Stock Keyboard/Stock SMS Layout

[kevins686]

Picked up my Droid Maxx last night (completely unexpectedly; I simply stopped by Verizon to see if they could help fix an issue with my RAZR Maxx, wound up leaving with a new phone), and so far it's a great phone that I think is going to take some getting used to. I know I'll have tons of questions, most of which I'll surely resolve on my own, but right now, two things are bothering me:

First off, one thing I notice is that the stock keyboard is different from the one on the RAZR. Particularly, when typng with my RAZR, there was a line above the keys with various punctuation marks; for example, after I typed a word, I could select the comma from that line, and once it was added, it automatically added a space so that I could keep typing without hitting the spacebar. I loved that feature, and I'd like to have that same keyboard on my Maxx. I seem to recall that when I upgraded my RAZR from ICS to JB, I had to do something to reacquire that keyboard, but I can't remember what . . . any ideas?

Second, on my RAZR, when I opened up my SMS and viewed the list of conversations, the background was dark gray, with unread messages rendered in black; on the MAXX, it's all in white, and it's harder to differentiate between new and old messages. Is there any way to change that, and if not, can anyone recommend a good SMS app to replace it with?

 

[doogald]

It probably is a different keyboard - the Google keyboard for Jellybean. I haven't found a setting that automatically adds a space after a comma, though a comma will automatically complete the word (or autocorrect a word) that is listed above the keyboard.

swiftkey is a great replacement keyboard that has the feature that adds a space after a comma or other punctuation, and has a slightly better autocorrect and next word guessing than the stock Google keyboard.

Handcent is a very popular SMS replacement app that I believe can be themed to whatever you want. The stock app cannot be themed.

 

[xeene]

SwiftKey has a problem in portrait mode where the function/options button sometimes covers the lower keys line where numbers, place comma and period are.

I still use it though as its word predictions are hard to beat.
There is a way around the problem, and that is to enable long press for menu option in settings, display. That hides the menu button from the bottom.

 

[kevins686]

SwiftKey has a problem in portrait mode--

Is this something experienced by all Droid Maxx users?

 

[xeene]

Yup.

 

[doogald]

SwiftKey has a problem in portrait mode where the function/options button sometimes covers the lower keys line where numbers, place comma and period are.

I still use it though as its word predictions are hard to beat.
There is a way around the problem, and that is to enable long press for menu option in settings, display. That hides the menu button from the bottom.

Or you can turn on arrow keys in settings, theme and layout. That puts the arrow keys on the bottom where the menu overlays.

 

[victoriak68]

I'm currently recommending Kii keyboard. I'm using it now in fact. I use to be a SwiftKey fan, but then they released their latest update that included many unpleasant and drastic changes. So, Kii is what I'm recommending now. It's a highly customizable keyboard that does insert that space you want. I know it works on Droid, because my daughter won't use any other keyboard on her RAZR Maxx HD. It's also a try before you buy and so I recommend giving it a try. Good luck...

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

 

[jackiescivic]

SwiftKey is pissing me off with not correcting this issue. I hate using landscape mode. I have previously always been a huge advocate for them

Sent from my Droid Maxx

 

[victoriak68]

SwiftKey is pissing me off with not correcting this issue. I hate using landscape mode. I have previously always been a huge advocate for them

Sent from my Droid Maxx

I agree. SwiftKey was my favorite until this latest update. Since their latest uodate I had removed it from my phone then reinstalled it hoping that I had only been imagining my discontent. I've since deleted it again. SwiftKey isn't SwiftKey anymore.
Kii had always been my second favorite. Now it's the keyboard I'm using instead.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

 

[unbesorgt]

SwiftKey is pissing me off with not correcting this issue. I hate using landscape mode. I have previously always been a huge advocate for them

Sent from my Droid Maxx

Why not just use xeene's suggestion to enable long pressing the recent apps button to display the menu? Problem solved. I have my Maxx set that way it it works great, plus it eliminates that horribly ugly settings button everywhere. Go to Settings > Display and check "Use long press for menu" to activate.

 

[victoriak68]

Why not just use xeene's suggestion to enable long pressing the recent apps button to display the menu? Problem solved. I have my Maxx set that way it it works great, plus it eliminates that horribly ugly settings button everywhere. Go to Settings > Display and check "Use long press for menu" to activate.

Never mind. Anyway, the suggestion only works for Motorola droid owners, not the rest of us former SwiftKey fans.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

 

[unbesorgt]

My reply was to Jackiscivic, whose complaint about Swiftkey was with the menu button sometimes covering up the bottom row since the last update. Refer to the screenshot in xeene's post above. The suggestion fixes it on the Maxx, which is the forum you currently find yourself posting in.

 

[victoriak68]

My reply was to Jackiscivic, whose complaint about Swiftkey was with the menu button sometimes covering up the bottom row since the last update. Refer to the screenshot in xeene's post above. The suggestion fixes it on the Maxx, which is the forum you currently find yourself posting in.

That's why I said never mind Initially. I had said something else, but because I can't delete posts from my app I edited instead.
Anyway, the problems with SwiftKey are not exclusive to Motorola phones.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

 

[kevins686]

SwiftKey is pissing me off with not correcting this issue. I hate using landscape mode. I have previously always been a huge advocate for them

If it's a big issue, then hopefully they're under pressure to release a fix. Either way, I type in landscape 99 percent of the time, so I'll probably go ahead and download SwiftKey.

 

[xeene]

landscape has it's own issues, like with phonemypc app where keyboard's touchscreen is disabled in landscape mode but works in portrait.

it's is still the best keyboard by a long shot. i can type paragraphs with a handful of touches due to it's UNBELIEVABLE predictions.