Apple reinforces ‘how to file great bug reports’ ahead of first iOS 14 beta release

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Apple has shared some tips this week to show how developers and users can properly report bugs they have experienced with Apple’s products. The article, “How to file great bug reports” couldn’t have come at a better time, as the company is about to release the first beta version of iOS 14 this month at WWDC 2020.

Beta versions of iOS, macOS, and other operating systems often have several bugs, which is even more common with major updates. Apple has always offered a platform where users can report these issues, but not everyone knows how to do — or more importantly, how to do it right.

Any bugs you have experienced should be reported to Apple through the Feedback Assistant, which can be accessed at feedbackassistant.apple.com. If you’re running a beta version of iOS or macOS, Feedback Assistant will be available as an app installed on your device.

However, Apple notes that even with the Feedback Assistant, not everyone knows how to fill out a bug report, which can make it difficult for Apple engineers to understand and fix the problem.

You should always file feedback for any bugs you find while developing on Apple’s platforms; after all, we can’t fix problems that we don’t know about. But how can you be sure that the information you provide is helpful for triaging the issue, rather than a bug-solving dead end? Here are some of our top tips for making sure your bug report is clear, actionable, and — most importantly — fixable.

Bug reports must be extremely descriptive so Apple can reproduce them. The company asks developers and users to list all the steps that caused the bug, as well as the current result and what was the expected result. Feedback Assistant also allows you to upload screenshots and videos to make the bug report more understandable.

Developers, in particular, can even send Apple a sample project with the code that causes the problem, so it’s more likely that the engineers will be able to fix it.

When you’re filling a bug report with the Feedback Assistant app, it asks you in which area are you having a problem. It’s important to choose the correct option, as the app automatically collects related data from your device that may be helpful in fixing the bug.

Unfortunately, not all bugs are reproducible or have easy-to-follow steps. For trickier cases, consider providing logging information like a sysdiagnose: If you’re filing a bug on your iPhone or iPad, you can use the Feedback Assistant app to capture one automatically. If filing a bug via Apple’s web portal, you can install profiles that can help you manually gather a sysdiagnose.