settings and back to what you were doing. Your shortcuts will work again for a while. You will have to do this periodically whenever your shortcuts decide to take a vacation. I guess they need to be woken up ince in a while on the iPad Air. Hope they fix it with the next update.

 

[NSquirrel]

Thanks. While I do not use many shortcuts, I had noticed the main one I use, for my email address, had stopped working. Now it is back working again, so thanks.

 

[caq]

Thanks. While I do not use many shortcuts, I had noticed the main one I use, for my email address, had stopped working. Now it is back working again, so thanks.

You might have to do this periodically. It reverts back to not working every once in a while. Doing all the standard things does not change that fact.

 

[ardchoille]

I noticed this problem too and it always occurs after deleting web data and cookies in Safari. The problem disappeared when I stopped clearing Safari data and cookies - I had tracked it down to one of the 'phobos' cookies in Safari.

Just FYI

 

[caq]

I noticed this problem too and it always occurs after deleting web data and cookies in Safari. The problem disappeared when I stopped clearing Safari data and cookies - I had tracked it down to one of the 'phobos' cookies in Safari.

Just FYI

Not sure the two are related. Your scenario did not exist when I noticed it and it wasn't happening after deleting web data and cookies specifically with me. I don't do that often and know I had not done it when I noticed it. It wasn't mentioned in any of the searches either. Not sure what the cause is but if you just go into shortcuts and touch one to open it and then simply back out the shortcuts will work again. There is no time frame as to when they will stop after fixing it. It is rather random.

But I have not noticed any connection to web data or cookies, myself. I may not have noticed and the other reports may not have noticed a connection either. Not ruling it out, but never noticed a connection.

Ok, I just went into settings and cleared out all of my data and cookies, and all those phobos are gone. I went into my mail and created an email. That is usually when I notice it. My shortcuts are still working, so I am not so sure about the phobos and cookies having anything to do with it, but if it worked for you, that is good for you. I expect it to happen again randomly.

What you said is interesting.

 

[ardchoille]

Not sure the two are related. Your scenario did not exist when I noticed it and it wasn't happening after deleting web data and cookies specifically with me. I don't do that often and know I had not done it when I noticed it. It wasn't mentioned in any of the searches either. Not sure what the cause is but if you just go into shortcuts and touch one to open it and then simply back out the shortcuts will work again. There is no time frame as to when they will stop after fixing it. It is rather random.

But I have not noticed any connection to web data or cookies, myself. I may not have noticed and the other reports may not have noticed a connection either. Not ruling it out, but never noticed a connection.

Ok, I just went into settings and cleared out all of my data and cookies, and all those phobos are gone. I went into my mail and created an email. That is usually when I notice it. My shortcuts are still working, so I am not so sure about the phobos and cookies having anything to do with it, but if it worked for you, that is good for you. I expect it to happen again randomly.

What you said is interesting.

Just did a test deleting just the phobos cookies on my iPhone (iOS 8.4) and the issue is not seen. In fact, I've never seen this issue on any of my iPhones. However, deleting just the phobos cookies on my iPad Air 2 (iOS 8.4) causes this issue to occur. Going into Shortcuts and selecting a shortcut without editing it does resolve the issue. The issue returns after a power cycle on my iPad Air 2, though. This is weird, I can't seem to pin down the cause of the issue.

 

[caq]

What is really weird is that when you do what you did you were kind of able to force the issue. On my iPad Air, doing that does not force the issue. It is just random. I will have to pay attention more to what I was doing before it happened the next time, because it will.

This does not happen with my iPhone 6Plus or my husband's mini or iPhone 5. All are running the 8.4.

Ah, reread what you said you just did. I deleted all data and cookies, not just phobos. I will keep an eye out for phobos and try just deleting those and see if it happens. Maybe the deletion of everything made it so mine did not disable the shortcuts. Will let you know what happen.

 

[caq]

Ok, just did the test. I first just deleted one phobis. Shortcuts still worked. Then I deleted a couple more. Shortcuts still worked. Then I deleted all of them, there were many, and the shortcuts still worked. So, on my iPad Air deleting phobos is not what causes my shortcuts to stop working.

It is so strange that it does on yours. No one in the threads I read mentioned anything about phobos. Weird.

 

[ardchoille]

Ok, just did the test. I first just deleted one phobis. Shortcuts still worked. Then I deleted a couple more. Shortcuts still worked. Then I deleted all of them, there were many, and the shortcuts still worked. So, on my iPad Air deleting phobos is not what causes my shortcuts to stop working.

It is so strange that it does on yours. No one in the threads I read mentioned anything about phobos. Weird.

What's even more weird is that the phobos cookies are related to iTunes, and they accumulate even when I don't do anything related to iTunes. I wonder if the iOS iTunes app I nothing more than a web app made to look like a native app. But, that is a topic for another discussion. Thanks for posting the results of your test, caq.

 

[J. A.]

My shortcuts stop working when I reset or restart my iDevices.

When I need them again urgently, I open Keyboards in Settings and remove one of those that reappeared although I had deleted them some time ago.

If I don't need them yet, I wait for a few hours, and they start working again.

 

[ardchoille]

Well I'm glad I'm not the only one experiencing this problem.