Motorola Droid Hard Keyboard

[nasht00]

So I recently got the Motorola Droid, it's my first Android phone.
I come from the iPhone world, and I thought having a physical keyboard would be nicer.
I don't know if it's because I got used to the iPhone, but so far I'm not thrilled with that keyboard, it's too easy to make mistakes and it's not comfortable.

One thing I noticed is that when you use the soft keyboard, it corrects you automatically and offers you suggestions as you type.
How can I get the same features when using the hard physical keyboard?
I think this would make things easier ...

 

[JustROLLIN]

The physical keyboard is setup the exact same way as the virtual keyboard as far as error corrections go. Well, at least mine is, but I assumed that was true across the board.

 

[GDroid]

So I recently got the Motorola Droid, it's my first Android phone.
I come from the iPhone world, and I thought having a physical keyboard would be nicer.
I don't know if it's because I got used to the iPhone, but so far I'm not thrilled with that keyboard, it's too easy to make mistakes and it's not comfortable.

One thing I noticed is that when you use the soft keyboard, it corrects you automatically and offers you suggestions as you type.
How can I get the same features when using the hard physical keyboard?
I think this would make things easier ...

Go into settings ==> Language & keyboard ==> Device keyboard and make sure "Auto-replace" is checked.

 

[vincentp]

You have to do some legwork if you want the prediction to show up for the physical, and it doesn't work right all of the time. If you install the HTC soft keyboard rom, go into its settings, and check off everything, then set it as the default keyboard, you can have those features on the physical. The catch is, you have to click in the field you're typing in before the predictive bar will show up, after you open the physical keyboard, and since it's not made for that, it will ocassionally crash.

As for the comfort of typing, I got used to it after a few weeks and actually ended up really liking the physical keyboard. I use both the landscape onscreen, portrait onscreen and physical depending on the length and complexity of what I need to type, and I love having the option. Typing out a long e-mail on the onscreen keyboard is just not convenient or efficient for me.

 

[FrayAdjacent]

The physical keyboard is setup the exact same way as the virtual keyboard as far as error corrections go. Well, at least mine is, but I assumed that was true across the board.

I find this not to be true. There are fewer things that will auto correct when using the physical keyboard. You also do not get the suggestions, so when you're typing a long word, you have to type the whole thing out.

I've checked the options in settings as denoted above, and all the appropriate boxes are checked. Still, not much gets autocorrected.

 

[nasht00]

same here
all boxes are checked, but still not as powerful as the soft keyboard

 

[GDroid]

same here
all boxes are checked, but still not as powerful as the soft keyboard

Well, that sucks! I wouldn't know as I don't use the physical KB.

 

[ralphjb]

Don't have an answer on the auto fill for the physical keyboard. Frankly, I prefer to type without and it can prove distracting to me.

My last phone was the AT&T Tilt, so I was used to a keyboard similar to the Droids. I like this one better, in fact, as there are more hard keys, so there is less use of shift keys.

 

[rawness]

Yea, with the physical keyboard, all it seems to do is add apostrophes (i.e. "Hes>He's", "cant>can't", etc.) Beyond, that it doesn't do much auto-correcting.

 

[magnus]

Hmmm......I just recently installed better keyboard and I get the auto-correct....which I assume is just type a few letters and it will bring up suggestions.

I don't get the autocorrect when I use the physical keyboard....all settings are checked.

BUT....I feel like I have seen it working with the Hardware keyboard. I wonder if something is interfering with something else.

 

[vincentp]

Hmmm......I just recently installed better keyboard and I get the auto-correct....which I assume is just type a few letters and it will bring up suggestions.

I don't get the autocorrect when I use the physical keyboard....all settings are checked.

BUT....I feel like I have seen it working with the Hardware keyboard. I wonder if something is interfering with something else.

You won't get the autocorrect with the physical unless you install the HTC keyboard APK. It doesn't work with the default or better keyboard settings. Once you have it you check off all of the options for the HTC keyboard, long press on a field to set the input method, then whenever you use the physical keyboard, clicking in the text area after sliding it out will activate the autocorrect. As I said, it's a bit buggy and slow since this was probably not intended, but it works if you really want it.