Backspace key not functioning in GMail chat/Google Chat.

[nik282000]

Steps to reproduce

When entering text in the message input box all typeable characters (a-z, 0-9, symbols) and spacebar slide functions work but the backspace key has no effect. This is limited to the chat function of the GMail and Google Chat, in all other text input boxes backspace works.

Expected behavior

The backspace key should delete the character to the left of the cursor.

Actual behavior

There is a haptic feedback that backspace was tapped but no effect on the text input box.

version of the program

3.4.7

Android version

Android 14

Device

Pixel 8

Other details

This is likely a Google problem but I tested with other keyboards and did not have any issues with backspace.

Acknowledgements

• I have written a short but informative title.
• I have updated the app to the latest version.
• I have searched the existing issues and this is a new one, NOT a duplicate or related to another open issue.
• This is not a question or a discussion, in which case I should have gone to lemmy.ml/c/thumbkey
• This is a single bug report, in case of multiple bugs I will open a separate issue for each one (they can always link to each other if related)
• I have admitted that I am a clown by having checked this box, as I have not read these acknowledgements. 🤡
• I have filled out all of the requested information in this form.

[dessalines]

They're probably hijacking key events like backspace. I'd need someone who has those apps to debug them and see what's going on.

[Norgus]

I also use Android 14 and have this issue now. Device is FairPhone 5, app just updated to 3.4.8.

I got mad and cleared app storage of thumbkey and google chat, even restarted the phone. Same symptoms persist, other keyboards' backspace working in gchat, Thumb-key backspace working in all other apps I tested.

I hope whatever Google did affected other popular keyboards so they feel the need to fix it.

[CarVac]

I have this too now. Long-press to delete whole words works, though.

[rigel314]

The Google Chat app seems to ignore more than just the KEYCODE_DEL key event, but other key events too, like the KEYCODE_DPAD_RIGHT. I can see both being sent in logcat, but neither makes an action in Google Chat. Though slide gestures on the spacebar will still move the cursor more than one character.

I made a quick local build of thumb-key where instead of the backspace button sending a KEYCODE_DEL key event, it uses ime.currentInputConnection.deleteSurroundingText(1,0);. This makes backspace work, but it doesn't have the same semantics - for instance, if any text is selected, it deletes a character before the selected text rather than deleting the selected text.

It does seem like Google Chat is just ignoring key events.

[dessalines]

In that case we should probably close this as no fix, and someone here should link or open up an issue on googles bug tracker for this.

[gitterrost4]

@dessalines I have actually looked at other open source keyboards (which all work in Google Chat) and it seems they all don't send a KEYCODE_DEL, but look if there is a selection and use deleteSurroundingText(1,0); if not and commitText("",0) if there is. I have it coded up and would submit a PR if this issue can be reopened.

[dessalines]

Sure.

[dessalines]

As mentioned in the above issue, open up issues in gmail chat and google chat for this bug, and link them here. Those apps should not be hijacking key events and breaking keyboards. That goes against google's own recommendations for app development.

Otherwise we'd need guidance from google as to how IME's are supposed to send delete events.

[gitterrost4]

I created an issue on Google's issue tracker.

https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/382864243