Is is possible to downgrade to KitKat samsung keyboard?

[Husker3in4]

I upgraded to Lollipop a few days ago. I like alot of the changes, but dont like the Lollipop version of Samsung keyboard. It is very similar, but the keys are smaller and there is more space between the keys now. The Kitkat version reduced the space between the keys and allowed for larger keys, thats what I want. Ive tried 3rd party keyboards but none of them have the number row of keys on top, which I like to have.

2nd question, any way to change from the orange color that the messenging app forces me to use (top of the messaging menu is orange instead of blue now)

Lastly, Application manager is no longer on my phone. How can I get it back?

I have a samsung S4 from verizon.

 

[Rukbat]

1. It's possible to install any keyboard apk (or, if you find it in the Play Store, just install it from there). You don't "downgrade", you just install the one you want, then select it as the default. (You usually can't uninstall the one that comes in the phone unless you root.)

You might also want to try other keyboards (you can install one, try it and, if you don't like it, uninstall it.) There are a lot of good free ones - I've been using SwiftKey Keyboard for a long time.

2. Some apps allow you to theme other apps. Someone else will have to tell you which one will do that on the messaging app on an S4 running KK - I've never had the urge to try it.

3. Application manager should be in Settings, in General. If it's not there, as far as I know, the only way to get it back would be to flash the stock KitKat ROM. (Back up everything first - Backing up an Android Device - flashing a ROM gives you an out-of-the-box phone. Everything you've done since you got it disappears.)

 

[Husker3in4]

I found a KitKat Samsung Keyboard and installed it, but since the Lollipop version is also called Samsung Keyboard, I cant select it as my keyboard. I also dont see it in the list uninstall.

I tried downloading swiftykey, and it says its installed, but it doesnt show up on my list of keyboards to choose from?

I dont seem to have a General section in my settings.

Is it possible just to rollback to KitKat? Or is the flashing process easy?

 

[Rukbat]

I found a KitKat Samsung Keyboard and installed it, but since the Lollipop version is also called Samsung Keyboard, I cant select it as my keyboard. I also dont see it in the list uninstall.

That's a problem. Are you sure the installer didn't say that it failed to install?

I tried downloading swiftykey, and it says its installed, but it doesnt show up on my list of keyboards to choose from?

That's VERY strange. I've installed SwiftKey on MANY phones, and it always shows up.

I dont seem to have a General section in my settings.

That's one problem. The keyboard choices should be in the Controls section, in Language and input. You have to enable the keyboard in there (tap the checkbox, so there's a check in it) before the keyboard will show up when you have a choice of keyboards to use.

Is it possible just to rollback to KitKat? Or is the flashing process easy?

That depends on the carrier. Samsung AT&T and Verizon phones have "minimum version" fuses, and once you update to 5, you can't roll back to 4. You cn roll back from any 5 version to any earli8er 5 version.

If it's another carrier, possibly - check the XDA Forums forum for your phone and carrier and sk developers who have one (and have tried to roll them back from LP to KK - many of them do things just to see if they can be done).

Flashing a ROM to a Samsung phone isn't easy - it makes easy seem difficult. It's boring. Okay, maybe the first 2 or 3 times you do it, it may be a bit scary, but by the 10th time, you won't do it until prime time - so you have a TV show to watch while the process is running. Watching grass grow in the winter in Siberia is more exciting. See [Samsung] How to flash Stock ROM via ODIN for a step by step with pictures. Reading the guide is a lot more exciting than flashing the phone - and it's the kind of reading you can use to fall asleep to.

 

[Husker3in4]

Honestly I would love to use SwiftKey. I think the problem is, Samsung Keyboard already uses a built in Swiftkey Flow keyboard, so when I try to install it standalone, it thinks it already has it?

If I had the option to uninstall Samsung Keyboard, I would, just so I could try to put in Swift Key or install the KitKat version of Samsung Keyboard.

I am on Verizon, so I guess a rollback isnt possible