Incident: Predictive Text Error on iOS and macOS Devices Causing Typing Issue

Published Date: 2017-11-06

Postmortem Analysis
Timeline 1. The software failure incident of the predictive text error affecting iPhone users occurred almost a week before the article was published [64971]. 2. The article was published on 2017-11-06. 3. Estimation: The incident likely occurred around the end of October or early November 2017.
System 1. iOS 10 and iOS 11 predictive text synchronization feature [64971] 2. Apple's cloud-based synchronization for predictive text [64971] 3. Apple's machine learning for identifying new words used by customers [64971] 4. iOS devices experiencing autocorrect issues and strange unicode character displays [64971] 5. Apple watchOS 4 crashing when asked for weather due to daylight savings time [64971]
Responsible Organization 1. Apple's cloud-based synchronization for predictive text feature was responsible for causing the predictive text error affecting iPhone and Mac users [64971]. 2. Daylight savings time was responsible for causing the crash on Apple Watch devices when asked for the weather [64971].
Impacted Organization 1. iPhone users 2. Users of Apple's Mac computers 3. Users of Apple's watchOS [64971]
Software Causes 1. The software cause of the failure incident involving iPhone users being unable to type the word "I" was a bizarre predictive text error related to Apple's cloud-based synchronization for predictive text [64971]. 2. Another software cause of the failure incident was a hard crash of Apple Watch devices running watchOS 4 when asked for the weather, which was triggered by the upcoming daylight savings time change [64971].
Non-software Causes 1. Daylight savings time change causing crashes on Apple watchOS devices [64971]
Impacts 1. Some iPhone users were unable to type the word "I" as it was replaced by the letter A and an unprintable unicode character, affecting their ability to communicate effectively [64971]. 2. Users of Apple's watchOS experienced a hard crash of the device when asked for the weather due to an error related to daylight savings time, causing inconvenience and potential data loss [64971].
Preventions 1. Implementing thorough testing procedures specifically focused on handling daylight savings time transitions could have potentially prevented the crash experienced by Apple watchOS users [64971]. 2. Conducting more extensive quality assurance testing on the predictive text feature, especially in scenarios involving syncing across multiple devices, could have helped identify and address the autocorrect bug affecting iPhone users [64971].
Fixes 1. Implement a software update to fix the predictive text error affecting iPhone users unable to type the word "I" by addressing the bug related to Apple's cloud-based synchronization for predictive text [64971]. 2. Release a software patch specifically targeting the issue of Apple watchOS devices crashing when asked for the weather due to daylight savings time changes, ensuring the device can handle such time adjustments without crashing [64971].
References 1. Social media 2. Specialist press 3. Apple's support article 4. Users of Apple's products 5. Apple (as the company declined to comment) [64971]

