Keep gboard *settings* alive in background?

[tragicmike]

This used to work before a recent update, but now it won't anymore.

Basically, I was able to use the overview button (☐) to switch back-and-forth between any other backgrounded app and the gboard settings UI. But now, as soon as I switch out of the gboard settings to any other app, no matter how fast I hit ☐ again, gboard settings is instantly removed from the list of running apps in the overview.

This doesn't happen when changing settings for other apps - even other keyboard apps - and didn't use to happen with gboard either.

If anyone has any idea how to fix this, please let me know! Thanks!

BTW, before anyone suggests it, I've already tried uninstalling/reinstalling gboard. It didn't work. And even worse, I lost most of my gboard settings/data in the process!

Yes, not only did gboard fail to backup/restore app settings from the cloud (like my chosen theme, and most of the other app settings), but it also failed to back up and restore my personal dictionary properly, so I lost shortcuts for at least **50** different words and commonly used text strings I had saved!

To top it off, this happened on a Google Pixel 2 using stock Android firmware and OS. I really thought Google would be a lot better about backup/restore of app data. But at least I know now to never trust in "automatic" cloud-syncd backups!

 

[Rukbat]

It's most likely not something that can be "fixed", the code was changed, so the app no longer runs in the background. You'd have to decompile Gboard, rewrite it, then recompile it, uninstall what's there and install your modified one. SwiftKey Keyboard (yes, I know Microsoft bought it - it's still a good keyboard) settings still stays as a background app. (I've been using it for years, and I like it a lot more than I like Gboard. Not that there's anything wrong with Gboard, I just like SwiftKey better.)