Ok, I'm new to Android with this Note 10.1 2014, and I have what should be an easy question. On the stock keyboard, is there a faster way to use the alternate functions of the keys? Like, adding a question mark or apostrophe, for instance. Do I actually have to hold the key down until it changes to the 2nd character? I've been searching for a shortcut, but obviously not good enough. Thanks!
Bottom left of the Keyboard there is a button with the lettering "Sym" (Symbol), hopefully this helps, mind you I don't own this tablet but that's my guess from watching video reviews :silly:
Google stock keyboard can also be installed from the play store. I like the stock one pretty well be googles spell correct is much much better
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haterbait said:
Ok, I'm new to Android with this Note 10.1 2014, and I have what should be an easy question. On the stock keyboard, is there a faster way to use the alternate functions of the keys? Like, adding a question mark or apostrophe, for instance. Do I actually have to hold the key down until it changes to the 2nd character? I've been searching for a shortcut, but obviously not good enough. Thanks!
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Click to collapse
Yea, with Samsung stock keyboards there is a key on the bottom left labeled "Sym" touch that and it'll change the keyboards QWERTY keys into symbols. Once you press that, the capitalization key that's right above "Sym" will turn into a key labeled "1/2", pressing that will give you another set of less commonly used symbols.
You'll notice the "Sym" key has turned into an "ABC" key when you switch to symbols. Touching that goes back to your regular keyboard. It's a billion times less complicated then how it sounds with my description, but I wanted to be as detailed as possible.
Also, welcome to Android.
Thanks. I was hoping for something like iphones have where you swipe from the SYM button over to the punctuation then upon releasing the key, the keyboard reverts back to the ABC keyboard. Just a bit quicker, I think. Of course, they've probably copyrighted that function and would viciously defend it against imitators!
haterbait said:
Thanks. I was hoping for something like iphones have where you swipe from the SYM button over to the punctuation then upon releasing the key, the keyboard reverts back to the ABC keyboard. Just a bit quicker, I think. Of course, they've probably copyrighted that function and would viciously defend it against imitators!
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You know, it can very well have that. It's never occurred to me to try it. These android keyboards do have swype, which is done by gliding your finger across the keys and words and sentences are formed without ever lifting your finger, so give it a try.
The beautiful thing about android keyboards over their iPhone variant, is the freedom you have to choose from tons of different ones on the marketplace. Different keyboards with different key placements, different levels of customizations, pretty much if you can think of it, it exists. So if your not happy with what shipped with your device nobody is forcing you to use it like Apple does. Head over to the Play Store and find something you like better.
One keyboard app called Swiftkey, is a personal favorite of mine, it's lightening quick to use and very customizable. There's a reason why it's the #1 purchased app on the store. So give it a try and remember you have a 15 minute refund policy with Android, so if you don't like it just return it.
On the playstore, try “multiling O keyboard”
You'll get all the customization you desire.
Sent from my GT-p6800 using XDA Premium HD app
My favorite keyboard is "Thumb Keyboard" from Beansoft. I've been using it since my Xoom a few years ago. I like that it's split in half so when you're in landscape, you hold the tablet with 2 hands and use both thumbs without having to let go to get to keys in the middle. I'm not affiliated with the developer or anything, I just think it's a cool keyboard and I thought I'd share. :good:
Thanks Everyone
Another feature that I'm liking is the floating keyboard. It allows me to use the Spen to quickly swipe text with the keyboard in the corner of the screen. It seems like that keyboard lags though, unfortunately. I'll look into other options in the store then. Thanks again.
The new SwiftKey does the "floating" thing. It's fantastic. Plus you can customize the long-press duration.
SomeGuyDude said:
The new SwiftKey does the "floating" thing. It's fantastic. Plus you can customize the long-press duration.
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I just noticed that swiftkey has a free version in the marketplace. I thought it was pay only. Anyways, hater give it a try. It can be highly personalized to match your style of typing. At first it might feel like it's not giving you what you expect, but that's only because it hasn't learned from you yet. After using for short while it'll learn your finger movements, what words you like to use, your style, etc. It's mind boggling how well it gets to know you and if you login with your Google account you can install swift key on any other Android device in the future and it'll carry that knowledge of your tendencies with it.
