Discontinuing FlickType Keyboard for iPhone

By FlickType, 16 August, 2021

Forum
iOS and iPadOS

It's with a heavy heart today that we're announcing the discontinuation of our award-winning iPhone keyboard.

Apple has thrown us obstacle after obstacle for years while we try to provide an app to improve people's lives, and we can no longer endure their abuse.

Read more about our announcement here, and thank you to everyone who has supported us over the years.

  • Kosta

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Comments

By Gaurav J on Friday, September 3, 2021 - 05:22

I remember when I first found this application, it made me so happy to find a method to actually type quickly, efficiently, and accurately on my iPhone for the first time ever.
In fact I have become so good with this keyboard that I can often type faster then my sighted friends.

It is a very dark day today for accessibility to hear this terrible news.

My iPhone will once again become almost useless to me, because I will once again no longer to be able to type on my device easily.

By Moopie Curran on Friday, September 3, 2021 - 05:22

If we have flicktype on our devices, can we still use it? If not, I don't know what I'll do. I'll be a bit lost without it. I could dictate, but there's no privacy in that. And I never got the hang of Braille Screen input.

By Dennis Long on Friday, September 3, 2021 - 05:22

We need to ban together and contact apple. I remember a few years ago Blind fold games faced a issue we came together as a community and the decission got reversed. Lets do that again and help this dev keep the app around. To the dev of this app please don't give up!

By Moopie Curran on Friday, September 3, 2021 - 05:22

Great,
Let's do this. What's the best email address to contact them? I use Flicktype every single day, and without it, I'm up the proverbial creek, so anything we can do to band together and possibly keep Flicktype alive, I'm all for it.

By Unregistered User (not verified) on Friday, September 3, 2021 - 05:22

In reply to by KE8UPE

You can send snail mail and address it to Tim Cook. Here's Apple's corporate address.

One Apple Park Way
Cupertino, CA 95014

Keep in mind that an assistant will most likely read it, so be polite and be straight to the point. Look up guides on how to write a business letter if you're unsure how to do so. I bought an iPhone for the accessibility. I would like it to stay accessible. Emails can be ignored. I can trash a thousand messages in seconds without a second thought. It's just electrons, after all. It's harder to ignore a physical piece of paper, especially if multiple people send in about the same issue.

By Austin Grace on Friday, September 3, 2021 - 05:22

Hello. There was a time in my life when flick type was a must-have app for me. But ever since I discovered braille screen input, it overtook flick type for me. It's always disappointing to see apps people depend on have to shut down. Best of luck to you all and thank you for your work.

By Dennis Long on Friday, September 3, 2021 - 05:22

This is a time we need to ban together if we use it or not. We should do this to make apps that aren't accessible accessible. as well. That is the only way things will be fixed. Accessibility is going backwards today. Apple is known for the accessibility and they need to show us that accessibility is still a core value.

By Alan on Friday, September 3, 2021 - 05:22

If I understand the situation, it's not about Apple not allowing an specific update, it's all about the developer getting emotionally exhausted because of the recurrent problems that come with each update.
So, even if Apple back pedals on that, I think the developer is not interested on keeping flicktype up to date anymore.
And, to be honest, I understand it. It's a time consuming task, there aren't enough users, and it is not profitable.
So, if you really want to save flicktype, instead of flooding Apple, as a developer myself I am sure that Apple will not change its politics, apis and reviewing process, try to collect some money for the developer, so the work really worth the effort.
If the community cannot support a project like that with real money, the only alternative is a developer working for free, and it seems that soon or later it's too much demanding.

By Scottsdale on Friday, September 3, 2021 - 05:22

Sad to read this Kosta, but I'm even sadder to say that - having read your tweets - it seems like an understandable decision.
All the best with whatever comes next. I hope you'll be carrying forward accessibility with whatever that turns out to be.

By Ekaj on Friday, September 3, 2021 - 05:22

I just read this a bit ago. Don't get me wrong: I'm saddened to see this and hope that something can be worked out. I used FlickType only briefly, but didn't have enough dough to purchase it outright. It was good though while it lasted on my iPhone. I'd say I've gotten a bit faster when typing on my phone, from when I got it in 2018. Dictation is hit-or-miss, but even that doesn't bother me much. I've tried out BSI and couldn't quite figure it out, but I suppose I should revisit it. Having said all this, I truly hope a viable solution can be found. Best of luck to everybody involved.

By Dalia on Friday, September 3, 2021 - 05:22

As somebody who uses FlickType daily, this is incredibly sad news.

However, having read your comments, I certainly feel your pain and understand why you might feel tired of the barriers preventing you from taking the app where you would wish.

Thank you for all of your hard work on FlickType in the past, and good luck with your future projects... just be sure to keep us VoiceOver users in mind ☺️

By KE7ZUM on Friday, September 3, 2021 - 05:22

If you need a new keyboard I recommend airtype. I believe I've reviewed this before somewhere, but I personally love it. You do use your computer but it can be useful in so many ways.

By Andy Lane on Friday, September 3, 2021 - 05:22

In reply to by KE7ZUM

Hey, great idea for when you’re at home or next to your laptop but sadly it won’t help if you just want to type something directly into your phone. Has anyone looked at Flecsi recently? I know it was a major bummer at the time that the blind community helped develop it then they ditched us but maybe there has been improvements?

I did take a look at the App Store listing for Fleksy, but on seeing that the last update was nearly two years ago and was to make it compatible with iOS 13... well, it didn't inspire me to hit the ‘redownload’ button.

Me thinks I smell abandonware ☹️

By Shawn T on Friday, September 3, 2021 - 05:22

For those who know print but not braille, the handwriting mode is still available under the rotor. You rotor into it similar to the way you activate braille screen input. Swiping up or down with three fingers switches between upercase lowercase, and numbers. A tab is added in VO practice to learn the gestures for this mode.

By KE7ZUM on Friday, September 3, 2021 - 05:22

There is also bSI and direct touch and the swipe method which gets me typing quickly enough. and flexy was flick type before.

By Datawolf on Sunday, October 3, 2021 - 05:22

I would guess that in iOS 15 or iOS 16 Apple will come round with a new accessible keyboard, basically imitating flicktype one to one so they can play the part of the hero once again and pride themselves on accessibility advancements.

But, in all honesty, Cossta bend the rules again and again, it's strange to see that apple only now disapproved of the new update.
for me personally, flicktype was never an option because in all the years, there were no new language aditions, so for users that don't speak English or Spanish, the keyboard is not useable as a daily tool.

Greetings Moritz.

By DurDevil on Sunday, October 3, 2021 - 05:22

Does anyone know if the FlickType Classic app will come across to a new phone with iCloud backup? Or does it not work if the app is no longer in the app store?

Cheers