Swiping & Automatic Capitalization

[Father Tech]

While swiping on the standard Android keyboard, if my finger passes over the upward-pointing 'capitalization' arrow, all subsequent letters are capitalized. Can I disable this feature?

The problem I have with this feature is that if my finger accidentally passes over the arrow on its way to the letter 'a' then everything from that point will be capitalized. I don't want that to happen.

 

[N4Newbie]

Which phone are you using? What is the OS version?

Assuming that your phone supports it (and you are most likely not currently using it) try downloading Google's "GBoard" keyboard: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.inputmethod.latin&hl=en

In my tests, it does not exhibit the behavior you have noted above.

 

[Father Tech]

Re: EDITED: Swiping & Automatic Capitalization

I should have mentioned that I'm using the Gboard keyboard on a Google Pixel running Oreo. There's no control that I can see in Settings that solves my problem.

 

[N4Newbie]

Re: EDITED: Swiping & Automatic Capitalization

I should have mentioned that I'm using the Gboard keyboard on a Google Pixel running Oreo. There's no control that I can see in Settings that solves my problem.

I am currently using a Pixel 2 XL, previously a Pixel XL, with GBoard. I tried, unsuccessfully, to duplicate your problem in a Hangouts message and GMail.

Are you seeing this across all apps?

Are you sure that GBoard is actually the active keyboard? With the keyboard popped up, tap the small keyboard icon at bottom right corner of the navigation button bar.

I went through GBoard settings and could not find anything that seems to apply here.

 

[Father Tech]

Gboard is the only keyboard installed on my phone. There is no keyboard icon on my navigation button bar.

Looks like I'm going to have to live with this.

 

[Father Tech]

After more experimentation I can be more specific about what I am observing and, yes, I will have to live with it:

When you are starting a new word - not when you are in the middle of a word - if, by accident, your finger rests on the up-arrow instead of the first letter of your word, Gboard will capitalize the first letter of the word and there is nothing you can do about it except to lift your finger off the keyboard and start your word again. Meanwhile Gboard will capitalize whatever letter your finger happened to be on when you lifted your finger off the keyboard and you will have to stop typing to delete that letter.

This is annoying because when you are glide-typing you can easily write a whole paragraph without lifting your finger off the keyboard. But if your finger lands on the up-arrow instead of the first letter of a word, you must lift your finger off the keyboard, otherwise Gboard will not let you continue to glide-type until your finger comes to rest on a letter, which Gboard will then capitalize.

 

[N4Newbie]

After more experimentation I can be more specific about what I am observing and, yes, I will have to live with it:

When you are starting a new word - not when you are in the middle of a word - if, by accident, your finger rests on the up-arrow instead of the first letter of your word, Gboard will capitalize the first letter of the word and there is nothing you can do about it except to lift your finger off the keyboard and start your word again. Meanwhile Gboard will capitalize whatever letter your finger happened to be on when you lifted your finger off the keyboard and you will have to stop typing to delete that letter.

This is annoying because when you are glide-typing you can easily write a whole paragraph without lifting your finger off the keyboard. But if your finger lands on the up-arrow instead of the first letter of a word, you must lift your finger off the keyboard, otherwise Gboard will not let you continue to glide-type until your finger comes to rest on a letter, which Gboard will then capitalize.

Okay, sure, that seems to be the way it works.

I guess the trick is, stop letting your finger come to rest on the up arrow. I use GBoard in glide mode all the time and never noticed this issue, apparently because I never let my finger go where it shouldn't be.

You could always try Swiftkey - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.touchtype.swiftkey

Lots of people like Flesky, too - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.syntellia.fleksy.keyboard