Lock screen/mobile accessibilty interaction issue

[darrix]

After launching Mobile Accessibility on my Lumia 920, the phone was unable to get past my lock screen. Although the screen reader would read the lock screen keypresses, the dots weren't appearing on the screen and I couldn't get the phone to unlock. Did a remote wipe and I'm restoring now. Happily, that's over wifi.


Beta life!

 

[luk3ja]

strange

 

[SwimSwim]

Did you make sure to double tap to ensure the key presses were actually going in? Hate to sound like I'm patronizing you, but I'm genuinely curious. If you don't double tap the number, the thing just reads it out loud, but it doesn't actually register the key press until you double tap.

 

[PB_H]

I noticed this new feature soon after GDR3 and it doesn't look like it very promising, what exactly do you do and what don't you want to do, I don't want to lock up my phone and apparently this is an issue...darrix had the same issue as this lone reviewer. I don't care if I'm a nob when it comes to this, so what are you talking about here, what numbers, what double tap the keys do you mean, how does this app work ???

"Did you make sure to double tap to ensure the key presses were actually going in? Hate to sound like I'm patronizing you, but I'm genuinely curious. If you don't double tap the number, the thing just reads it out loud, but it doesn't actually register the key press until you double tap"

 

[SwimSwim]

I noticed this new feature soon after GDR3 and it doesn't look like it very promising, what exactly do you do and what don't you want to do, I don't want to lock up my phone and apparently this is an issue...darrix had the same issue as this lone reviewer. I don't care if I'm a nob when it comes to this, so what are you talking about here, what numbers, what double tap the keys do you mean, how does this app work ???

"Did you make sure to double tap to ensure the key presses were actually going in? Hate to sound like I'm patronizing you, but I'm genuinely curious. If you don't double tap the number, the thing just reads it out loud, but it doesn't actually register the key press until you double tap"

It's not very well explained through text, my apologies. What I mean is, one tap selects the item on screen (in this case, the digits on your lock screen), then once its highlighted, a double tap (anywhere on the screen) is required to execute said selection.

I'd recommend playing around with this type of operation in the app before you enable it to take system wide control, to ensure you know how to operate effectively. However, unless you're visually impaired, this app won't do you much good anyways.

However, I do not think it's fair to down rate a perfectly fine piece of accessibility software, for what appears to be your mistake. If it's genuinely a bug, then it's acceptable, but it seems to me this is a case of operator error.

 

[PB_H]

It's not very well explained through text, my apologies. What I mean is, one tap selects the item on screen (in this case, the digits on your lock screen), then once its highlighted, a double tap (anywhere on the screen) is required to execute said selection.

I'd recommend playing around with this type of operation in the app before you enable it to take system wide control, to ensure you know how to operate effectively. However, unless you're visually impaired, this app won't do you much good anyways.

However, I do not think it's fair to down rate a perfectly fine piece of accessibility software, for what appears to be your mistake. If it's genuinely a bug, then it's acceptable, but it seems to me this is a case of operator error.

I'm stating the obvious I didn't say it's useless, I guess I should have said there is an issue about locking up and here are two cases, I haven't heard from anyone who has said it's wonderful -YET. If you've downloaded it please give us a primer. Me I'm always a skeptic especially since developers lie -Battery apps updating every 30-40 min is a lie battery app wide and they know it and give all kinds of excuses. Anyway I'm looking forward to your assessment and unbiased review -soon :wink:

 

[SwimSwim]

I've hardly touched it, so I can't give a full review. Maybe later, but I'm not visually impaired, so I can't appreciate its full value.

As for the battery apps, that's a Windows Phone API limitation. And app can update as much as it pleases while its open, but it's limited in how much it can update in the background, hence why they don't update as much as you'd like.

 

[GoodThings2Life]

I'm having this issue too, and yes, I'm double-tapping the numbers but it keeps rejecting the password and locking my f-ing phone. This is NOT well implemented and/or very buggy, and I'm really ticked at the thought of doing a restore on it.

 

[SwimSwim]

I'm having this issue too, and yes, I'm double-tapping the numbers but it keeps rejecting the password and locking my f-ing phone. This is NOT well implemented and/or very buggy, and I'm really ticked at the thought of doing a restore on it.

Ok, now the fault definitely lies with the app, in which case, it deserves a lowly review. My apologies to the OP, it's just that I couldn't be sure if it was the app's fault or operator error at first. Now that it's clearly the former, I grant my sincerest apologies.

Hopefully they address this issue, locking people out of their phones is a very major issue that needs addressing. Ahh, the glories of partaking in open betas, eh fellas?

