When typing 'Jerusalem' on an iPhone, a Palestinian flag emoji appears in the predictive text, sparking controversy; Apple explains it's a bug and plans to fix it
Some iPhone users who have installed iOS 17.4.1, the latest version at the time of writing, have reported that when they type 'Jerusalem,' the emoji for the Palestinian flag appears in the predictive text. Apple explained that this predictive text is a bug that will be fixed in the next iOS update.
How an iPhone update and a Palestinian flag emoji sparked a global controversy for Apple - ABC News
Apple says it will fix Palestinian flag emoji recommendation when typing 'Jerusalem' on iPhone | Mashable
https://mashable.com/article/apple-iphone-palestinian-flag-emoji-jerusalem-keyboard-bug
On April 10, 2024, British TV presenter Rachel Riley reported that when she typed the Israeli capital 'Jerusalem' in text on her iPhone after updating to iOS 17.4.1, the emoji for the Palestinian flag was displayed as a predictive text. Riley added that 'this did not happen before the update.'
Dear @Apple @AppleSupport @tim_cook
— Rachel Riley MBE ???? (@RachelRileyRR) April 9, 2024
I've just upgraded my software to version iOS 17.4.1, and now, when I type the capital of Israel, Jerusalem, I'm offered the Palestinian flag emoji. This didn't occur on my phone immediately before this update.
Below is a... pic.twitter.com/Cw9TDmE6VD
Several users on social media have reported experiencing the same issue, but not all of them are seeing the Palestinian flag emoji pop up when they type 'Jerusalem.' Some users say the issue only occurs when they use an English keyboard.
In fact, when I tried typing 'Jerusalem' or 'Jerusalem' on my iPhone 15 Pro updated to iOS 17.4.1 by the GIGAZINE editorial department, the emoji of the Palestinian flag did not appear in the predictive conversion. Even when I switched the keyboard to 'English (Japan)' or 'English (US)', the emoji of the Palestinian flag did not appear in the predictive conversion.
ABC News also tested typing 'Jerusalem' into a variety of iPhones to see if the Palestinian flag emoji would appear, with mixed results.
Shanan Corney, a computing lecturer at the University of Melbourne, explained that it's normal for predictions to vary from one user to the next. 'For me, when I type 'Jerusalem' the first suggestion that pops up is probably 'capital'. But for another user, a different suggestion might pop up first, a different word or an emoji,' she said.
Jerusalem is one of the most controversial places in world affairs because it is the place where Jesus Christ was executed and is a common holy site for Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. When the United Nations first resolved to establish the State of Israel in 1947, Jerusalem was even envisioned as a separate entity administered by the United Nations. Neighboring Arab countries opposed the establishment of Israel, but after two wars and decades, Israel occupied the western part of Jerusalem, declared it its capital, and occupied the eastern part of Jerusalem and formally annexed the entire city. Meanwhile, Palestine has also declared the eastern part of Jerusalem its capital.
At the time of writing, Israel and Palestine still share Jerusalem, and negotiations between the two sides have long been stalled. Therefore, it is natural that the display of a Palestinian flag emoji in predictive text when typing 'Jerusalem' is controversial, ABC News pointed out.
Corney pointed out that the bug was likely an unintended byproduct of trying to improve the text prediction algorithm, but said, 'It's likely that Apple is constantly tweaking its text prediction algorithm behind the scenes.'
Apple also announced that the predictive text issue was a bug and that it would be fixed in the next software update.
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