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gBoard MANY problems. Almost unusable. No more Google Product Forums.
- Thread starter metamage
- Start date
Just install a different keyboard from the play store, such as SwiftKey keyboard.
Or you can try going to settings, apps, gboard, clear cache and data, reboot phone
Or you can try going to settings, apps, gboard, clear cache and data, reboot phone
I switch between it and SwiftKey, and am currently typing this using GBoard. No problems here.
If you want to address your problems the starting place really is to tell us what they are. Nobody can do anything without that. Or, as others have said, just use a different keyboard.
If you want to address your problems the starting place really is to tell us what they are. Nobody can do anything without that. Or, as others have said, just use a different keyboard.
Fifth313ment
Lurker
I have similar issues but here are mine in a nutshell: Auto correct is no longer working and when you can't spell a word but see it in the list and click it, it now does nothing (it doesn't change the misspelling)? Sometimes it does change the word when I press the correct word in the suggestion box but then it makes a word that doesn't exist and sometimes it even deletes or changes the next word! This is a huge issue as when it doesn't change the words to the right one it saves it to the dictionary and then that word comes up all the time. Man they screwed this up! Add the ability when swipe typing (dragging finger to form words) to go to the spacebar and allow me to keep swiping. My old Samsung keyboard and others allow me to swipe whole sentences without ever lifting my finger. All of these things have been happening on my Note 10+ and they also happened on my S8+! I don't know what else to do and Google never reads the reviews or beta feedback! Also I've deleted the cache, uninstalled and it always comes back and starts happening again soon after using the app. Does anyone else have issues like these? !
RunrunHibi
Newbie
Advance Settings of the keyboard: Make sure Personalization is on, Usage statistics off, Improve Gboard off, Delete learned words data. Then use the keyboard and give it time to learn again.
puppykickr
Android Expert
Just ditch GBoard.
It is a heap of stinking spyware anyway.
I had a long hard search for a keyboard that I can tolerate and that functions.
I wound up deciding that predictive text, suggestions, swiping, and all that stuff is really just crap.
Any time supposedly saved is eaten right up trying to go back and proofread then edit all the mistakes.
Ever try to change a word that it selected for you, only to have it not let you- or to change it right back again?
Uggh!
Not to mention the security issues with a keyboard that is collecting what you type and sending it to God-Knows-Where.
It truely is easier and safer to use a bare bones approach without all the gimmicks, bells, and whistles.
I use Simple Keyboard (F-Droid) the vast majority of the time, especially while in portrait mode.
When extensive typing in landscape mode, I use Hacker's Keyboard (F-Droid), as it allows separate portrait and landscape sizes.
It also has more options available for those that still want some toys with their keyboard.
One unique feature is the transparent setting, which allows you to see if the keyboard is covering any information on the screen.
It is a heap of stinking spyware anyway.
I had a long hard search for a keyboard that I can tolerate and that functions.
I wound up deciding that predictive text, suggestions, swiping, and all that stuff is really just crap.
Any time supposedly saved is eaten right up trying to go back and proofread then edit all the mistakes.
Ever try to change a word that it selected for you, only to have it not let you- or to change it right back again?
Uggh!
Not to mention the security issues with a keyboard that is collecting what you type and sending it to God-Knows-Where.
It truely is easier and safer to use a bare bones approach without all the gimmicks, bells, and whistles.
I use Simple Keyboard (F-Droid) the vast majority of the time, especially while in portrait mode.
When extensive typing in landscape mode, I use Hacker's Keyboard (F-Droid), as it allows separate portrait and landscape sizes.
It also has more options available for those that still want some toys with their keyboard.
One unique feature is the transparent setting, which allows you to see if the keyboard is covering any information on the screen.
I'm the original poster. Yes, I rebooted, reset the cache, changed all settings, etc. I gave up on it shortly after I posted my article. I tried SwiftKey & other apps, all nowhere near as good as Swype, so I jiggered my devices to allow install from an apk (It's not available any more in the Play Store.) and am back on Swype everywhere now. With gBoard, I had the same problems on all devices, including Samsung & LG, so it's not that kind of thing. I didn't post my issues cuz I wasn't sure this is the right place to post them, since no one else at that time was suggesting any problems whatever. Now I have a "crazy", at least, and the one quoted above. Now, understand that I'm a heavy swiper; that's how I get my speed. I can't type anywhere near as fast one tap per letter, no matter how busily I attack the buttons.
I guess this is the place to post after all, so here are my gBoard issues, finally (if I can remember them now -- so happy to be back on Swype!) ...
Maybe if you aren't swiping, gBoard can be an adequate keyboard, but then, the typing is just so slow!