The free version seems to be a limited trial of 1 month. I am liking it though! The swipe typing seems a bit more accurate for my sloppy typing/swiping.
Related
Hi all,
I love my phone but I've come across an annoyance that I would like to fix. My thumbs are retarded and I constantly hit the period key instead of the spacebar. Does anybody know of any other keyboard or a way to adjust the size of individual keys? I'd like to make the spacebar wider and period key smaller, or get rid of the voice button and move the period key to the otherside of the spacebar. And yes, I have tried to adjust the way I type with it and re-calibrate the screen as well.
Thanks in advance.
I had the same problem. You can change keyboards. I'm currently using the Droid2 multitouch and I'm pretty happy with it once I got used to it. I think you'll probably need to be rooted but I'm not sure on that. Just look around and find other keyboards that are ported to the Incredible.
Sent from my HTC Incedible via XDA App.
I have noticed something very annoying to me. With some versions of swype you can click back in the middle of a word you previously typed, and it would automatically jump to the end of the word so you could either select a suggested alternative, or hold backspace to delete the word. Other versions, when you click back in the middle of the word, it stays there, in the exact spot you tapped. I hate that.
Is there a way to make swype forward the cursor to the end of the word? Or do I need to use military precision with my tapped selection.
I have this issue too. Also I would like to be able to get rid of that language key. It's useless and a ware of space. Who is swapping between languages so frequently that they need a dedicated button for it which causes the other 99 percent of people using the keyboard to accidentally press it and screw up their predictions.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using Tapatalk
Both of these are problems I'm having that annoy me
But I believe the moving of the button thingy to the end of the word is just a characteristic of the new version of swype so that's not really an "issue" or "bug" its just there
And that language button wasn't a mistake either lol but it would b nice to chance it or like increase the size of the space button or something
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App
lol, that language key messed w/ my head for a little bit last night as I accidentally pressed it w/o knowing that I did ("WTH, I have to add 'over' to my dictionary??).
And didn't we have the option to cancel a word (say a mistype) in the previous version before it was printed, where now you have to delete your mistakes every time? Seems that I am deleting a lot more than I used to...
:\
xgerryx said:
I have noticed something very annoying to me. With some versions of swype you can click back in the middle of a word you previously typed, and it would automatically jump to the end of the word so you could either select a suggested alternative, or hold backspace to delete the word. Other versions, when you click back in the middle of the word, it stays there, in the exact spot you tapped. I hate that.
Is there a way to make swype forward the cursor to the end of the word? Or do I need to use military precision with my tapped selection.
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Click to collapse
I actually thought this was rom-based at first, but now I'm not sure. I'm on EI22 with a recent Swype in my custom rom, and there's no automatic moving.
stilesja said:
I have this issue too. Also I would like to be able to get rid of that language key. It's useless and a ware of space. Who is swapping between languages so frequently that they need a dedicated button for it which causes the other 99 percent of people using the keyboard to accidentally press it and screw up their predictions.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I held the language key and it gave me the option to choose one language. Now if I accidentally hit it, it doesn't do anything.
Ok so an alternative to the cursor jumping to the front of the word, albeit, a less efficient one, but none-the-less; you can double tap a word and it will be highlighted, then you can just re-swype the word and it will replace the highlighted one.
It'll have to do for now until they ever change it back. Oh well.
And yea like Randomking said, just go to the languages and uncheck all of them except english. That should cause the button to do nothing as well. So there's 2 ways to get around that one.
I've been realizing lately how amazing android really is and customizable it is with this phone. Off topic but I kinda hated the fact. Of a recent app button and the fact that I lost the menu button (honestly the most used button on all my other phones). The devs here realized it and gave me the ability to have my menu button, get my search button back, and make recent apps come up by holding the home button. Got to love them. Shout out to our fantastic devs.
Now the point of this thread was just I wanted to know how you guys thought about a gesture bar instead of having buttons. So swipe on the bar to go back, maybe swipe up to go home etc? Just trying to think of creative ideas on how to use this huge screen and since everything is virtual, why can't this be possible. What you guys think?
