Known Issues

Known limitations and issues in the current version of webRios, along with workarounds where available.

WarningR fails to initialize on some older devices

We are aware of an issue where webR fails to initialize on some older iPhone and iPad models, even when running iOS 17 or later. The app may hang on the loading screen or fail to start an R session. We are actively investigating and working to find a good solution.

If you experience this, you can help us diagnose the problem:

  1. Go to Settings > Support and enable Detailed Logging
  2. Restart the app to reproduce the issue
  3. Go back to Settings > Support and check the Startup Log and Error Log for details
  4. Tap Send Feedback to submit a report with your logs attached, or share the logs via support@caffeinatedmath.com

Including your device model and iOS version helps us understand the scope of the issue.

Console

  • No interrupt for running code. Once R code starts executing, it cannot be cancelled mid-run. There is currently no way to send an interrupt signal to the R session on iOS.

Workaround: If code is stuck in an infinite loop, close and reopen the app. Your variables will be lost, but you can re-run your script from the Editor.

  • Session does not persist across launches. All variables, loaded packages, and console history are cleared when the app is closed. Each launch starts a fresh R session. Save your work as .R files in the Editor and put library() calls at the top of your scripts.

Editor

  • No external keyboard shortcut for Run. The green/blue play button must be tapped to run code. There is no Cmd+Enter shortcut to run code from the editor yet.

  • Large files may be slow. Scripts over a few hundred lines may experience slower syntax highlighting and scrolling.

Packages

  • Not all CRAN packages are available. Only packages that have been compiled for WebAssembly are available through the webR package repository. Most popular packages (dplyr, ggplot2, tidyr, stringr, etc.) are supported.

  • No package updates. Once installed, packages cannot be updated to a newer version without clearing the app’s data.

Check availability: Visit the webR package repository to search for available packages before trying to install.

Plots

  • Memory pressure with many plots. Generating many plots in a single session increases memory usage. The app may become sluggish after 20+ plots.

Workaround: Clear plots you no longer need from the Plots gallery to free memory.

General

  • Startup time. The first launch takes 5 to 15 seconds while the R WebAssembly runtime loads and initializes. Subsequent launches are faster due to caching.

  • Memory limit. R needs a meaningful amount of RAM to work with data, but mobile devices have less memory available than desktops. webRios has approximately 300 MB of memory for R. Very large datasets or complex models may exceed this limit. See the FAQ for tips on freeing memory.

  • Package storage. Installed packages are stored locally on your device. Under heavy storage pressure, iOS may reclaim this space. If your installed packages disappear, reinstall them from the Packages tab.