Software Taxonomy of Faults

Category Option Rationale
Recurring one_organization, multiple_organization (a) The software failure incident related to the predictive text error affecting iPhone users has happened again within the same organization, Apple. The article mentions previous incidents related to software errors caused by daylight savings time affecting Apple products like iPhone alarms failing to update after the clocks changed in 2010 and some US iPhones updating the time in the wrong direction in 2011 [64971]. (b) The software failure incident related to the predictive text error affecting iPhone users has also been reported as happening to users of Apple’s Mac computers, indicating a similar incident affecting multiple organizations or platforms within the Apple ecosystem [64971].
Phase (Design/Operation) design, operation (a) The software failure incident related to the design phase can be seen in the predictive text error affecting iPhone users. The issue with the autocorrect feature and the synchronization of dictionaries through Apple's cloud-based service led to the bizarre behavior where the letter "I" was replaced by other characters or symbols. This problem was a result of the system development and the introduction of new features like predictive text and machine learning algorithms by Apple [64971]. (b) The software failure incident related to the operation phase is evident in the Apple watchOS crash triggered by asking for the weather in locations where daylight savings time was about to occur. This crash was caused by the operation of the device in conjunction with the changing time settings, leading to a hard crash of the Apple watch. The issue stemmed from the operation of the device and the interaction with external factors like daylight savings time [64971].
Boundary (Internal/External) within_system (a) The software failure incident related to the predictive text error affecting iPhone users is within the system. The issue is specifically related to a bug in Apple's cloud-based synchronization for predictive text, which is an internal system feature that allows users' dictionaries to be shared using iCloud service [64971].
Nature (Human/Non-human) non-human_actions (a) The software failure incident related to non-human actions: - The predictive text error affecting iPhone users, where the word "I" was replaced by the letter A and an unprintable unicode character, seems to be a bug related to Apple's cloud-based synchronization for predictive text [64971]. - The crash of Apple's watchOS devices when asked for the weather due to daylight savings time is also a non-human action related failure, as it was triggered by the changing of clocks and not by human actions [64971].
Dimension (Hardware/Software) hardware, software (a) The software failure incident related to hardware: - The article mentions a software failure incident related to Apple's watchOS where the device crashes when asked for the weather due to daylight savings time changes [64971]. (b) The software failure incident related to software: - The article discusses a predictive text error affecting iPhone users where the word "I" gets replaced by a letter A and an unprintable unicode character, likely originating from a bug in Apple's cloud-based synchronization for predictive text [64971].
Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) non-malicious (a) The software failure incident related to the predictive text error on iPhones and Mac computers is non-malicious. The issue was caused by a bizarre predictive text error that replaced the word "I" with the letter A and an unprintable unicode character, affecting users of iOS 10 and iOS 11 [64971]. (b) The software failure incident related to the Apple watch crashing when asked for the weather due to daylight savings time is also non-malicious. The crash was a result of the device not handling the change in time correctly, which is a common issue during daylight savings transitions [64971].
Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) poor_decisions (a) The software failure incident related to the predictive text error on iPhones, where the letter "I" was replaced by an unprintable unicode character, seems to be more aligned with poor_decisions. This issue was likely a result of a bug in Apple's cloud-based synchronization for predictive text, which shared autocorrections and new words across devices. The error affected users of iOS 10 and iOS 11, as well as Mac computers, indicating a systemic issue introduced by the decision to implement this feature [64971]. (b) On the other hand, the software failure incident related to the Apple Watch crashing when asked for the weather due to daylight savings time can be attributed to accidental_decisions. This crash was likely an unintended consequence of the interaction between the device's software and the changing clocks during daylight savings time. Apple has a history of minor errors related to time changes, indicating that this issue was not a deliberate poor decision but rather an accidental consequence of the software interacting with external factors [64971].
Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) development_incompetence (a) The software failure incident related to development incompetence can be seen in the article where it mentions the predictive text error affecting iPhone users. The issue arose due to a bug in Apple's cloud-based synchronization for predictive text, which is a feature that allows users' dictionaries to be shared using iCloud. The bug caused the letter "I" to be replaced by the letter "A" and an unprintable unicode character. This error showcases a failure in the development process, possibly due to a lack of professional competence in handling the synchronization and autocorrection features [64971]. (b) The accidental software failure incident can be observed in the article discussing the crash of Apple watches running watchOS 4 when asked for the weather. The crash was found to be triggered by daylight savings time, indicating an accidental error related to time handling in the software. This unintentional failure highlights how external factors like daylight savings can lead to unexpected crashes in software systems, rather than a deliberate mistake by the developers [64971].
Duration temporary (a) The software failure incident related to the predictive text error on iPhones, where the letter "I" was replaced by an unprintable unicode character, seems to be temporary. Apple provided a temporary workaround using the iOS text replacement settings to replace all uses of a lowercase "i" with a capital, indicating that the issue was not permanent [64971]. (b) On the other hand, the software failure incident related to the Apple watch crashing when asked for the weather due to daylight savings time appears to be temporary as well. This crash occurred specifically when the clocks were going back in the next 24 hours, suggesting that it was a temporary issue related to the specific circumstances of daylight savings time [64971].
Behaviour crash, timing, value, other (a) crash: The article mentions a software failure incident related to a crash in Apple's watchOS. Users experienced a hard crash of the device when asked for the weather, specifically triggered by daylight savings time [64971]. (b) omission: There is no specific mention of a software failure incident related to omission in the provided articles. (c) timing: The article discusses a software failure incident related to timing issues caused by daylight savings time. Apple's watchOS crashed when asked for the current weather in a location where the clocks were going back in the next 24 hours [64971]. (d) value: The article describes a software failure incident related to a predictive text error affecting some iPhone users. The error replaced the word "I" with the letter A and an unprintable unicode character, rendering it as a question mark or five horizontal bars instead [64971]. (e) byzantine: There is no specific mention of a software failure incident related to a byzantine behavior in the provided articles. (f) other: The article mentions other related problems hitting iOS devices, such as a lower-case "i" character appearing in the emoji picker and the strange unicode character replacing a normal "I" [64971].

IoT System Layer

Layer Option Rationale
Perception None None
Communication None None
Application None None

Other Details

Category Option Rationale
Consequence non-human (a) death: There is no mention of any deaths resulting from the software failure incident in the provided article [64971]. (b) harm: There is no mention of any physical harm caused to individuals due to the software failure incident in the provided article [64971]. (c) basic: There is no mention of people's access to food or shelter being impacted by the software failure incident in the provided article [64971]. (d) property: The software failure incident did not directly impact people's material goods, money, or data according to the article [64971]. (e) delay: The incident did cause inconvenience to users, such as the inability to type the word "I" correctly on their devices, but there is no specific mention of activities being postponed due to the software failure incident [64971]. (f) non-human: The software failure incident did impact non-human entities, specifically Apple's watchOS devices, which experienced a hard crash when asked for the weather due to an error related to daylight savings time [64971]. (g) no_consequence: The article does not mention that there were no real observed consequences of the software failure incident [64971]. (h) theoretical_consequence: The article discusses potential consequences of the software failure incident, such as the inconvenience caused to users and the need for workarounds, but these consequences did occur and were not just theoretical [64971]. (i) other: There are no other consequences of the software failure incident mentioned in the article [64971].
Domain information, utilities (a) The software failure incident reported in the articles is related to the information industry. The incident involves a predictive text error affecting iPhone users, which impacts their ability to type the word "I" correctly [64971]. (g) The incident also touches upon the utilities industry indirectly. Although the main focus is on the predictive text error affecting iPhone users, there is a mention of a separate issue related to Apple's watchOS, where the device crashes when asked for the weather due to a bug related to daylight savings time. This issue affects users of Apple's watchOS, which falls under the utilities category as it involves providing services related to time and weather information [64971].

Sources

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