Edit an existing highlight

I would like to edit an existing highlight without having to delete it and start again. I was able to do this as an Android user simply by double tapping the highlight to bring the handles into view. I then could drag the handles to extend the highlight. I can't seem to do this in the iOS version. I'd be grateful of any suggestions. Thanks.

This isn't currently possible in Gospel Library for iOS; however, if you need to adjust a highlight, you can log into LDS.org and adjust the highlight there.

Thanx very much for your reply. Cheers, Jeff.

sbradshaw wrote:This isn't currently possible in Gospel Library for iOS; however, if you need to adjust a highlight, you can log into LDS.org and adjust the highlight there.

Is this a feature that is being discussed? It makes things unnecessarily cumbersome to have to log on to my computer just to edit the length of a highlight. This seems like a very basic feature that should have been available in the very first release of the app way back when.

It has been brought up to the Gospel Library team in the past, but hasn't been prioritized because it would require building a custom text selection tool instead of using the built-in one from Apple. It's possible, it would just be a matter of it being prioritized against other work. The best way to submit it as a feature request is through Settings > Send Feedback (the support team keeps track of common requests that come in and shares them with the product manager for Gospel Library).

Oh okay. That makes sense. I didn't realize that Apple had a built in tool for text selection. I'm assuming this tool is what Apple uses for highlighting in iBooks? Thanks for your response.

Yes, iBooks would use the same tool for the text selection part of the process. There's a lot built on top of and around the actual text selection – for example, the popup annotation menu, and the way the colors are drawn on the page – but the long-press to start selecting text and the handles to resize the selection (before you tap Mark) are provided by iOS.

sbradshaw wrote:This isn't currently possible in Gospel Library for iOS; however, if you need to adjust a highlight, you can log into LDS.org and adjust the highlight there.

I've used this workaround in the past, but I can't seem to get it to work now. Every time I try to select/drag the existing highlight handle in my online study notebook, the system thinks I am trying to add a new highlight. I've tried using different browsers but I'm getting the same error. Is anyone else having the same trouble?

Yes, that also happened to me yesterday when logged into Notes on my laptop. I had to screen shot the existing note/highlight so I could remember it, delete the existing and then recreate it with the extended highlight. A bit frustrating. Extending the highlight used to work better, I assume something has changed in the online version.

Having the ability to change the highlight by dragging out the handles would be a great feature - both in iOS and online. I understand that it might not be high on the priority list compared to other changes however.

Appreciate the work that is being done, the Library app is wonderful.

Feature request submitted via Library app 05 January 2020

Agree with the request for ability to change the extent of highlights. I would add, that deleting a note to change the size also deletes associated links - ouch!

Thank you for the continued work on this great app!

It looks like this feature is now (again) available in the online scriptures! I tested this out with a highlight I've been wanting to update (without deleting/redoing/losing the associated links and tags, of course), then gave it a few minutes to sync to my app, and it worked! Hooray!

I've asked about this a few times over the years and in fact went back to Android about four years ago because I could not resize existing highlights. I never got a clear answer as to why, only responses from service missionaries that "this sounds like a good idea (to be able to resize highlights) and I will pass this along to the developers." My whole family wanted me back on iOS so in December 2019 I switched back. I still use a Samsung Tab for my gospel study, however, because I want to have this functionality without having to log into a computer. I would sure like to have this feature so I can have everything in one ecosystem (iOS).

So, if I understand things correctly, is the hold up primarily on the iOS side and not with Gospel Library (without a significant rewrite)? If this is the case it sounds like the chances are slim to none of ever getting the resizing-of-highlights feature in the iOS version of Gospel Library. Someone please tell me I am wrong with my thinking!

iOS Gospel Library uses iOS' built-in mechanism for selecting text, which doesn't support re-selecting a group of words (i.e. the bounds of the highlight) when tapping (I think it's a "security feature" that iOS doesn't allow apps to select text on a page on behalf of the user – the user has to initiate text selection by long-pressing and dragging). The workaround is to create a custom text-selection feature, which is possible, but it may introduce bugs, and as the OS changes it will need to be kept up-to-date to make sure the look and feel matches iOS' native text selection (if that's possible at all). So, it's an iOS limitation, but there are workarounds, but those workarounds are "scary."