Grid Custom Keyboard lets the user choose which characters appear on the keyboard, and where.
The Unicode character set can also be browsed in a grid panel. So a user could start typing characters from anywhere in the Unicode set.
The keyboard has no swiping gesture and does not use the technique of a long press to select alternative characters.
Grid Custom Keyboard is a free app, without ads, and no in-app purchases.
No permission asked. Android 6+
NOTICE
Keyboard apps need to be activated in Android Settings. An approval will be asked on screen by Android.
Maintenance or new features could be infrequent.
MAIN FEATURES
- The 26 characters of the QWERTY area can be replaced (lowercase and UPPERCASE). QWERTY is the standard layout shown by default:
QWERTY UIOP
ASDF GHJKL
ZXCV BNM
- 3 panels can be filled with user-specified characters (up to 37 in each). By default, they contain non-alphabetic characters, accented characters, emojis. Keys besides the space bar trigger the panels; each key shows the first character of the panel
- Grid Custom Keyboard returns to the main display after selection of a character on a panel; but it can stay on the panel with the "pin down" key
- A key brings a panel to browse the Unicode character set, and select a character from it. The last position is remembered when the user hits the key again. The list of Unicode range names (language names, symbol groups, etc) can be browsed and tapped for selection; a specific Unicode value can also be typed to go directly to a known location in the character set. NOTE: No phone or tablet can display all 135000+ Unicode characters; what can be displayed depends on the font installed on the device.
- Grid Custom Keyboard Settings are changed from the keyboard (gear key)
- 3 landscape layouts are available for tablets (different number of grid columns)
- On phones, there is a key to switch to a compact mode, taking less space on screen, containing only the essential keys for typing
- On tablets, there is a special round layout that optimizes the finger movements
- Control keys: Backspace, Delete, arrows, Shift/Caps-Lock, Enter, Ctrl-Z (undo)
- Grid Custom Keyboard has an auto-repeat key: a state key (like Shift) that will make the next touched key to repeat, until it is released
- Optional display of character on touch, in a rectangle above the key
- Word suggestion (completion) for 3 languages: English, French, Spanish, based on embedded lists of 23000 words each
- Grid Custom Keyboard has a "private cache" : a panel which is a private clipboard of 15 cells. Touching a cell in the cache panel will paste its content at the cursor position. A cell is filled with the word at cursor position (anything without white space, URL is OK)
- Grid Custom Keyboard has no key for switching to another keyboard, since nowadays Android devices have a tiny keyboard icon to do that (when the keyboard is active)