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk
nice idea, kind of like the microsoft touch mouse. I would like to see someone make that possible and see how it works out.
Shaquiel Harris said:
Now the point of this thread was just I wanted to know how you guys thought about a gesture bar instead of having buttons. So swipe on the bar to go back, maybe swipe up to go home etc? Just trying to think of creative ideas on how to use this huge screen and since everything is virtual, why can't this be possible. What you guys think?
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Click to collapse
As a technical exercise it sounds like a very good idea, but I know for one I wouldn't use it. Dolphin HD has had gesture support for such a long time and I used it as my main web browser on my Desire but I didn't ever use the gesture support.
Even my HD2 running WM 6.5.x had an app that allowed you to launch any app/program by configuring a gesture, but again I didn't use it.
I guess it's just easier to place my thumb than to move about when holding the phone in one hand. Is this an idea you were thinking of implementing yourself, or are you looking for someone to pick the idea up and run with it?
Kalavere said:
As a technical exercise it sounds like a very good idea, but I know for one I wouldn't use it. Dolphin HD has had gesture support for such a long time and I used it as my main web browser on my Desire but I didn't ever use the gesture support.
Even my HD2 running WM 6.5.x had an app that allowed you to launch any app/program by configuring a gesture, but again I didn't use it.
I guess it's just easier to place my thumb than to move about when holding the phone in one hand. Is this an idea you were thinking of implementing yourself, or are you looking for someone to pick the idea up and run with it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you talking about lmt? Fyi: it's now also available for android/gsn...
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1330150
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus
Shaquiel Harris said:
I lost the menu button (honestly the most used button on all my other phones).
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Click to collapse
You never lost the menu button, it's just not on screen 100% of the time anymore, where it would just waste space otherwise.
I think its great idea!
Another few things that would be cool to see would be, resizing the Navigation Bar to be maybe a little thinner, and being able to slide the nav bar left or right, to reveal a icons to launch other apps, and maybe swiping down to hide the navbar all together.
Like you said being able to customize android and change every aspect of it is what makes this OS so awesome.
You guys ever use gesture area on webOS phones? Much better than using back key, would be a great idea. It also used visual feedback so a white line would go in the swipe direction. Currently the only phone using something similar to this is the N9 probably, which has swiping through the sides of screen to control apps.
I was just thinking about WebOS when reading this as well. Would be nice.
Just having the soft keys area as a gesture area? cool!
Maybe you could customize your gestures?
A big thing to me would be the ability to have a fully loaded package and be able to switch between stock softkeys, added search/menu softkeys, and gestures. Everything customizeable by user rather than through flashing?
menu bar like in windows 8
I think gesture is pretty good, but i`d like to see menu bar(home, recent, etc) like in win8: it is hidden until you swype from bottom-outside up, than it become unhidden. see any wideo with windows 8 tablert, you`ll see what i mean.
MrBIMC said:
I think gesture is pretty good, but i`d like to see menu bar(home, recent, etc) like in win8: it is hidden until you swype from bottom-outside up, than it become unhidden. see any wideo with windows 8 tablert, you`ll see what i mean.
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That would get annoying pretty quickly. I don't want to have to add extra steps to navigate my phone. Back, home and recent app are buttons you use all the time, why add a barrier to get to em? More screen real estate isn't worth the extra hassle.
Enhanced said:
That would get annoying pretty quickly. I don't want to have to add extra steps to navigate my phone. Back, home and recent app are buttons you use all the time, why add a barrier to get to em? More screen real estate isn't worth the extra hassle.
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Click to collapse
How about navigational controls similar to the quick controls in the stock browser? Touch the bottom edge of the screen and out pops a semi-radial menu that can contain: back, home, recent apps, menu, search and can be used to add quick shortcuts to your most used apps like messaging, contacts, browser, etc., or app specific commands, like say refresh for browser, check mail for, well, email, and so on. Touching the edge requires less effort and movement as compared to swiping up or down.
I came to Android from webOS after HP shot themselves in the foot several times and one of the things I miss most is the gesture bar you had at the bottom of the screen. With the advent of the soft button area in ICS I see a real option to enable the area to work in a similar fashion. Hell yes!
