Community Tech Tip – Teeny Tiny Buttons!

Swipe text, also known as “Slide To Type” on iPhones, allows you to drag your finger from one key to the next while the phone predicts what word you are trying to create. This above illustration demonstrates Microsoft’s variation on this technology for their SwiftKey keyboard software, which can be installed on both Android and iPhone smartphones.

​by Russ Alman, Communications Director

One of the frequent complaints I hear from people over 50 is their frustration with the keyboards on their smartphones. I’m over 50 too, and I have to agree: As much as I like all of the tools my smartphone puts in the palm of my hand, the virtual keyboard is a constant source of irritation. I have fat fingers and not the most dexterous person, and I frequently find myself typing the same mistakes, like hitting the backspace key instead of the M key. And frankly, autocorrect is a joke.

The Treo series, first made by Handspring and then sold to Palm, competed with the Blackberry platform to provide smartphones with built-in, physical keyboards.

For older seniors, the problem tends to be even worse, because with less steady hands, these keyboards are even less forgiving.
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As smartphones have evolved into full-fledged computing devices, people need to type more and longer sentences on them. In fact, many of the young people you run into these days use their phone instead of a computer, much to the chagrin of teachers. I’m glad they are so adept, but it sure doesn’t work for me!

A little history lesson… Back in the 1990s when cell phones first became  widely available, people began using them to send simple text messages. However, since the phones only had a number pad, engineers devised a system called “multi-tap,” where you would press a number multiple times to produce the correct letter. Since there was already a lettering system assigned to phone number keys, this was a natural progression. Needless to say, this system was slow and tedious.

The next step was T9 texting, where multi-tap was combined with predictive completion of common words. So if you typed “T-H-A,” your phone would suggest “thank,” and then you could press the right arrow to complete the word. This was an improvement, but still lagging behind the technology needed to efficiently write messages.

Arguably the biggest advancement came in the early 2000s with the first generation of smartphones, like the Handspring/Palm Treo and the highly-popular Blackberry. These phones included a small  physical keyboard with individual buttons like their full-sized computer counterparts.

Many people who have used them still lament the transition to modern smartphones with virtual, on-screen keyboards. While phone manufacturers like Samsung have tried to better emulate physical keyboards through the addition of haptic feedback (the keys make the phone vibrate when you press them), there is just no replacing the tactile response of real keys.

Thankfully, computer engineers continue to develop alternative ways to enter information into smartphones. If you’re frustrated with tapping the tiny letters, try one of these alternatives:

Predictive text has become much better on smartphones. Rather than typing out the entire word, start by typing the first few letters and then watch for the suggested words above the keyboard. If you see the correct one, just tap on it to complete the word.

Swipe text, also known as “Slide To Type” on iPhones, allows you drag your finger from letter to letter. Even if you aren’t 100 percent accurate with your finger, the phone will try and predict what word you intended to input. Some people swear by this technology, while others just can’t get the hang of it. It’s worth giving it a try.

Voice to text is probably the easiest to use because you simply press the talk button and speak normally. This works well in a quiet environment, but may not be as accurate when there is more ambient noise.

The Titan 2, made by a startup company called Unihertz, is an example of a modern smartphone with a physical keyboard. Visit the website unihertz.com for more information.

Thanks to AI enhancements, expect the accuracy of voice to text continues to improve. Your phone will eventually be able to learn your speaking patterns so that it can more accurately predict what it is you are trying to say.

If all else fails, there are physical alternatives. All modern smartphones can link with a physical Bluetooth keyboard, allowing you to type on full-sized keys. There are also portable keyboards that are easier to carry around, including ones that fold in on themselves for easier transport.

You can also find phone cases with built-in physical keyboards.

If size is the primary issue and virtual keyboards don’t bother you, you might considering buying a tablet. The virtual keys will be much larger and spread more apart, making them easier to use. You can typically link your phone and tablet together so when you send messages on one, the same information is shown in the other device’s apps.

And last but not least, there are phone manufacturers now developing modern smartphones with real, physical keyboards. None of these have become mainstream yet, but the technology is promising.

Whichever method you choose, know that if you are frustrated trying to tap the tiny keys on your smartphone, there are options you can try.

Clicks markets cases with physical keyboards for iPhones, plus a new stand-alone magnetic PowerKeyboard (left). In addition, they have launched a Communicator device (foreground) that can act as a companion to your existing phone or as a standalone phone. Visit the website clicks.tech for more information.