If you haven’t installed iOS 13 yet, you may want to hold off. Reports of new gestures stymying Fortnite and PUBG Mobile indicate that Apple’s new mobile operating system has some serious defects.
iOS 13 Gestures Conflict with Gaming
Touch screen games often need to make use of complicated gestures. After all, there’s usually no external game controller. The more complicated the game, the more creative developers have to be with gestures.
Unfortunately, Apple has also been stretching the limits of gestures. A new iOS 13 gesture uses a three finger long press to open detailed text editing options. Games such as Fortnite and PUBG Mobile use a similar gesture, known by gamers as the “claw”. When players use this gesture, a text editing box is instantiated within the game. The defect has made some games completely unplayable.
Tencent, creator of PUBG Mobile issued a statement, advising players who use three fingers to postpone upgrading to iOS 13:
“We suggest players who play the game with 3 or more fingers do not upgrade to iOS 13.0 until this issue is resolved.”
iOS 13.1 Fixes Gesture Bug
Fortunately, frustrated gamers will soon find relief. The upcoming iOS 13.1 release should fix the issue. The three finger gesture conflict is not a problem with the iOS 13.1 beta.
Apple did acknowledge that this is a defect and not the desired behavior. The text editing tool should only appear within text input controls. Clearly, these action games have little need for detailed text editing controls, at least not in the context of game play.
Always Postpone Major iOS Updates
The recent gesture issue is another reminder that most users should postpone new, major iOS updates. This holds true for virtually every operating system. It’s never a good idea to install a major operating system update the day it’s launched.
If you have buyer’s remorse, you can downgrade to the last version of iOS 12, but it’s not easy. The best practice is to always wait for the “.1” version before installing. These days, early adopters of new, major versions of operating systems are really just beta testers.