Former Apple engineer explains why the first iPhone couldn't copy/paste, simply because it wasn't done in time.

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Ngày cập nhật gần nhất: 1/11/2025

The first iPhone released in 2007 completely lacked the touch feature to copy or cut content displayed on the screen, save it to a temporary clipboard, and then paste it into other applications. Until now, one of the engineers who contributed to creating the new iPhone has spoken up about this. That's Ken Kocienda, one of the designers of the operating system with a touch interface for the iPhone.

https://twitter.com/kocienda/status/1538536958258909184

Kocienda's Twitter thread is filled with valuable insights. One of them is the absence of copy/cut/paste functionality on the iPhone. The reason is simple: the team developing the operating system and device interface couldn't complete that feature in time for the iPhone's late 2007 launch. To put it more accurately, it could have been done, but the feature wouldn't ensure flawless operation as Steve Jobs expected.

So, that very useful feature was postponed for a later version, while Apple personnel were too busy with other equally important features, such as keyboard functionality, or features like autocorrect and how our fingers interact with each letter on the touch keyboard.

It wasn't until the first iPhone was launched that Apple engineers began working to bring the copy/paste feature to the phone they developed.

Within Kocienda's Twitter thread, a wealth of valuable and delightful insights has been shared by this engineer. Kocienda worked for Apple from 2001 to 2017, then transitioned to writing books, and later to entities like Postmates, Airbnb, and Humane to work as a software engineer and product development architect.

Due to the touch screen lacking haptic feedback to confirm button presses, some people came up with the idea of creating larger touch areas for on-screen buttons compared to the graphic size on the interface, accommodating larger finger taps.
This very idea laid the groundwork for the autocorrect feature on the iPhone keyboard, combining a vocabulary library with predicting finger positions on the touch screen keyboard.
Typing special characters with accents on the touch screen differs from how it's done on laptops and desktop keyboards, so Kocienda devised the idea of holding down a character key to reveal related special characters.
The most brilliant idea, according to Kocienda, is the Home button, simply pressing it allows for an exit from an app to the home screen.
The curvature of the finger is what leads people to mistakenly believe they're touching the screen higher than they actually are. Apple had to address this by adjusting the touch recognition position relative to the button position on the interface. That's why operating the phone upside down is very difficult.

According to Apple Insider

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the reason the first iPhone lacked copy and paste functionality?

The first iPhone lacked copy and paste functionality because the development team couldn't complete it in time for the late 2007 launch. Ensuring flawless operation was a priority for Steve Jobs, leading to its postponement.

Who is Ken Kocienda and what role did he play at Apple?

Ken Kocienda was a key engineer and designer at Apple from 2001 to 2017. He contributed to the development of the iPhone's touch interface and later worked on various projects in software engineering and product development.

How did the absence of haptic feedback influence iPhone design?

The absence of haptic feedback led to the creation of larger touch areas for on-screen buttons, accommodating larger finger taps. This idea also contributed to the development of the autocorrect feature on the iPhone keyboard.

What innovative feature did Kocienda devise for typing special characters?

Kocienda devised the feature of holding down a character key to reveal related special characters. This innovation helped users type special characters more easily on the iPhone's touch screen compared to traditional keyboards.

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