First time Android user, switched from Windows phone

[Christopher Lindsay]

Hey, so I'm a brand new Android user. I came from Windows. I had enough problems with my flagship Lumia 950 so I switch to the Google Pixel. I've only had the Pixel for a couple days and thus far I really like it. There's just a few things that I can't seem to figure out. First, I figured out where the option to change default settings are but I can't seem to change the default browser from chrome to the Bing app. It doesn't show up as an option. How do I fix this? Also I'm a bit confused on the default keyboard. Sometimes it gives suggestions and other times it does not. Why is it like this and how do I change that? Lastly on Windows 10 mobile I get much more than 3 suggested words at a time. You can scroll through a list of suggested words when typing or swipping. Is there no way to do this on Android?

 

[Christopher Lindsay]

This is what I'm talking about. Sometimes I get suggestions and other times I don't but in Windows phone I always get suggestions regardless of what app I type in. How do I make suggestions universal?

 

[Tim1954]

Settings... Applications... Default applications.... Internet.... Bing..
Keyboard in don't know, I use SwiftKey or the new Google one which can be temperamental..
Welcome to Android and the forums.
Best thing is just like around in settings etc and see what's around . I don't have Nougat on my S7 yet, so can't be sure if it's much different from marshmallow...

 

[hallux]

Those are 2 different "suggestions" features. One is Google suggesting common searches, the other would be the keyboard (is that Swype?) suggesting completed words (which it IS doing).

 

[Javier P]

Welcome to the forums. Google keyboard (Gboard) doesn't show word suggestions when typing on a search box, like in Chrome or the Play Store. You can use a different keyboard, such as SwiftKey, to get those suggestions.

 

[Morty2264]

Welcome to Android Central! If you are wanting a better keyboard experience, the SwiftKey app is a great one. You can customise keyboard size and layout, themes, and the position of some of the keys.

Please let us know if you have any other questions.

 

[Christopher Lindsay]

Settings... Applications... Default applications.... Internet.... Bing..
Keyboard in don't know, I use SwiftKey or the new Google one which can be temperamental..
Welcome to Android and the forums.
Best thing is just like around in settings etc and see what's around . I don't have Nougat on my S7 yet, so can't be sure if it's much different from marshmallow...

I don't seem to have that option.

 

[Javier P]

Have you downloaded it from the Play Store?

https://forums.androidcentral.com/e.../details?id=com.microsoft.bing&token=ufB6vYs3

 

[Christopher Lindsay]

Have you downloaded it from the Play Store?

https://forums.androidcentral.com/e.../details?id=com.microsoft.bing&token=n1_KfEn3

Yeah, I put it in the chrome spot.

 

[Javier P]

Hmm. I think Bing works just as a search engine, so android doesn't recognise it as a browser. You can select it as your default search in Chrome or any other browser.

 

[Christopher Lindsay]

Thanks. That's better.

 

[Christopher Lindsay]

Still having issues with the keyboard. I've tried a few keyboards but they all seem to be worst than the Windows phone keyboard in one way or another. The Swift keyboard isn't really cutting it for me because it doesn't seem to have a scroll function like the gboard does (by swiping the space bar). The Gboard doesn't suggest words all the time. I got flesky. It doesn't have swipping and the numbers and symbols are in a weird order on that one. I found the Microsoft hub keyboard. The layout and theme is perfect but it doesn't have swipping or scrolling. It seems to be an older version of the Windows phone keyboard. Is there no keyboard that suggest words, has swipping and can scroll? I also can't find a keyboard that recommends more than 3 suggested words when typing. Is this an Android limitation?

 

[hallux]

I see you didn't say that you tried Swype. Give that a shot. I just tried doing a search - it gave me suggestions from the keyboard itself, in a scrolling (horizontally) list.

I've been a fan of Swype from the very beginning.

 

[Christopher Lindsay]

Keyboards on Android, particularly SwiftKey, learn from your input so it takes a while.

I tried this one as well. No scrolling in it.

 

[Christopher Lindsay]

I see you didn't say that you tried Swype. Give that a shot. I just tried doing a search - it gave me suggestions from the keyboard itself, in a scrolling (horizontally) list.

I've been a fan of Swype from the very beginning.

YES this one is so much better!

 

[anon(632115)]

This thread is a fantastic example of how good this forum is. Happy New Year guys

 

[hallux]

YES this one is so much better!

Glad you like it. We're here to help. Especially when there are SO many choices on an open platform like Android, SOMEONE in a forum this big is likely to have an untried option that might fit your needs or desires.

 

[Tim1954]

Indeed! It's bewildering for people coming from other platforms. And of course, it's different. We would have similar issues if we moved to another platform I guess. It takes a while to familiarise with the OS. In any case, it's great you found one you like, I hope you get to love Android as much as the rest of us do! Happy days...