Since I've moved on (back), I don't need your assistance any more, but I hope you'll see how fast and convenient it can be to use a good swiping keyboard app, and I really hope someone will revive Swype. I'd almost pay money for it (though I'm retired now, so I shouldn't say this).
It does nothing because it just tries to remember that you suggested the new word. It doesn't really add it to the dictionary, if there is one. It'll likely forget the new word soon, in which case, you'll just have to keep adding it, over and over, like I did.
I guess this is the place to post after all, so here are my gBoard issues, finally (if I can remember them now -- so happy to be back on Swype!) ...
- The worst thing is that it uses an AI engine to remember dictionary words, so it forgets on purpose dictionary words from time to time -- even the intrinsic ones, not only the ones you suggest to add! I gave up altogether when it forgot the word "it". Do you realize how often the word "it" is used in English? Of course, it forgets long words, too, but losing "it" was the last straw. gBoard doesn't announce that it is remembering a word you suggest. It just takes that under advisement, and when it decides it needs space for other words, it'll elect to forget your suggested word. With Swype, you can tell it one word at a time or just edit the dictionary with all your favorites; it never forgets them. Also, it remembers words with numbers, with hyphens, etc -- just FAR, FAR better than any other keyboard app, I now know.
- Yes, I agree, you can't swipe anywhere near as fast if you go only one word at a time; you need to swipe sentences to get speed -- or at least use space insertion!
- The keyboard layout is way worse on gBoard. On my tablet (Android 7), it was especially bad, with me having to switch keyboards just to type any special character other than period or comma -- even a slash ("/") had to be not just shifted, but switch to the special-character keyboard. With my phone (Android 9), I could just shift to get special characters, but the layout was not nearly as convenient as with Swype.
- Also, little things slow down my swiping. On gBoard, you can't swipe a ", " or a ". ", causing me to have to use 2 taps for each of these. On Swype, I do that with every sentence! With Swype, you can recapitalize a word by swiping from the Swype key to the Shift key, with 3 choices -- all caps, no caps, or an initial cap. None of these things with gBoard.
- With gBoard, there's no way I know of to copy & paste like I do with Swype.
- Can you toggle quickly back & forth with a second language like you can in Swype? Very useful, not just for typing quotes in other languages, but just typing words like "beaucoup" or "ganz" without switching languages the hard way or artificially adding them to your English dictionary.
Maybe if you aren't swiping, gBoard can be an adequate keyboard, but then, the typing is just so slow!
Since I've moved on (back), I don't need your assistance any more, but I hope you'll see how fast and convenient it can be to use a good swiping keyboard app, and I really hope someone will revive Swype. I'd almost pay money for it (though I'm retired now, so I shouldn't say this).
Yes, I do proofread. I do this to avoid the errors made by swipers that aren't typos, but use of words that often don't even look like the one they probably thought they'd swiped. But I proof anyway, even if not swiping, and I don't spend any more time doing it than with straight keyboarding.
Huh? Not Swype. Or if so, maybe if you use Autocorrect, which I don't. If you proofread, you don't need it anyway.
Uh, that can be done with any keyboard app, including the beloved gBoard. There is no Android permission that keeps a keyboard app from doing what it wants.
It's speed, not gimmicks. If you consider getting capitalization right a gimmick, fine. And Cut&Paste is way faster than backspacing & retyping. The other things are just speed. I guess you're not a swiper and can't understand the speed boost swiping enables?
Yep, no swiping in Simple Keyboard. Try typing a message the size of this one in 30 seconds. There's just no contest.
puppykickr
Android Expert
The keyboards I use don't connect to the internet, so I am not worried about data collection from them.
As far as Swipe, the last time I saw it was on a Gingerbread phone that was so small that you couldnt type hardly at all anyway.
That being said, the Swipe option was no better, at least on that device.
Before smartphones existed, I used T-9 extensively, at least up until the last device I had it on made a mess out of it.
Anyway, with my poor vision, and ability to actually use a real typewriter, I find that Hacker's in landscape mode is adequate and I like Simple in portrait because I can have square keys and a low profile of 33%, along with having most punctuation available with a long press on its respective key.
As far as Swipe, the last time I saw it was on a Gingerbread phone that was so small that you couldnt type hardly at all anyway.
That being said, the Swipe option was no better, at least on that device.
Before smartphones existed, I used T-9 extensively, at least up until the last device I had it on made a mess out of it.
Anyway, with my poor vision, and ability to actually use a real typewriter, I find that Hacker's in landscape mode is adequate and I like Simple in portrait because I can have square keys and a low profile of 33%, along with having most punctuation available with a long press on its respective key.
