Recently, an increasing number of iPhone users have reported an iOS 17 bug that occurs while typing. The bug causes the app switcher to suddenly appear while typing, moving the user to a different app altogether.

The issue has seen widespread use reports on both Apple's community forums and Reddit. Complaints have been received that users have been kicked out of Messages, Notes, and other apps in the middle of typing. This can be very disconcerting when trying to compose an email or note, especially when trying to finish in a hurry.

The App Switcher, when used intentionally, is a system that allows iPhone users to easily switch between apps on the fly, accessible by swiping up on the screen in FaceID models or by pressing the Home button twice on older iPhones. With App Switcher enabled, users can see all of their active apps and easily switch between them without having to close any of them. Switching between apps becomes much easier and progress is not lost when changing apps.

This bug reportedly occurs to affected users when typing quickly with the iOS keyboard. So far, this bug has been reported in all versions of iOS 17, including the latest 17.1.2. Some users have also returned their iPhones, but have reported that the problem occurs on the replaced iPhones. This indicates that Apple is not yet fully aware of the issue or has not yet designed a fix for the problem.

There is an obvious workaround that could solve this problem, at least until Apple finds a solution. Perhaps turning off reachability in the settings menu would prevent the problem from recurring. To do this, simply go to Settings, then Accessibility. Finally, turn off the Reachability setting. It is not known if this workaround will work for everyone, but it is the best known method so far.

However, losing Reachability may be a heavy price to pay for some users, as it makes using the phone with one hand much easier. Essentially, Reachability allows users to move the top of the screen to the center to make it easier to change or edit portions without having to scroll.

Apple is known to be fairly quick when it comes to addressing software issues and will likely be able to fix problems in short order. It would not be surprising to see a fix in iOS 17.2 by the end of this month.