The webOS gestures were:
A single swipe up would show you your running apps.
Swiping 2 fingers up would show you the launcher (app drawer).
A leftward swipe would go back.
A full swipe across the entire area going either right or left would take you to the next or previous running app.
Besides the wireless charging, the gesture area was one of the webOS killer features you very quickly learned to take for-granted. So long as gesture detection was implemented well I don't see why you couldn't have the soft buttons as they are now and gestures all working at the same time.
Call me old fashioned, but I also don't like the gestures idea.
Dolphin is just about the only program on android that I have tried to use gestures with, and it's not the sort of feature i'd personally like integrated into my phone.
That said, customizing how different people can use their phones, within the same operating system, so two people can use the exact same phone in two totally different ways, is the way to go
j.go said:
How about navigational controls similar to the quick controls in the stock browser? Touch the bottom edge of the screen and out pops a semi-radial menu that can contain: back, home, recent apps, menu, search and can be used to add quick shortcuts to your most used apps like messaging, contacts, browser, etc., or app specific commands, like say refresh for browser, check mail for, well, email, and so on. Touching the edge requires less effort and movement as compared to swiping up or down.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I like your idea of having the pie control from the stock browser available all over android. I had the idea a while back but was just too lazy to implement it. Today I did a small working prototype and I think I will add the pie control feature to my gesture app "LMT"...
good idea but put ot optionaly! maybe it is not practical ! iwould rather hidden button ! like Video player amaing full screen with hidden buttons !!
Huntlaar said:
good idea but put ot optionaly! maybe it is not practical ! iwould rather hidden button ! like Video player amaing full screen with hidden buttons !!
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Click to collapse
If implemented properly, you might be able to do away with the bottom bar and take advantage of the full screen. You can't see it with the nexus browser, but if you have a tablet running ICS and enable browser quick controls, the app hides the tabs and address bar, instantly adding an inch of usable screen real estate at the top.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App
The big nasty problem with having hidden buttons or, for that matter, any trigger point area(s) on the devices main screen is you'll always end up triggering something when you didn't want to or it interferes with a ui element in one or more apps e.g. game scroll bars / buttons. I've tried plenty and they all interfered with one app or another to the point I stopped using them.
The quick controls idea is fine but you're still having to watch what you're doing. The beauty of gestures in webOS was that you wouldn't have to take your eyes of what you were doing to find a button - your finger just flicked below the screen content while your eyes looked towards what you were going to do next.
I realise it's hard to imagine if you've never done it before but (weak analogy approaching...) think of it like walking up a thin and narrow set of steps as opposed to thick wide ones while trying to read a book. On the narrow steps you have to look down to hit the next step thus breaking the flow of your reading. While on the bigger wider ones you can carry on reading as the step is big enough your foot can find it without taking your eyes of your book.
Anyroad, IMHO, gestures need to be out of the way of app content so as not to interfere with app usage patterns and shouldn't require the user to take their eyes off what they're doing.
HI All,
Looking for a keyboard suggestion. The current keyboard is ok since the update that added the option to hold the key to bring up punctuations but one thing I miss from my other phone are the cursor arrow keys. Any suggestions for a keyboard that has that?
Thanks,
Ho'okani
Stock jellybean
Sent from my SGH-I747 using xda premium
My favorite is Thumb Keyboard. You change the key sizes and colors, and it has the arrow cursors you're looking for. And great auto-correct.
Www.Swype.com
New update is badass
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SwiftKey 3 best on the market
Sent from my SGH-I747 using xda premium
+1 for swift key
lbroller said:
SwiftKey 3 best on the market
Sent from my SGH-I747 using xda premium
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Click to collapse
+1
Swype was the main reason I bought this phone, so I must recommend Swype beta to you, it's bloody amazing. Since my i9100 SGS2 had problems I sold it as is since my friend got me an iPhone 4s for my birthday trying to convert me. It was just a matter of non working phone vs working phone for free kind of gig. But man was typing slow on the 4s. Within 2 weeks of first ever using swype (on my S2) i was typing faster than after 8 months of using a 4s.
