Can't get rid of keyboard in Calculator app

[mrbofus]

I have a Motorola DROID MAXX running Android 4.4.4. If I open the Calculator app normally, everything works fine. However, if I search for the Calculator app using the search field from the home screen and open it that way, they QWERTY keyboard is overlaid on the bottom half of the calculator screen, making it unusable (screenshot attached). Normally, hitting the back button will get rid of the keyboard, but not in this case.

How do I get rid of the keyboard when this happens? What am I missing?

 

[Jab73180]

My question is why search for it? Use a shortcut on the home screen or just open the app tray. It should always be on the first page.

-Jason

 

[mrbofus]

My question is why search for it? Use a shortcut on the home screen or just open the app tray. It should always be on the first page.

-Jason

Firstly, please at least attempt to answer the question or contribute towards an answer. The issue is not that I am looking for the best way to open the Calculator app. The issue is that when opening the Calculator app via search, the QWERTY keyboard obscures the app, rendering it unusable.

Secondly, your post has good suggestions on how to solve a potential tangential problem, but offers no input or insight into the relevant issue. If this is happening with the Calculator app, it might be happening with other apps.

Thirdly, there are many possible reasons people might want to search for an app instead of putting them on the home screen or using the app tray.

 

[Jab73180]

You are using words I don't know the meaning off, so I will respectfully bow out of this battle of wits.

-Jason

 

[mrbofus]

You are using words I don't know the meaning off, so I will respectfully bow out of this battle of wits.

-Jason

It should be, "meaning of", not "meaning off".

Additionally, I did not realize we were engaged in a "battle of wits"; I'm not sure where that came from. However, if you have a solution or ideas on one, please contribute!

 

[Hgouck]

When you come to a forum and are looking for a solution to your problem it is probably not a good idea to be rude and condescending to the first responder. It tends to make others not want to help you. He did give you a solution and asked a valid question.
But to respond to your query I have the same result when searching for the calculator. If you hit the button on the right hand side to bring up running apps and select the calculator the keyboard goes away. This is the only app that this glitch happens to me on my phone. I hope that helps.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[xweb10]

It looks like you found a bug/glitch. Besides the obvious best solution of just using the shortcut, Hgouk's alternative works too.

 

[mrbofus]

When you come to a forum and are looking for a solution to your problem it is probably not a good idea to be rude and condescending to the first responder. It tends to make others not want to help you. He did give you a solution and asked a valid question.
But to respond to your query I have the same result when searching for the calculator. If you hit the button on the right hand side to bring up running apps and select the calculator the keyboard goes away. This is the only app that this glitch happens to me on my phone. I hope that helps.

Posted via Android Central App

Thank you for confirming the glitch!

As to your first point, with all due respect, his first response was not a solution. Did he ask a related question? Sure. Was it a solution to the problem? Tangential, at best.

Let's say you have a car that is having engine trouble and you take it to the mechanic. Let's say you tell him/her, "Hey, my car is having trouble starting and makes this weird grinding noise," to which the mechanic responds, "Why do you even want to fix this car? Why not just buy a new one?" Would your response be, "That's a perfectly valid question and that addresses my issue precisely,"? No. Your response would be, "Well, yes, buying a new car would "fix" this issue, but the issue, as it remains, is that trying to use the car that I have now results in problems. Please help me fix this issue."

Additionally, perhaps I am being obtuse here, but I am unclear as to how my first response to @Jab73180 was "rude and condescending". I politely asked him to address the issue at hand and reiterated the issue in case he/she was unclear as to what it was. I then pointed out that his/her post was helpful in a tangential way but did not address the original problem. At no point was I rude or condescending to him/her. If I was, please point it out to me and I will be more than happy to apologize. I came here for assistance and being told my issue is not an issue (when in fact, as you have confirmed, it is an issue) was not helpful or polite in and of itself.

 

[mrbofus]

It looks like you found a bug/glitch. Besides the obvious best solution of just using the shortcut, Hgouk's alternative works too.

At least with @Hgouk confirming the issue, we can probably safely start to assume it is indeed a glitch. Does it happen for you on your phone as well?

 

[Jab73180]

This is hardly a "bad starter" issue, and no one implied you had to get a new phone. Staying with the car analogy, this is more of a rear window washer not working. Who cares if it doesn't work, I wouldn't.

-Jason

 

[doogald]

You can also dismiss the keyboard on the search app by pressing back, after you've typed "calculator", and then press the search result; the keyboard will not be there when the calculator app opens.

I'm not sure if this is a bug in the search app or the calculator app, but, unlike an automobile, it's a bug that can't be fixed by a "mechanic". ONLY Google or Motorola/verizon can fix it with a software update.

And yes, you're initial (and second) response reads a little condescendingly. A simple thanks for your response, but I'm still looking for an answer would have been sufficient. Maybe you don't see the condescension, but a few of us do.

 

[mrbofus]

You can also dismiss the keyboard on the search app by pressing back, after you've typed "calculator", and then press the search result; the keyboard will not be there when the calculator app opens.

I'm not sure if this is a bug in the search app or the calculator app, but, unlike an automobile, it's a bug that can't be fixed by a "mechanic". ONLY Google or Motorola/verizon can fix it with a software update.

And yes, you're initial (and second) response reads a little condescendingly. A simple thanks for your response, but I'm still looking for an answer would have been sufficient. Maybe you don't see the condescension, but a few of us do.

Thank you for confirming the glitch as well. I would imagine it's a glitch with the calculator app since I haven't been able to find another app that this happens with. Then again, there are thousands and thousands of apps out there, so who knows.

And in this case, the "mechanic" would be a programmer at Google. Additionally, we would need Google AND Verizon, since Verizon has to approve the software update that Google needs to create. Since this isn't a high priority bug (and possibly one that's not even known at Google currently), I don't know if it will get fixed anytime soon.

As for the tone of my posts, I will apologize to @Jab73180 then. @Jab73180, I apologize for responding to you in a condescending way.

However, I'm a little confused as to why he gets a free pass for being dismissive of the issue. He even says, "Who cares if it doesn't work, I wouldn't." If he doesn't care if it works, why is he posting in a thread trying to figure it out?

 

[mrbofus]

Since you asked, he gets a free pass (from me, at least) because you were less than friendly in your initial response. You set the tone. First impressions and all that.

It's a shame that this has to be said, but try being kind to people instead of being rude.

But he was the first one to respond with the sentiment of, "why do you care about the issue?", so wouldn't he have been the first one to set the tone?

 

[WallaceD]

But he was the first one to respond with the sentiment of, "why do you care about the issue?", so wouldn't he have been the first one to set the tone?

I deleted my original post. I really don't care to debate the issue, so I removed my message.

 

[doogald]

Yep, I'm pretty sure it's an issue with the calculator app, as some other apps I've tried don't have the keyboard open when launching from a search.

There are other calculator apps in the play store that don't have this problem. Try this one: https://forums.androidcentral.com/e...ps/details?id=com.candl.athena&token=9Z6D683b

Or, try some others...

 

[xweb10]

Does it happen for you on your phone as well?

Yes, I was able to reproduce it. Funny thing is I never used the search functionality to launch an app before. That was new to me.

 

[mrbofus]

Yes, I was able to reproduce it. Funny thing is I never used the search functionality to launch an app before. That was new to me.

Thank you for confirming that!

Depending on how many apps you have and how you have your home screens organized, searching for an app can be faster than opening it using other methods. I'm glad you were able to learn about a new alternative!