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puppykickr
Android Expert
UPDATE
Out of sheer curiosity, I just located, installed, and tried Swipe.
I gave it the same unbiased chance that I give all apps that I try.
Yes, I had tried it before, but that was on a very tiny Samsung from 2012 running Gingerbread.
So, I decided that to give it a proper shot, I should see how it does on a more modern device.
I found nothing that I could use.
First, the app has ads.
That means that I had to find a version that is old enough to not have advertisements.
Not a problem. Done.
Second, the app is almost 40GB. On a memory strapped device, that is huge for just a keyboard.
Third, it immediately wants internet access, which I denied (of course), and then I had to sjgn away the rights of everything that I type and my contacts (and God knows what else, I don't have all night to read an agreement that I know is just going to take away my rights) not once, but twice. Two different agreements. For one keyboard.
Forth, it says that it will carry my settings and all info it collects over to all my devices. That means that it stores everything I type (and probably everything on my device) onto some server in God knows where.
Fifth, when I finally got to the point of getting into the settings, I found that there is no ajustment for the size of the keyboard. That is one of the most important settings for me. And it is not there.
Sixth, now that I finally get to try to type something with it, as soon as the keyboard pops up I see that there is no boarder around the keys. I have bad vision, and need boarders around the keys.
Seventh, as I attempt to type the first word, I see this annoying word guessing thing pop up above the keyboard. On a keyboard with no size adjustment, this takes up even more space. Oh, and I had turned that off in the settings, but here it is anyway. Great. (sarc.)
Eighth, as I attempt to use the swype feature (I was actually kind of anxious, as this is supposed to be the 'great' thing about this keyboard) I find that it does not work. I go back and read the instructions, to no avail. It just does nothing.
Nineth, as I go back to trying to type normally, I find that I need to switch to a secondary screen for punctuation. That is just so annoying. I really, really like being able to just long press normal keys for my punctuation.
Tenth, if the Swipe keyboard stayed on my device long enough to complete a single sentence with it, my guess is that I could have easily found a tenth problem with it. Luckily, it uninstalls easilly.
Thank God that the makers of Swipe don't manufacture toilet paper (Wype?). I shudder at the thought.
Out of sheer curiosity, I just located, installed, and tried Swipe.
I gave it the same unbiased chance that I give all apps that I try.
Yes, I had tried it before, but that was on a very tiny Samsung from 2012 running Gingerbread.
So, I decided that to give it a proper shot, I should see how it does on a more modern device.
I found nothing that I could use.
First, the app has ads.
That means that I had to find a version that is old enough to not have advertisements.
Not a problem. Done.
Second, the app is almost 40GB. On a memory strapped device, that is huge for just a keyboard.
Third, it immediately wants internet access, which I denied (of course), and then I had to sjgn away the rights of everything that I type and my contacts (and God knows what else, I don't have all night to read an agreement that I know is just going to take away my rights) not once, but twice. Two different agreements. For one keyboard.
Forth, it says that it will carry my settings and all info it collects over to all my devices. That means that it stores everything I type (and probably everything on my device) onto some server in God knows where.
Fifth, when I finally got to the point of getting into the settings, I found that there is no ajustment for the size of the keyboard. That is one of the most important settings for me. And it is not there.
Sixth, now that I finally get to try to type something with it, as soon as the keyboard pops up I see that there is no boarder around the keys. I have bad vision, and need boarders around the keys.
Seventh, as I attempt to type the first word, I see this annoying word guessing thing pop up above the keyboard. On a keyboard with no size adjustment, this takes up even more space. Oh, and I had turned that off in the settings, but here it is anyway. Great. (sarc.)
Eighth, as I attempt to use the swype feature (I was actually kind of anxious, as this is supposed to be the 'great' thing about this keyboard) I find that it does not work. I go back and read the instructions, to no avail. It just does nothing.
Nineth, as I go back to trying to type normally, I find that I need to switch to a secondary screen for punctuation. That is just so annoying. I really, really like being able to just long press normal keys for my punctuation.
Tenth, if the Swipe keyboard stayed on my device long enough to complete a single sentence with it, my guess is that I could have easily found a tenth problem with it. Luckily, it uninstalls easilly.
Thank God that the makers of Swipe don't manufacture toilet paper (Wype?). I shudder at the thought.
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Yeah, I gave GBoard yet another try and found it absolutely infuriating. Sometimes the predicted word will be in the center of the prediction field; sometimes on the right; sometimes on the left. There's no pattern to it that I can figure out! It takes longer for me to look for my next word in the prediction field than it would take to type the stupid thing!
UNINSTALLED for the THIRD TIME
UNINSTALLED for the THIRD TIME
