Simple solutions for many BT keyboard issues - Xperia Z2 Tablet Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

I read about massive problems with Bluetooth keyboards over at Amazon and other places.
In fact, I ran into some problems, too - and like to share a few simple solutions with you.
1) Keyboard not detected at all, Z2 does not discover the hardware:
- Try switching Bluetooth off, wait about 10 seconds (don't skip this !), switch on again, try again.
- Restart the Z2. Quite often, the BT features encounter some hiccups after using the tablet for a while. A restart usually cures that.
2) Keyboard detected, but not selectable as an input device:
- Undo the pairing, restart the Z2, pair again.
3) Keyboard detected, working, but wrong characters appear while typing:
Three possible reasons:
- Keyboard layout in many cases (I'm not sure it's the same with every hardware combination and every OS version) seems to depend on the layout of the ONSCREEN keyboard selected. Try selecting the stock keyboard of your language prior to using your BT keyboard.
- Make sure you REALLY selected the correct system language: I experienced a sudden restart of the Z2 while using it the first time. After restarting, a WRONG language was selected automatically without prompting for input. System selected "Deutsch (Liechtenstein)" instead of just "Deutsch (Deutschland)". Result: Totally garbled layout when using the BT hardware keyboard. Took me quite a while (and some luck) finding this issue. So check your language settings even if you're absolutely sure you selected the right language after switching on the Z2 for the first time.
- After pairing the BT keyboard, go to Settings > Language & Input > Physical Keyboard, tap "Bluetooth Keyboard", select "Set up keyboard layouts", select your language EVEN IF IT LOOKS LIKE YOUR LANGUAGE IS ALREADY SELECTED. This step is often skipped, causing problems.
Suggestion: Try the "Multiling O Keyboard" by "Honso" as an onscreen keyboard. It's a bit hard to setup properly (documentation is a mess), but offers you an unbelievable wealth of customization possibilities without asking for a) money, and b) fancy permissions. The layout if FULLY customizable; I don't know any other onscreen keyboard making it possible to create a keyboard layout exactly as you want it. You can even setup an onscreen layout identical with your hardware keyboard's layout - perfect match.
This software keyboard also works flawless with BT keyboards - that's why I mention it here.
Please keep this thread clean - NO other issues to discuss here, please do NOT reply to posts dealing with other issues. Thank you !

Related

[Q] Keyboard not working, trackpad fine

Hello all,
I just unpacked my brandnew prime. When booting up I could use the trackpad during the initial install, but the keyboarddock did not work. When finished with the initial install, I could not use the dock keyboard (except for the trackpad) in Android. In the lower right corner there is an icon for the dock (and the prime is charging through the dock). When I select a textbox, there is an additional icon (a keyboard icon) in the lower right corner, but not a single key (not even the top row) works...
Am I missing something or is this dock broken? I have hard reset the prime several times now and undocked and docked several times and am out of options.
Does anyone know of a fix (other than return the tab for RMA/refund)?
Hi
Go to Settings - Language & Keyboard
Verify that Asus Keyboard is set as default keyboard.
Hello Pnoire,
I have checked that the asus keyboard is the default. I have also tried setting the android keyboard as default. I then get a message about the hardware keyboard not being used. I tried toggling between the android and the asus one several times, but all keys remain dead. When I loose the mouse (happens after I change the keyboard), I can get it back by closing and opening tablet + dock. The keys remain non funtional however.
Hi dannykix
I don't know what you can do, now. It could be a hardware problem!
I contacted Asus support, they indicated that it is most likely hardware related. As I just opened the package the tablet is returned to the supplier as a DOA. I hope the new one arrives a bit faster then this one.
Case closed.

[Q] Keyboard problems

Ok, so I recently downloaded an APK for AI. Keyboard after which I started having problems. When I press the backspace it uses other keys like. When I press it doesn't delete but instead puts another letter like "p" and happens with other keys too. Also at time I go into settings and press on certain options such as Language & Keyboard it reverts to applications or sound settings. I don't know if this is a virus or anything. Does anyone know at all about something like this.
reckoning the keyboard app to be beta, you should post the issue in relevant forum in the keyboard app site.

[app] fastest keyboard with swype + fix for xmp hw keyboard

I found this keyboard while desperately looking for one that would show suggestions when using the hardware keyboard.
This one does, and it also got swype while having a size of less then 500 kb (without dictionary).
It has also got the ability of changing the hardware keyboard layout. Strangely it is enabled by default, so my azerty became a qwerty when using that keyboard. (I didn't know apps could take over a hardware thing???) You can turn it off in the settings -> physical keys -> remap keys. You can also change the hardware layout yourself by changing the 'language keycode' in the same settings pane, however I don't know what you should enter (qwerty is the default at 204).
you can find it here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=kl.ime.oh&hl=en
There are some quirks, since it is a beta.
For instance you can't type a web address decently, as it will always put a space behind a dot (unless you turn off 'insert space after swype')
Also, It will by default use auto-correction on password and log in fields, which you can also turn off by deselecting 'always predict'.
I almost forgot to mention one thing: it's by fr the fastest keyboard I have ever seen. Even after coldboot, the keyboard will popup instantly after hitting a text field.
thanks bro
finaly an alternative to swiftkey I'll test that
Good work!
Nice! Thanks!

[Q] Folio Keyboard question

For a long time, when the folio keyboard was activated the on-screen soft keyboard would automatically disappear. At some point, it stopped doing that. I can't find any setting to restore that method of operation.
Any one know how to set it to do that?
TIA
Well, I figured it out. In choose keyboards you turn "hardware keyboard" off. Which seems logically backwards of what you'd expect. But with hardware keyboard off, the software keyboard disappears when the hardware is active and vice versa.
That is odd. good to know if mine disappears.

OSK and other accessibility features for the disabled?

... are there any? I have been looking around for answers online to no avail. I have to use Windows on-screen keyboard as my primary text input method and was hoping Remix might have a similar system. Google's system for ChromeOS is passable, but I greatly prefer the scalable Windows-style version.
Thanks in advance.
Settings -> Language & Input -> turn 'On-screen keyboard' on. This is the standard Android onscreen keyboard and can be set to any keyboard you feel like downloading. Downside is that there's no extra intelligence behind it, every time you select an input field it will pop up, even if you have an external keyboard attached. There's also a whole 'Accessibility' section in Settings, high contrast text, text-to-speech, that sort of thing. Never tested them so I can't say how good they are or if they even work yet. There's no screen magnifier, but you might be able to find an app for that, and if not, it's pretty easy to change the DPI to make everything bigger permanently.
I think the best two things Jide could do here is have the toggle for the on-screen keyboard appear in the notification area down the bottom with the other toggles, and add an auto-toggle option to sense when a hardware keyboard is hooked up/removed and disable/enable the onscreen keyboard. Far more people are using RemixOS on tablets and hybrids than I think they expected.

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