 

[GoodThings2Life]

This is a freaking nightmare. All my pictures are backed up and content, but the thought of doing a reset and losing all the high-res versions of my 1020's pics is sickening. I've not been diligent about backing them up.

 

[SwimSwim]

This is a freaking nightmare. All my pictures are backed up and content, but the thought of doing a reset and losing all the high-res versions of my 1020's pics is sickening. I've not been diligent about backing them up.

Indeed troublesome, sadly, I cannot offer any workarounds for the lock code without erasing the device, nor do I know of any way of accessing the content contained there-in without a lock code...

I hope action is taken immediately, seeing as this is a very serious bug. Sadly, it appears you were the minefield rat it discovering such this bug. Again, the life of a beta tester... :unhappysweat:

 

[GoodThings2Life]

Yeah, I accepted (and still do!) the risk of being a beta tester, but it's just a shame that such a major flaw made it through QC testing. It has the potential to really screw people over if not fixed quickly. The irony is that I only wanted to test the feature to see how the feature works.

There's options to lock/erase your phone... it's too bad you can't use those to unlock the phone to disable the feature, lol.

Anyway, I put a bunch of feelers out to some folks to see if there's something simple to fix it before I erase. I'll be MORE angry about erasing and learning there's a solution.

 

[GoodThings2Life]

EUREKA!! Figured it out! Touch the number so that it says it, THEN double-tap the number to enter it, THEN do the next digit in sequence the same way until you enter all digits.

If you double-tap before triggering the announcement of the number, it will NOT register that number.

This is definitely a HUGE bug in how the app works and will be a major frustration to users. Thank goodness I'm patient and troubleshoot stuff first!

 

[SwimSwim]

EUREKA!! Figured it out! Touch the number so that it says it, THEN double-tap the number to enter it, THEN do the next digit in sequence the same way until you enter all digits.

If you double-tap before triggering the announcement of the number, it will NOT register that number.

This is definitely a HUGE bug in how the app works and will be a major frustration to users. Thank goodness I'm patient and troubleshoot stuff first!

As I mentioned on the other thread, this is how the app is supposed to function (it's meant for those with visual impairments after all, so navigation obviously seems quirky to those whose vision is fine). As such, I strongly urge you to please remove your bad reviews of the app from the app store. This is a case of operator error, and it's not fair to the developer who worked hard on the app to have their work smeared because people who could see didn't learn how to properly use the app first.

I thank you, false alarm here folks, the app is fine, just please: If you're not visually impaired, there's no sense using it, as it's meant to aid those who have poor/no vision navigate the OS.

 

[GoodThings2Life]

No, you are wrong about this. This is absolutely design flaw and buggy, pure and simple.

There is no opportunity for the user to learn how to use it before it's thrust on them and no way for them (visually impaired or otherwise).

You install the app with no instruction, reboot (by force), and then you are simply stuck. Your advice to double-tap is misleading. It's a single tap PLUS double-tap.

Bad design, and Microsoft needs to fix it. Period.

 

[GoodThings2Life]

Also, there is ALWAYS a reason to use to any feature, visually impaired or not. The whole point of testing things is to TEST EVERYTHING. Good and bad.

 

[SwimSwim]

Uummm, you were given the opportunity to explore the gestures with-in the app itself? I did, and I quickly recognized that it was for the visually impaired, seeing as the gestures (tap to highlight, double tap to select) were the same as Voice Over on iOS.

No one made you immediately turn it on and reboot without knowing what you were doing. When you first opened the app, did it at all occur to you to try and tap around and figure out what the jist of it is?

You can't just plunge into something blindly without having any background, and then complain when it doesn't work.

Honestly, this whole situation is like only knowing how to drive an automatic, yet you try to drive a stick shift, then co plain to the manufacturer because it won't drive properly.

You're at fault here, if you're just blindly enabling settings without any regard for what they do (especially since you could have explored the app first), then I stand here lacking in sympathy.

"A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools." - Douglas Adams

 

[SwimSwim]

Also, there is ALWAYS a reason to use to any feature, visually impaired or not. The whole point of testing things is to TEST EVERYTHING. Good and bad.

And in order to be an effective tester, it's helpful to actually have some background on what you're testing, no?

 

[GoodThings2Life]

FYI... I commented on the other thread. I don't want to discuss in two places on one topic.

 

[Julie West]

You have to admit and if you have had this feature on your phone just to see what it is about, then you would understand. I just wanted to know what it was, I still really don't know how it is to be used.

There is an issue and even for the visually impaired IDK how they would figure it out or where to tap. It should tap and go and or have speech recognition. I though i was out of a phone for a bit, this forum helped to realize that it wasnt accepting the number and I couldn't figure out how to get to the "start" screen for a bit, thank goodness i have it turned off and uninstalled.