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The Calculator bug persists in iOS 11.2

It's not as bad as it was before, but it's definitely still there. You don't even have to tap super fast; I can make it happen whether I'm using two fingers or one. As long as a couple of button taps are within a reasonably-quick amount of time, you'll get the wrong answer.

Dec 14 Update: I've now visited an Apple Store, and can replicate the bug in iOS 11.2.1 on the X, 8/Plus, and 7/Plus. See below for a video of the iPhone X running iOS 11.2.1.
Dec 3 Update: Some users with the same phone models as those I've tested say they can't replicate the bug. I've added a video of my phone in use, showing exactly how quickly I was tapping, and that the bug is definitely there. Click the "more…" bit to see the video.
Dec 2 Update: Users have reported the bug is fixed on the iPhone 7 Plus and the X. But it's definitely present on the following phones: iPhone 6, iPhone 6S, and iPhone 8 Plus—I personally tested all three of those. If you have a different model and can test, please do so and let me know—I'll update the list when I receive responses.

Below are three examples; one with 3+2+1 and two with 6-5-4. The slow-motion version shows exactly how Calculator comes up with the wrong answer, as you can see incorrect values being inserted. This was recorded on my just-upgraded iPhone 8 Plus running iOS 11.2:

I can even make this happen with a simple "3+2" test. You may argue that I'm tapping the keys too quickly, but I'm not really hitting them at super-human speed, just quickly. And more importantly, the taps should be recognized and cached in order, regardless of what onscreen animations are occurring.

Trying the same experiment with PCalc, for example, I cannot make it fail, even tapping buttons much more quickly than I do in Calculator.

Kill the fancy animations, Apple, and just make Calculator remember our key taps, please?

Here's an incredibly amateurish video of me replicating the bug on my iPhone 8 Plus. It's early and my tripod is buried in a closet, so I held the camera with one hand while using the iPhone with the other, hence the shakiness. But it demonstrates how I'm replicating the bug…

Dec 14 update: Here's the video of an iPhone X running iOS 11.2.1. I shot this left-handed while working the Calculator with my right hand, which explains the unstable video. But it's pretty obvious the bug persists…

While not nearly as bad as the prior bug, this one could still catch someone by surprise, especially if it came in the middle of a longer calculation.

7 thoughts on “The Calculator bug persists in iOS 11.2”

  1. Holy crap, that's terrible. Apple QA & Engineering, you should be embarrassed by this! Abysmal. WT actual F?

    1. That's the known bug in pre-11.2 iOS versions; it was supposed to be fixed in 11.2, but my experience says otherwise. Some others have replicated, some have not. After you upgrade, try again and see if you can still replicate the issue. (I can on my wife's 6S.)

      -rob.

      1. Updated the 6S fixed it, but now there’s no total until I press = or +. Earlier behavior (as currently on husband’s 7plus running 11.1.2) didn’t require pressing =. A quick 3+2+1 shows 21. Pressing = or + then shows 24.

  2. Michael Graubart

    I use an iphone SE. When I upgraded to iOS 11.2, the slow-animation bug was definitely still there. I have just tried it again, and now I cannot replicate it. I have not installed any kind of patch or further update, so how can the bug have got fixed since I installed 11.2?

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