Crazy idea to improve IOS typing mode

By Mauri, 3 July, 2013

Forum
Accessibility Advocacy
Guys, I was taking a shower when this idea sprung to my mind. It must be the case that it's not feasible or that someone has already thought of it, but who knows? Sharing does no harm. Why don't we ask Apple developers to make it possible to use other keyboards (such as Flexy for instance, or any Braille app) as the standard Ios keyboard if and only if Voiceover is on? What I'm thinking of is an exception to Apple's strict policy on not opening Ios to third-party keyboards that could be made for blind people. What do you reckon? In other words, the Ios device would keep having its standard keyboard, but if a visually-impaired user would want to change it and to use say Flexy as it's standard typing mode, he/she could do it provided Voiceover is on. Hope what I'm saying makes sense.

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Comments

By Gus Pacleb on Friday, July 5, 2013 - 08:26

Great idea.

By Ekaj on Thursday, July 5, 2018 - 08:26

I think this is a good idea, and might work. But I think I for one am having a bit of difficulty perhaps conceptualizing something. I recently got my first i-device, which is an iPhone 7. I've done a few things on it thus far and really like it. But I think I've run into an issue. In some apps that I've explored such as Messages, a QWERTY keyboard appears after all the controls. I'm referring to the on-screen keyboard which emulates a tactile QWERTY keyboard. This one is easy for me, since I can just flick and double-tap accordingly. But I think where I am perhaps going astray is when I have to input log-in credentials and that QWERTY keyboard doesn't appear. Dictation is all well and good, but if the system misinterprets part or all of my log-in info then I'd probably have to start all over. Blue-tooth keyboards are external, and they're probably a great option for some people. But I don't want to carry one of those around, plus my iPhone and cane. So I guess my only wish in this regard would be for the on-screen QWERTY keyboard I mentioned previously to be available system-wide. I also wish there wouldn't be a time-out for some of these things that require logging in. Either that, or let us adjust the amount of time for this. Other than that though, I love what Apple has done for iOS.

By TJT 2001 on Thursday, July 5, 2018 - 08:26

Jake, Apple did open the keyboard API to developers back in iOS 8.

You have described your difficulties with getting the on-screen keyboard to appear in several threads. Would it be possible for you to record an instance of this not happening which we could then listen to so that we can tell you how to get the keyboard to appear?

By Pat Pound* on Thursday, July 5, 2018 - 08:26

There is now a keyboard in the App Store based on the original Fleksy called flicktype Also there is a beta testing group that one can join. You can find this easily by searching. I have used both the app and the beta and the third-party keyboard is working well as is the standalone app. It is a good day for blind folks also there is a beta testing group that one can join. You can find this easily by searching. I have used both the app and the beta and the third-party keyboard is working well as is the standalone app. It is a good day for blind folks