Forum Discussion
Phone Numbers Disappear!
Hi everyone,
I'm experiencing some weirdness with Articulate Storyline 360 as I am attempting to update an older course. I'm on Windows 11 (running on a Dell laptop) running Storyline v3.102.35072.0
On multiple screens where I have typed phone numbers as text (either as text boxes or as text typed into rectangle shapes), those phone numbers appear momentarily and then disappear from the screen a fraction of a second later. This only happens in the published output, not when I preview the slides.
Some things to note:
- There are no animations attached to these phone number text boxes or to their encapsulating object (e.g., no animations attached to a rectangle shape that contains the typed text of the phone number in question).
- There is nothing layered over the top of the phone number text that would block it from view after a momentary pause.
- In at least one case, the phone number disappears even though it is part of a larger block of text in the rectangle shape, and none of the other text in the shape disappears.
It's almost as if there is a bug that recognizes and hides phone numbers specifically and nothing else.
I installed Peek so I could show what I'm experiencing. (Peek also didn't seem to be working too well on my new laptop--all the controls disappeared and there was no icon in the tray. I couldn't remember the default key sequence to stop the recording, so there is a bit of extra footage at the end that you can ignore). You can view that Peek recording here: https://360.articulate.com/review/content/f5d9d223-6819-4b12-bf73-720ba950004e/review
So, I'm looking for help understanding what might be going on and for suggestions on how to fix it.
Thanks!
9 Replies
I don't see how to edit my post and it didn't make my URL clickable, so I'm replying here to make it easy to get to my Peek recording that shows the issue: Phone Numbers Disappear!
Hello RayCole-2d64185,
Thanks for the detailed report! This does look odd, especially since it happens when published to Review 360 but not in Preview. That helps us rule out an issue with the Storyline project’s setup.
Would you be willing to share the Review 360 link to the affected course here, or privately in a support case, so I can see if the disappearing phone number issue reproduces on my end?
Also, have you tried testing in the latest version of another supported browser?
Looking forward to your response.
Eric, thanks for the reply! I normally use the latest Chrome browser for Windows 11, which is the browser I used during the Peek recording. I just tried viewing the course in the latest version of FireFox for Windows 11 and did NOT experience the disappearing phone numbers problem. Microsoft Edge also displayed phone numbers in the course correctly.
I thought maybe there was some sort of security setting in Chrome that redacts phone numbers from the browser screen (maybe as a privacy protection?). But a bit of internet searching didn't turn up any setting in Chrome that hides or redacts phone numbers.
Here's a Review 360 link to the course in its current state: https://360.articulate.com/review/content/3ea5c45d-5b76-41b1-9e4f-9f17603ab02a/review
You have to get past a bit of intro material before you get to the hazardous waste label exercise, but it's still relatively early in the course overall.
A colleague on Windows 10 tried it in Chrome and for him it worked fine: the phone numbers did not disappear. This is one of the strangest issues I've encountered in a while. I will be curious to know if anyone else running Chrome on Windows 11 experiences this "disappearing phone numbers" issue.
Hello RayCole-2d64185,
Thanks for the additional details and for sharing the Review 360 link!
I tested your course, and the phone numbers do not disappear in the latest version of Google Chrome on Windows 11. For privacy reasons, I cannot attach a screenshot of my test to prevent showing the email and phone numbers.
Since this points to something specific in your Chrome setup, please try:
- Clear your browser cache and cookies, then reopen the course.
- Test in an Incognito window to rule out possible browser extensions that may be causing the problem.
Please don't hesitate to reach out if you have additional questions.
Thanks Eric. I will try your suggestions and report back.
Hi,
Did you try doing an "Advanced" delete browsing data?
Hello, I am experiencing the exact same thing as I'm going through a process of uploading the course contents, I recognized all the phone number information was automatically erased from a learning content. I am on Windows 11 and was using MS Edge browser when I noticed that this happened.
However, I'm not quite understanding the cause because there's an inconsistency: the phone number disappearing has only impacted one learning module so far, and the some others that I have just opened still have the phone numbers intact. I have opened these in both the Edge and Chrome browser and it just seems to be erasing phone numbers for that one particular learning module.Hi SeungeunLee,
Thanks for chiming in and sharing those details!
It’s helpful to know you’re seeing the same behavior on Windows 11, especially since it’s only affecting a specific module and not others. That inconsistency is important and suggests this may depend on a combination of the content itself and the browser or system environment.
Since this is now being reported by more than one person, the best next step would be to open a support case and include:
- The Review 360 link to the affected module
- The browser and version you’re using
- Confirmation of whether the behavior persists in an incognito or private window
That will allow the team to look more closely at patterns across environments and modules. We’ll be glad to dig into it further and see what’s going on behind the scenes.
Thanks again for flagging this and adding to the thread, it’s very helpful.
