iPad QuickPath Floating Keyboard comment

[akosnitzky]

On the iPad, I wish QuickPath worked on the regular keyboard, instead of only the small floating keyboard.

 

[AutomaticApple]

On the iPad, I wish QuickPath worked on the regular keyboard, instead of only the small floating keyboard.

I also wish so. Come on Apple!

 

[Ralfi]

On the iPad, I wish QuickPath worked on the regular keyboard, instead of only the small floating keyboard.

I’ve slowly decreased the use of the smaller swipe keyboard as it’s too small & would prefer the swipe feature on a keyboard in between the current two sizes. Even on the default keyboard.

I’d also like the return of the split keyboard, without the swipe.

 

[pdoherty]

Agreed. Stop artificially putting limits on choices, Apple. The user is smart enough to decide for themselves.

 

[subjonas]

I love QuickPath on my iPhone keyboard. Hate it on my iPad because of the stupid floating keyboard. It completely kills it.

I’m guessing Apple doesn’t allow swipe gestures on the regular keyboard because it already has a swipe gesture to access secondary key functions (swipe down on a key for numbers and symbols). And I understand that they use the smaller iPhone keyboard for QuickPath because that’s a good size for swipe typing. But always having to move the small floating keyboard around because it’s in the way (the regular keyboard pushes all the content up above the keyboard) is a dealbreaker for me. And it really doesn’t help having so much screen space but no direct access to numbers and symbols when you’re used to having somewhat direct access with the regular keyboard.

Ideally, Apple would anchor the floating keyboard at the bottom, center it, and put number and symbol keys on the sides. But even if they just leave the sides as empty space, as long as they push up all the content up above the keyboard, then I would be able to use QuickPath on my iPads again.

It would also help if they fixed some of the bugginess with QuickPath as well as the general typing bugs.

 

[muzzy996]

Ideally, Apple would anchor the floating keyboard at the bottom, center it, and put number and symbol keys on the sides. But even if they just leave the sides as empty space, as long as they push up all the content up above the keyboard, then I would be able to use QuickPath on my iPads again.

Can't say I agree with this although I can relate to the frustrations that you have. The whole point of a floating keyboard is to allow for moving it around to see more of the screen though. I think a compromise to this would be adding swipe to the standard keyboard and adding number key row to the floating keyboard along with the ability to scale both keyboard styles either dynamically or using several preset sizes. Adding number row to the existing QuickPath keyboard and scaling it up a little would be perfect for me on my 12.9" iPP.

 

[subjonas]

Can't say I agree with this although I can relate to the frustrations that you have. The whole point of a floating keyboard is to allow for moving it around to see more of the screen though. I think a compromise to this would be adding swipe to the standard keyboard and adding number key row to the floating keyboard along with the ability to scale both keyboard styles either dynamically or using several preset sizes. Adding number row to the existing QuickPath keyboard and scaling it up a little would be perfect for me on my 12.9" iPP.

But if moving a floating keyboard around was a desired feature, what stopped Apple from implementing it before? To me it seems like the floating aspect was simply a byproduct of not having a good place to anchor a small QuickPath keyboard that doesn’t take up the width of the screen. Because before QuickPath, I never wanted to move my keyboard around, so I still think it’s an awkward thing to do. But maybe that’s just me.

Like I said though, I don’t think Apple can add swipe typing to the standard keyboard because it already has down swiping for the secondary number and symbol keys, and it would get the two confused. Also swiping on the bigger keyboard is not ideal. I would personally take it over the floating keyboard, but first Apple would have to at least disable the secondary keys or figure out a different solution for those.
And adding a number row to the floating keyboard would be welcome, but again, for me it’s the floating aspect that makes it a dealbreaker.

