How do I change the default keyboard to an alternative keyboard?

[Scritter]

alternative keyboard

OK I downloaded the Swipe apk from the play store. It acted as the default input device until closed the app via the task manager, back to Samsung. How do change the default?, how do even select for the other keyboard?

Any help is welcome. ....please. ...

 

[SpookDroid]

Re: alternative keyboard

Just start typing in any text field. A keyboard icon should appear on your notification bar. Select that and it lets you select your input method.

 

[Scritter]

Re: alternative keyboard

When I attempt to select anything from the notification bar the whole panel comes down and there is no mention of keyboards, input devices or really anything but a list of items to become sidetracked over. ....The whole notification bar is kind of confusing to me as I have never had a smart phone (no service here) and the d÷% $d symbols are to small for me to see. I have been using Samsung's tablets since the original 7", mostly work related, and I (still) carry my GT-7.0+ !
This is very frustrating because I can't seem to "get" this one.

 

[SpookDroid]

Re: alternative keyboard

That's strange. If you have more than one input method installed there should be this keyboard icon (and the legend CHOOSE INPUT METHOD) on the notification bar; the icon would be on the top left corner. Again, this icon/option only shows up when you're writing something, it's not there constantly.

However, if for some reason you uninstalled or disabled SwiftKey, that selection option won't appear. Go to Settings, find LANGUAGE AND INPUT and make sure that there's a check mark next to SwiftKey (otherwise it won't be active). If you can't find SwiftKey in that list, then it's not properly installed and it's not registering as a keyboard option.

 

[Scritter]

Re: alternative keyboard

Got the icon when and where you said but I still can't select just that; even with a stylus I get the whole panel. Is the notification bar supposed to be 3/32" wide? (Maybe less) and can it be made a bit wider?

Thanks for your time!!

 

[SpookDroid]

Re: alternative keyboard

Oh, yeah, to select the icon you need to expand the notification bar first. You can't just tap on it, unfortunately (it used to be simpler before KitKat, I didn't like the way they changed it IMHO). As for the width, I don't have a ruler but 3/32" might be too small... the only way I can think of to make the notification bar larger is to change your font settings to a larger one.