Characters are not echoed on Samsung keyboard

[ghost]

I am using Termux on a Samsung Note8 and what annoys me is that I cannot see what I type because Termux doesn't echo the characters. Only when I type a space, a dash or similar Termux echoes what I have typed so far.
Is this a big or a wrong setting?

[Grimler91]

It's likely a setting in your phone, can't remember the name of this feature though.

[ghost]

That helps! 😂

[Grimler91]

Sounds like "predictive text", see this issue #126.
I would probably turn it off in android's settings.

[pulketo]

Do not use default keyboard, please download "Hacker's keyboard" from playstore

[systemsgo]

This doesn't seem directly caused by predictive text. When using most apps with predictive text, character input still appears one character at a time. The predictive aspect only allows for autocompletion or correction. Termux also works this way with predictive in some cases, it only stopped working recently. Switching keyboards doesn't do anything to address the underlying issue.

[ghost]

This doesn't seem directly caused by predictive text.

Not directly but still related. Termux can't handle word-based input. It recognizes only char-by-char input.

The predictive aspect only allows for autocompletion or correction.

TerminalView is not a text field and keyboard knows nothing what is being typed. That causes issues with word-based input.

Termux also works this way with predictive in some cases

We use TYPE_NULL input type. According to SDK documents, a generic input type should be chosen in that case. Samsung keyboards behave weirdly and choose the last used input type instead.

Switching keyboards doesn't do anything to address the underlying issue.

If keyboard assumes that TYPE_NULL is actually last used one, that's a keyboard's bug. Not ours.

We can use

InputType.TYPE_TEXT_VARIATION_VISIBLE_PASSWORD | InputType.TYPE_TEXT_FLAG_NO_SUGGESTIONS

to make it work well with Samsung keyboards but that will cause some issues with others, especially ones that do special handling for passwords.

[DougLohre]

I am using Termux on a Samsung Note8 and what annoys me is that I cannot see what I type because Termux doesn't echo the characters. Only when I type a space, a dash or similar Termux echoes what I have typed so far.
Is this a big or a wrong setting?

I'm having that problem too! ugh!!

[quazZzar]

Same problem here.
Started after I updated to the newest Android 10 and UI 2.0 ... Samsung S9+

[x2k13]

Same for Samsung Galaxy Tab A 10.5 after today's February Update. Yesterday it worked, now it's borked. And the workaround by deactivating predictive text doesn't work anymore.

Edit: Correction, after a reboot, predictive text disabled, Termux recognises input again. That doesn't mean the issue is fixed, though. Covering the symptoms by disabling widely used features of a keyboard isn't really a fix for a bug.

[kk-007]

Same issue here in smasung galexy s9

[kk-007]

Same problem here.
Started after I updated to the newest Android 10 and UI 2.0 ... Samsung S9+

i have also updated in s9 but issue is there it's not solved.

[mandresc]

Hi,
I was having the same issue and after disabling the Predictive Text, then I exit the program and open it again and now is working fine

[bchristie]

FWIW, Note 20 Ultra... same issue. Appears to really dislike the Samsung keyboard.

Android 10, OneUI 2.5.

[ghost]

@SDRausty Please note that this thread is not about compiling keyboard app in Termux. If you want to suggest a keyboard to try - provide a link to Google Play or F-Droid so users can try it. But links to irrelevant repositories and web pages are spam. Stop advertising your repos on Termux bug tracker and I won't mark your comments as such.

Now regarding this issue: I already mentioned that possible solution will be reverting back to previous input method used by Termux:

InputType.TYPE_TEXT_VARIATION_VISIBLE_PASSWORD | InputType.TYPE_TEXT_FLAG_NO_SUGGESTIONS

This will explicitly reset keyboard to input method acceptable by application. @fornwall however doesn't consider this as acceptable solution.

[ghost]

As issue exists for more than 2 years and no one submitted a proper pull request addressing this, I can make a termux.properties option through which you should be enable workaround by using older "visible password" input type.

[x2k13]

As issue exists for more than 2 years and no one submitted a proper pull request addressing this, I can make a termux.properties option through which you should be enable workaround by using older "visible password" input type.

I had no idea this could be achieved with termux.properties, that would be great (with a bit of documentation of course). I'm sure you would make a lot of Samsung users really happy. Cheers!

[ghost]

I had no idea this could be achieved with termux.properties, that would be great (with a bit of documentation of course).

Right now it is not available, so not documented. I guess can make a toggable workaround release it as part of Termux v0.99 either today or tomorrow.

[LordMrcS]

@xeffyr tested your fix and it's working perfectly now. Thanks ! 👍

 cd ~
 mkdir .termux
 echo "enforce-char-based-input=true" > .termux/termux.properties
 termux-reload-settings

[ghost]

Part of v0.99 release.

APKs publishing is on @fornwall 's (Google Play) and F-Droid's responsibility.

[x2k13]

Part of v0.99 release.

APKs publishing is on @fornwall 's (Google Play) and F-Droid's responsibility.

Thank you very much, you rock!

[topongo]

@xeffyr tested your fix and it's working perfectly now. Thanks ! 👍

 cd ~
 mkdir .termux
 echo "enforce-char-based-input=true" > .termux/termux.properties
 termux-reload-settings

I'm having the same behavior described initially with the Gboard keyboard, but even modifying ~/.termux/termux.properties enabling and disabling enforce-char-based-input I don't get any result. Either cases gboard is still in text input type and not password input type.

[agnostic-apollo]

I don't get any result.

Restart Termux after enabling it for changes to take effect.

[fly-machine]

I was facing same issue with Gboard (google keyboard).
I have disabled all options in text correction in gboard settings (gboard settings > text correction > disable all options) after that this issue is gone for me.