A tvOS research application for reproducing and analyzing the InfinityBug - a system issue where VoiceOver focus gets stuck in infinite navigation loops requiring device restart.

The InfinityBug occurs when VoiceOver is enabled and sustained navigation overwhelms the focus system. The device continues navigating autonomously after user input stops. Only a full restart recovers the system.

The InfinityBug is a system-level tvOS issue that occurs when:

• VoiceOver accessibility is enabled
• Sustained directional navigation occurs in complex focus hierarchies
• System resources become overwhelmed by accessibility processing
• Focus navigation continues autonomously after user input stops
• Standard recovery methods fail - only device restart works

• Affects VoiceOver users who depend on accessibility for tvOS navigation
• No software recovery - requires full device power cycle
• Persists across app launches - system-level corruption
• Difficult to reproduce - requires specific stress conditions
• No official Apple documentation on this issue

HammerTime/

• ViewController.swift - Root container with stress elements
• FocusStressViewController.swift - Configurable stress testing
• InfinityBugDetector.swift - Bug detection and monitoring
• TestRunLogger.swift - Execution logging
• FocusStressConfiguration.swift - Test presets
• AXFocusDebugger.swift - Ultra-low-level accessibility and input monitoring

HammerTimeUITests/

• FocusStressUITests.swift - Automated reproduction tests
• FocusStressUITests+Extensions.swift - Test utilities

memlog/

• Research documentation and analysis
• Test execution logs
• Technical findings

FocusStressViewController Features

1. Nested Layout Structures - Complex compositional hierarchies (up to triple-nested)
2. Hidden/Visible Focusable Traps - 15 conflicting accessibility elements per cell
3. Jiggle Timer - Continuous layout recalculation (0.015s intervals)
4. Circular Focus Guides - Competing focus guidance systems
5. Duplicate Identifiers - Accessibility tree inconsistencies
6. Dynamic Focus Guides - Runtime-modified focus behavior
7. Rapid Layout Changes - Constraint animation conflicts
8. Overlapping Elements - Focus calculation ambiguity
9. VoiceOver Announcements - Speech synthesis system stress

• Physical Apple TV (simulator cannot reproduce the bug)
• VoiceOver enabled in Settings > General > Accessibility
• Xcode with tvOS deployment

Build and run on Apple TV:

git clone [repository]
cd HammerTime
open HammerTime.xcodeproj

Run reproduction test:

xcodebuild test -scheme HammerTime -destination 'platform=tvOS,name=Apple TV' \
  -testArgs "-FocusStressPreset heavyReproduction"

• lightExploration: Basic testing (10-15MB)
• mediumStress: Development testing (25-35MB)
• heavyReproduction: Research reproduction (50-65MB)
• maxStress: Maximum stress testing (150MB+)

Successful reproduction requires:

• Memory escalation from 52MB to 79MB
• RunLoop stalls exceeding 5,000ms
• Event queue saturation (200+ events)
• Complex accessibility hierarchies with competing focus guides

Manual reproduction is more reliable than automated testing. UI tests have approximately 5% success rate while manual testing achieves consistent reproduction with proper conditions.

• Device restart required if bug is triggered
• Test on physical device only
• Enable VoiceOver before testing
• One configuration per test session

This research aims to document the issue and develop mitigation strategies for production applications.