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Help Making SwiftKey my Default Keyboard

awilli646

Lurker
About one month ago my Galaxy S3 running Android 4.1.1 began to default to the Samsung Keyboard every time it was restarted, even though SwiftKey is installed and is the keyboard I want to use. It's easy enough to manually change the keyboard preference to SwiftKey each time the phone restarts, but I'm wondering if there isn't a way for the phone to automatically default to SwiftKey when restarted. Has anyone dealt with this problem? Thanks.
 
Swiftkey have this issue on their FAQ's

Here are the highlights.

Due to how Samsung handle purchased apps, you are suffering from this issue.

Purchased apps on "some" (but probably all) Samsung phones, have info stored in a folder called /sbin/

This folder does not have sufficient privileges OR the android boot sequence does not know to look there for 'some' default apps. Hense why you lose the default setting and android reverts back to the old Samsung keyboard.

There is however a fix (kind of) ***at your own risk***

I have read that deleting the original Samsung keyboard on ROOTED phones will force Swiftkey to become default, but obviously, upon booting the phone this may take a few more seconds to take effect (by the time you have input your PIN's and the UI has finished loading etc, Android should have set Swiftkey to default, or it might not happen until you actually "need" a keyboard, for instance, after loading your sms app and go to reply to text.

Hope this helps.
 
On my T-Mobile S3 I went to Settings/Language and input. Selected SwiftKey then hit the Gear to go into SwiftKey setting. When I did this a pop up window came up asking witch keyboard to use a default. I selected SwiftKey and after several reboots it is still default.https://play.google.com/store/apps/...sImNvbS5hcHBpYXRvci5kZWZhdWx0YXBwbWFuYWdlciJd

Huh, I'll give this a try- I've had the same issue since 4.1.1 update. Odd thing is, my wife's phone got the same update & the problem only showed up after a few months. Weird.

UPDATE: Tried GTWalling's suggestion & still the keyboard default goes back to Samsung on a reboot. It would be REALLY nice if this is taken care of in a 4.1.2/4.2 update...
 
Swiftkey have this issue on their FAQ's

Here are the highlights.

Due to how Samsung handle purchased apps, you are suffering from this issue.

Purchased apps on "some" (but probably all) Samsung phones, have info stored in a folder called /sbin/

This folder does not have sufficient privileges OR the android boot sequence does not know to look there for 'some' default apps. Hense why you lose the default setting and android reverts back to the old Samsung keyboard.

There is however a fix (kind of) ***at your own risk***

I have read that deleting the original Samsung keyboard on ROOTED phones will force Swiftkey to become default, but obviously, upon booting the phone this may take a few more seconds to take effect (by the time you have input your PIN's and the UI has finished loading etc, Android should have set Swiftkey to default, or it might not happen until you actually "need" a keyboard, for instance, after loading your sms app and go to reply to text.

Hope this helps.

Howz about "freezing" the default Samsung keyboard?? Instead of drastic deleting? With TB[Paid] or Gemini App Manager[Free]??

Would that work??
 
I have a rooted Galaxy Note II and can confirm that freezing the Samsung keyboard using TI Backup (paid version) does keep the Swiftkey keyboard.
 
I would assume it would work. I'm not rooted so I can't try it.

How about just disabling it? Does that work mate?
I had to freeze samsung keyboard on my rom for same reason but dont think i tried disabling it first.. it might not even have the disable option..

EDIT i just realised how old this thread is lol sorry :)
 
I have this same problem. No matter how many times I select SwiftKey (or Swype) as the default, every time I change the battery or turn the phone back on, it always defaults back to the Samsung. Oddly, my friend has the same phone and this never happens to him. We have mostly the same apps on our phones, so I don't know why the difference. My phone is not rooted. I've not done anything complicated to it. Any other ideas?

UPDATE
I just found a thread over at the SwiftKey site that states it's a known issue and should be addressed in the upcoming 4.2 release. Fingers crossed!

http://support.swiftkey.net/knowled...lt-keyboard-reset-on-every-restart-or-reboot-
 
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