Speech Controller icon freezes after dragging the pointing-hand icon on iPhone since iOS 16

Title: Speech Controller icon freezes after dragging the pointing-hand icon - Speech Controller on IPhone freezes, can't be dragged / moved unless it is opened and then closed, since iOS 16

Steps to Reproduce:

1. Enable Spoken Content → Speech Controller in Accessibility settings.
2. Double-tap the Speech Controller icon (hand with pointing finger).
3. Drag the pointing-hand icon across the screen to read multiple items, then release it.
4. Attempt to move or drag the Speech Controller icon itself.

Expected Behavior:

The Speech Controller icon should remain draggable at all times.

Actual Behavior:

After dragging the pointing-hand icon, the Speech Controller icon becomes stuck/frozen on the screen and cannot be moved.

Workaround:

• Tap the Speech Controller once to open it.
• Tap the “<” button in the upper-left corner to close it.
• The Speech Controller icon can then be freely dragged again.

Notes:

• This issue has been consistently reproducible since iOS 17 and persists in iOS 18.6.2.
• Apple Support confirmed the bug and was able to reproduce it consistently on their test devices.
• The issue is not hardware-specific (reproduced on iPhone 14 Pro and other models).

Severity / Impact:

• This is an Accessibility bug that directly impacts users who rely on Spoken Content for reading assistance.

• When the Speech Controller becomes stuck, it may block parts of the screen and interfere with normal interaction.

• Users with visual, learning, or reading disabilities may find the controller unusable without knowing the workaround, limiting their access to essential features.

Has anyone else noticed this issue? Any fixes? Any suggestions on how to "motivate" Apple to fix this issue?

[Re-Titled by Moderator]

Original Title: Speech Controller icon freezes after dragging the pointing-hand icon - Speech Controller on IPhone freezes, can't be dragged / moved unless it is opened and then closed, since iOS 16