——
edit- this is the issue I have with the floating keyboard (see screenshots). Once you get to the bottom of a webpage or a document, the keyboard covers up content no matter where you put it, whereas with the regular anchored keyboard, all the content gets pushed up so you can see everything. Yes, with a smaller floating keyboard you can technically see more at once, but say if it’s covering the right side of a paragraph, it might as well be covering all of it, because you can’t read only a left side of a paragraph. So to me the advantage isn’t much. And I’d rather do a tiny bit more scrolling than have to move the floating keyboard even once, but realistically probably more than once. If Apple just pushed all the content up when you move the floating keyboard to touch the bottom, that itself would actually be enough for me.

 

[muzzy996]

Yes, with a smaller floating keyboard you can technically see more at once, but say if it’s covering the right side of a paragraph, it might as well be covering all of it, because you can’t read only a left side of a paragraph. So to me the advantage isn’t much. And I’d rather do a tiny bit more scrolling than have to move the floating keyboard even once, but realistically probably more than once. If Apple just pushed all the content up when you move the floating keyboard to touch the bottom, that itself would actually be enough for me.

My point was that eliminating the need to push up content is exactly why the floating keyboard was created. It is working as intended.

All I was saying earlier was, rather than break the floating capability of the floating keyboard if Apple were to add swipe capability to the standard keyboard and the ability to scale the keys on it to reduce the swipe path distance that would be another way to address your needs. I’m sure they could figure out how to differentiate between a symbol swipe and a true swipe from one key to another.

Your suggestion to dock the floating keyboard on the bottom in order to not have it cover up information underneath completely breaks the benefit of having it float in the first place. That benefit is not having windows or documents shift about to make space for keyboard input.

For example - when I’m in Notability creating documents with mixed content my primary input device is typically the Apple Pencil. There are times when I want to quickly put in a text box for annotation and I don’t want the document to shift around on screen or have nearly half of the display taken up by a keyboard, I just want to bring up a small swipe capable floating window and enter in some text. As I’m working I’ll certainly have move the keyboard around to make things visible and that is perfectly fine by me because the act of bringing up the floating keyboard does not affect the display of any content underneath. For me, the simple fact that floating keyboard does not result in a jarring shift of document display when activated is a benefit.

Another example - when working in split screen, a floating keyboard can be placed over the less important window that is open so that the more important one is completely visible.

All of this said . . of the 3 keyboard options that I have available (standard, floating or my Smart Keyboard), the floating one is likely the one I use the least. When I do want it though, I want it just the way it is other than adding a number row and possibly having it be scalable.

 

[subjonas]

All I was saying earlier was, rather than break the floating capability of the floating keyboard if Apple were to add swipe capability to the standard keyboard and the ability to scale the keys on it to reduce the swipe path distance that would be another way to address your needs. I’m sure they could figure out how to differentiate between a symbol swipe and a true swipe from one key to another.

Your suggestion to dock the floating keyboard on the bottom in order to not have it cover up information underneath completely breaks the benefit of having it float in the first place. That benefit is not having windows or documents shift about to make space for keyboard input.

It really seems to me we’re suggesting the same things coming from two different angles. My intention wasn’t really to take away the floating keyboard, but just an option to dock it (and push up content).

For example - when I’m in Notability creating documents with mixed content my primary input device is typically the Apple Pencil. There are times when I want to quickly put in a text box for annotation and I don’t want the document to shift around on screen or have nearly half of the display taken up by a keyboard, I just want to bring up a small swipe capable floating window and enter in some text. As I’m working I’ll certainly have move the keyboard around to make things visible and that is perfectly fine by me because the act of bringing up the floating keyboard does not affect the display of any content underneath. For me, the simple fact that floating keyboard does not result in a jarring shift of document display when activated is a benefit.

Another example - when working in split screen, a floating keyboard can be placed over the less important window that is open so that the more important one is completely visible.

Ah ok these are valid use cases for the floating keyboard.

 

[muzzy996]

Yeah after I clicked post and walked away I thought the same thing. Allow the floating keyboard to be docked and resized on the bottom, movable to anywhere along that and you get what you need while still being able to pull it out of that tray when necessary.