BUT I also have Swyftkey 3 and for normal 2 finger typing it's REDICULOUSLY good lol. I can type like a retard and it will still get every word right. I once meant to type "rediculous" but rtdoxpohd came out (I was drunk) and it picked up the right word. You should of seen my drunken face when it happened "0.o wtf really...?"
I highly recommend Dingul keyboard. Its Korean but it can switch to English keyboard using the [한/영] button at the bottom. You can swipe individual keys for punctuation instead of holding it. You can also swipe up on a key for capital letter. Swipe down over the top row of keys for numbers. Its pretty intuitive. Swipe over the [한/영] key to access the arrow keys for cursor along with some faces. Then press the same key again to switch back to the regular keyboard.
Basically you press individual keys like a regular keyboard, but you swipe over various keys to access the less common things that are shown on the key (other keyboards often make u hold the key down instead). Just play around with it. That's what I did, and I'm glad I took the time to figure the basic stuff out.
Honestly, I go back and forth between Swype and Swiftkey all the time so +1 for both!
i use perfect keybord pro..
Thanks for all the suggestions. Trying out Swiftkey now and it seems to be pretty good.
Ho'okani
SwiftKey 3 products hands down... I've tried all of them
Sent from my SGH-I747 using xda premium
For me, Swype is the best.
One-finger domination! And faster, too.
To me, swift key doesn't even compare to Swype. It's light years behind.
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Swiftkey if you use different languages otherwise swipe.
Swiftkey is great, but when I change the dpi I usually end up going with Thumb Keyboard because of the size customization options.
Swiftkey. Destroys anything else on the smartphone market.
Sent from my SGH-I747 using xda app-developers app
I like basic so I just use Hackers Keyboard. Its a basic keyboard that can have all of the keys as a regular desktop keyboard which can come in handy if you remote into your home PC's or use SSH or such. You can also change the size of the keyboard if you have big fingers
I use A I Type keyboard it has the option of arrows in the top number bar,and I like the key layout best.
Sent from my SGH-I747M using xda premium
I just had to uninstall this update.
Not only was the grey swipe lines ugly/bland, but long pressing the period key has none of my fav keys I use very often.
Eg.
/
(
)
+
Etc...
LOL
isajoo said:
I just had to uninstall this update.
Not only was the grey swipe lines ugly/bland, but long pressing the period key has none of my fav keys I use very often.
Eg.
/
(
)
+
Etc...
LOL
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Click to collapse
Yes I find it irritating for the same reasons. What did you have to uninstall to get the old one back?
Personally I don't use those keys that much and prefer the new way, but FYI, you can reach these in a relatively simple way by swiping from the 123 key(the one that takes you to the additional characters) and to the appropriate key. When you release your finger it will insert the selected character and take you back to the main screen with letters.
This way it is actually just as simple as if they were on the punctuation key.
retro83: If the google keyboard was installed from the factory(on the system partition), you can go to settings and apps, and choose uninstall update for that app. That way you will return to the version that came with the latest os update.
If it isn't on the system partition, you will have to find the old apk somewhere, but I'm sure that is doable as well.
retro83 said:
Yes I find it irritating for the same reasons. What did you have to uninstall to get the old one back?
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Click to collapse
Thank you!
Just tried the swiping directly from the "?123" button and that really helps out a lot, I can live without the blue swipe line.
LOL
Guess I just got sooo use to the period button shortcut options and didn't really see the point of removing those extra choices.
Guess Google knows best, just wished they'd told users about the tip you gave.
mortenmhp said:
you can reach these in a relatively simple way by swiping from the 123 key(the one that takes you to the additional characters) and to the appropriate key. When you release your finger it will insert the selected character and take you back to the main screen with letters.
This way it is actually just as simple as if they were on the punctuation key.
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Click to collapse
Thank you for this! The key doesn't even have the "..." on it, so I had no idea and I've been cursing the new keyboard for exactly the same reason. I don't really see how the long-press keys hurt anything in the old keyboard, but knowing this makes it a lot better and I can get used to this.
Well, looks like Google listened to all the poor reviews and the new/latest update adds back all those hold period button short cuts, really helps out left handed Swiper's.
LOL