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iOS 8 keyboard questions

T

themyst

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jul 7, 2010
394
12
Hey guys, it looks like all the current 3rd party keyboards are all variants of the stock keyboard with some extra features... is there an iOS limitation on a dev creating a 5-row keyboard? One thing I really really enjoy with an Android is having a number row, and with custom keyboard support now, I don't see why this can't be done.

Anyone know if there is anything in development?

Also, that landscape keyboard on the 6+ is plain silly. Does anyone know if its possible (or if anyone's developing) a split keyboard solution for landscape mode?

Thanks guys!
 
Before you use an app keyboard, better check the disclosures concerning whether your keystrokes are shunted off to their servers, stored, collected, examined, etc.
 
themyst said:
Hey guys, it looks like all the current 3rd party keyboards are all variants of the stock keyboard with some extra features... is there an iOS limitation on a dev creating a 5-row keyboard? One thing I really really enjoy with an Android is having a number row, and with custom keyboard support now, I don't see why this can't be done.

Anyone know if there is anything in development?

Also, that landscape keyboard on the 6+ is plain silly. Does anyone know if its possible (or if anyone's developing) a split keyboard solution for landscape mode?

Thanks guys!
Click to expand...

There's no limitation on creating a 5-row keyboard. Whether or not anyone is making one, I have no idea. I'd imagine it will show up eventually if it's not there already.

As for a split keyboard, you could probably do that too, but the space within the split would be dead space, meaning you wouldn't have the in-use app be able to be seen within the gap.
 
CoilTap said:
There's no limitation on creating a 5-row keyboard. Whether or not anyone is making one, I have no idea. I'd imagine it will show up eventually if it's not there already.

As for a split keyboard, you could probably do that too, but the space within the split would be dead space, meaning you wouldn't have the in-use app be able to be seen within the gap.
Click to expand...

why not put all those extra icons in the dead space while splitting the keyboard? That would make sense to do. But yeah, here's to hoping a 5-row comes out at the least.
 
themyst said:
why not put all those extra icons in the dead space while splitting the keyboard? That would make sense to do. But yeah, here's to hoping a 5-row comes out at the least.
Click to expand...

A developer writing a third party keyboard can't use those extra icons, assuming you're referring to the copy/paste icons and whatnot. Those functions are explicitly blocked from third party keyboards.
 
CoilTap said:
A developer writing a third party keyboard can't use those extra icons, assuming you're referring to the copy/paste icons and whatnot. Those functions are explicitly blocked from third party keyboards.
Click to expand...

Eh, that stinks. I guess we'll have to wait for a jailbreak for any of that to happen.
 
themyst said:
Hey guys, it looks like all the current 3rd party keyboards are all variants of the stock keyboard with some extra features... is there an iOS limitation on a dev creating a 5-row keyboard?
Click to expand...
Many custom keyboard developers are trying to simulate/copy the stock keyboard as much as possible, and just add features not available in the stock keyboard (like swipe, color, fonts, etc). This would make it easier for the user to transition from the stock keyboard, which they are already used to, to the custom keyboard.

As for the 5-row keyboard, not sure if anybody is working on it, but there are keyboards out there that do give you the number row on the main view. TouchPal for example, gives you that, but you need to swipe up, i.e. not a fifth row.
 
If you want a permant 5th row with numbers then aside from Simple Keyboard and iKeywi (which now has auto correct i think since the update of the 8th of October, but also needs full access) you also have ai.type but according to the App Store reviews it's still missing quite some features although described on their website (maybe to expected in an update).
 
This question mostly pertains to the 6 plus, but has anyone made a keyboard that can be shrunk to one side of the screen for easier one-handed texting?
 
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