iPad Mini 6 Users Complain of 'Jelly Scrolling' Issue in Portrait Orientation

Now that new iPad mini 6 owners have had a couple of days with Apple's latest redesigned tablet, some users are noticing an issue being referred to as "jelly scroll" when viewing the screen in portrait mode.

iPad mini 6 orange BG
The term refers to a noticeable effect when scrolling vertically through text-based content like a webpage or document, where each line of text appears to tilt down towards the left of the screen as it passes by. The effect makes it look as though one side of the display is responding faster than the other when a finger drags to scroll the page.

Several MacRumors readers have noted the issue, which seems to affect users to a variable degree. Some ‌iPad mini‌ 6 owners claim they noticed the effect despite being ignorant of similar reports in the wild, while others see it only after having been made aware that it was even a thing.

Moreover, some users, having seen it, claim to be unable to "unsee" it, after which it becomes irritating to witness and can even induce eye strain. The issue was first brought to wider attention in a tweet by The Verge's Dieter Bohn, who demonstrated the effect in a slo-mo video.


MacRumors has independently confirmed that the effect can be seen by different people on the same sixth-generation ‌iPad mini‌ unit. MacRumors can also confirm that the issue was evident on all ‌iPad mini‌ 6 models on display in a local UK Apple Store. The issue wasn't reproducible in landscape orientation when scrolling, indicating this is a vertical refresh issue.

It's currently unclear if this is a hardware issue affecting only a certain batch of ‌iPad mini‌ units, a more widespread hardware problem, or something that could be fixed with a software update. We've reached out to Apple for comment.

Related Roundup: iPad mini
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Related Forum: iPad

Top Rated Comments

dantracht Avatar
33 months ago
Truly hope this can be fixed with a software update. This is not something anyone should have to live with on their brand new iPads. Fingers crossed.
Score: 30 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TravelsInBlue Avatar
33 months ago
What an embarrassing issue to have in 2021. Apple really is trying to go cheap to stretch those margins.

It’s a shame since this would otherwise be a perfect device. Love my mini 5, I was tempted to pull the trigger on this one but glad I waited.
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
5232152 Avatar
33 months ago
Overpriced and underdeveloped. God damn it, Tim.
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ExxonVS Avatar
33 months ago
Thank you for covering this issue. ??
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TracerAnalog Avatar
33 months ago
Confirmed. And as usual: once seen it cannot be unseen…
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MacFather Avatar
33 months ago
Maybe some day.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)

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