autolocking annotations on iPad

Aloha all,

While actively working on a document on my iPad, the annotations keep automatically locking (little lockpad icon top right of box) and I am unable to add comments, change the color, or add tags to highlighted regions. I can delete them and continue to make more, but I don't understand why they are automatically locking within seconds of me highlighting anything (from a single word to a string of sentences, the same thing occurs).

I've noticed that this only happens when I'm not connected to the internet? The pdf is downloaded and I have no issue opening/closing the doc, or viewing/making edits to older annotations (they remain unlocked?) but the new annotations lock?

Any help would save me much frustration!
  • Hey @alliej, can you please let us know the version of the Zotero app, as well as if this is your library or a group one, and for the latter case, what is your member role?
  • Same thing for me. I’m on the latest iPad version (1.0.42) according to App Store. It seems to be internet related. Give it 5-10 seconds and click on the highlight station and i can change the highlight colour. Don’t remember this being a thing before. Quite frustrating at times
  • @thelivingphilosophy can you let us know if this happens in your library or a group one, and for the latter case, what is your member role? Furthermore, is it possible that you record the issue in a video and share a link here or send to support@zotero.org mentioning this thread?
  • It's in a shared library (ran out of space in my main one so I set up a library for reading on my iPad). I'm the only person in that library and the creator (not sure how to check my role beyond that). I'll see about getting you a recording today and I'll send it on.
  • edited October 28, 2024
    @thelivingphilosophy It looks like you're the owner of the group, so you should have the proper rights. If you can send the recording, we'll take a look what happens.
  • Hey @thelivingphilosophy, can you please provide some more information:
    - Does this happen in all your documents in the group library?
    - What about new documents with no annotations yet, or just a small number of annotations?
    - What is the device model, and what is the iOS version?
  • - yes it seems to (though after a recent purge of my group library it seemed to happen less (probably loading quicker?) I could be wrong as it started taking longer again in the same book within a few more highlights)

    - I checked this and while sometimes in new documents it doesn't immediately start happening, there were documents where it did start locking up on the first highlight. So I don't think so.

    - it's a 2018 ipad pro. iPad v. 17.6.1

    I'm going to try updating my iPad and see if that makes a difference in the next couple of days. Thanks for your
  • edited November 11, 2024
    Thanks for the additional info @thelivingphilosophy. Can you please also provide the following:
    - Start a debug log by going to settings (gear icon in libraries list) > Debug Output Logging > Start Logging, then go and create some annotations where you witness the locking issue, go back to settings and Stop Logging, and post the debug log id here.
    - Sign out and sign in again, check if the issue happens still, and let us know of the result.
  • Apologies for the delay I’ve done that now. Here’s the log with the issue:
    D674632337

    I logged out and back in again it’s still happening. Here’s the log for that
    D1390473726
  • Thanks once more @thelivingphilosophy. Can I ask you to perform another test for us? Delete the app completely, install again, sign in, and create another debug log while creating annotations, checking for the locking issue.
  • Done. Debug log: D1320995809. I should also note I’ve now updated my iPad and we’re at v.18.1.1
  • Can you please install the iOS beta and create another debug log of the issue? We have added extra logging to help us pinpoint the cause.
    https://www.zotero.org/support/beta_builds#zotero_for_ios_beta
  • Done D1466956057
  • edited 17 days ago
    @thelivingphilosophy your problem proves a very tricky one to establish. We added even more logging in the latest beta, so please update once more and send another debug log of the issue. Much appreciated.
  • Haha not to worry. I noticed that it doesn’t happen as often. This is a log because I always find it happens on one pdf I test so I wanted to find another D1319342425. If you want me to do a screen record or anything else that would help let me know
  • Is it possible you mail as such a PDF to support@zotero.org mentioning this thread, and even point to specific text that with repeated highlight presents this issue? While the logs helped us ascertain what circumstances cause this, we cannot affect these circumstances in any way, in all the tests we have done so far.
  • Thanks for all your patience @thelivingphilosophy, we have found the issue, and there will be a fix in the new beta. I'll let you know when it is available so you can test it.
  • Ah I'm delighted to hear it! Glad I could help in any way
  • @thelivingphilosophy & @alliej can you please try the latest iOS beta, to verify that it fixes this issue?
    https://www.zotero.org/support/beta_builds#zotero_for_ios_beta
  • awesome that's working for me. Thanks a million!
Sign In or Register to comment.