What is the most of effective way to report a Significant Bug to Apple?

[tekfranz]

Let’s say several users find a repeating issue on IOS or MacOS. They have called Customer Service and gone through many lengthy troubleshooting steps.

What is the best way to get Apple’s attention for a bug experienced by multiple people?
Please vote and comment below.

1. Call Apple Support
2. Go to an Apple Store
3. Post on the Post on the Apple Community Forum
4. Submit Feedback
5. Submit a Developer Bug Report/Radar
6. Take to Social Media i.e. Twitter Facebook
7. Write a post on MacRumors Forum.
8. Create a Website and Perition like was done for staingate.org
9. Wait for the tech media to get wind of it.

 

[GGJstudios]

No need for a poll for this. If you're a developer, you can use Apple Bug Reporter. If you're not a developer, send Feedback. All other methods don't directly address the proper people at Apple.

 

[tekfranz]

Lets also consider which method causes Apple to act on the issue promptly and resolve it. Feedbacks and Bug Reports may put the info in the hands of the right people, but they may or may not act based on other factors.

 

[DeltaMac]

hmm...
Your experience with a "significant bug" (and perhaps several other users who have a similar experience) does not necessarily provide Apple with evidence that links some random issue that you may be having (and could be affecting your work flow, or some other, more serious outcome for you) and maybe that "your" issue may simply be "your" issue, and not something that Apple needs to fix to make your life with a Mac somehow "better"
"Best" method to get Apple's attention is to submit feedback, where you MIGHT include references to other reports of the same issue that you have found, if you think that will add credence to your own report. Or, if you are a registered developer, submit the equivalent bug report. In either case, someone has to start with providing feedback to Apple, and maybe you will be the first to report the issue.
AFAIK, you would seldom see an actual response from Apple, even if the issue is fixed at some point, other than the satisfaction of knowing that you reported the issue, and it was fixed, even if Apple didn't report the fix directly back to you.

I suspect that this is not the generic question"what shall I do when I discover some bug that no one else has ever noticed?" --- and you may be wanting to know how to proceed with what you have found on your Mac.
It might be helpful if you would post something about your issue - which involved the "many lengthy troubleshooting steps". It's a fact of life with computers (not just Macs) that someone's issues are sometimes NOT the quick, simple fix that you might hope for...

 

[Tech198]

No need for a poll for this. If you're a developer, you can use Apple Bug Reporter. If you're not a developer, send Feedback. All other methods don't directly address the proper people at Apple.

Apple should really have a specific "bug reporter" for consumers... Apple cares enough for one for developers, but they'd rather migrate everything in one lace on the same feedback form (which not everything is tailed for)

ie. develeops gets all the jewels... customers just get tossed around like a piece of elastic.

 

[tekfranz]

Well I have

hmm...
Your experience with a "significant bug" (and perhaps several other users who have a similar experience) does not necessarily provide Apple with evidence that links some random issue that you may be having (and could be affecting your work flow, or some other, more serious outcome for you) and maybe that "your" issue may simply be "your" issue, and not something that Apple needs to fix to make your life with a Mac somehow "better"
"Best" method to get Apple's attention is to submit feedback, where you MIGHT include references to other reports of the same issue that you have found, if you think that will add credence to your own report. Or, if you are a registered developer, submit the equivalent bug report. In either case, someone has to start with providing feedback to Apple, and maybe you will be the first to report the issue.
AFAIK, you would seldom see an actual response from Apple, even if the issue is fixed at some point, other than the satisfaction of knowing that you reported the issue, and it was fixed, even if Apple didn't report the fix directly back to you.

I suspect that this is not the generic question"what shall I do when I discover some bug that no one else has ever noticed?" --- and you may be wanting to know how to proceed with what you have found on your Mac.
It might be helpful if you would post something about your issue - which involved the "many lengthy troubleshooting steps". It's a fact of life with computers (not just Macs) that someone's issues are sometimes NOT the quick, simple fix that you might hope for...

Well I have had issues with my Mac..

(for one why can’t Apple Fix Parental Controls since El Capitan?...or why does iCloud not sync my file reliably like DropBox...or why very little improvements to iWork so businesses can use it? Or why do they allow the sale of under-spec’d MacMinis that barely can perform basic tasks? And I certainly like my Macs. There is no Hardware like them on the Market, but Apple needs to work on their Software titles, iCloud and Business Users.)

But this was more of a reaction to recent tech news articles that discussed how an IOS release was making iPhones reboot and the trail of bugs over the past few months like the root user security flaw, etc... The impression I got from the article was that the public outcry was so great and the Author of the Article so skilled that due to this immense public outrage Apple was forced to fix some bugs.

So it made me think is one way to get Apple to fix something to rally together and bang on their door till they take notice? Seems to work quicker and better than their internal bug reporting systems but takes thousands of users to organize.

I should also add that posting on the Apple Communities is an excercise in frustration. Yes some users are very knowledgeable but there is no one from Apple to answer users questions...and a lot of answers are like delete your plists and reboot your Mac or people reminding each other that no one from Apple participates in the thread. BTW you guys here at MacRumours have been very helpful and great!!

But maybe you are right...maybe all the bugs are neatly tracked by Apple in their system and will be fixed when the time is optimal and maybe they poll user feedback and look for trends to nip issues in the bud before it becomes a widespread issue.

 

[DeltaMac]

You did use the words "significant bug", so I guessed that you have had some issue that involved "many lengthy troubleshooting steps".
And, now you have mentioned a variety of software "usability" issues, which would not be bugs, per se.

Yes, Apple can move pretty quickly (or at least, give the appearance of a fast response) when issues become public, particularly for security or safety issues.
I think that many issues DON'T become widespread, unless a large number of users are affected, resulting in reports to Apple, or reports that Apple may notice. You have touched on many of those methods.
You first asked "What is the most effective way to to report a significant bug to Apple?"
You have touched on many of those methods.

My personal opinion is that social media, including on-line petitions, are likely the least effective for the purpose of getting Apple's attention (but may make you feel better because you are doing something, rather than grumbling and complaining to yourself )
Continue to provide feedback directly to Apple. It can seem like an unresponsive hole in the ground, but it is the method that Apple offers,
You can also try personal emails directly to Apple. You do see reports where users get personal responses from Tim Cook.

 

[tekfranz]

Glad to see the push for quality in IOS12. Hopefully they do something similar for MacOS.

https://9to5mac.com/2018/01/30/ios-12-apple-features-performance-reliability/