[RK_BB]

After months and months of investigating, reporting and communicating here on CrackBerry and with BlackBerry Mobile we recently made important strides to zero in on a keyboard bug that significantly affect the typing experience on our K2 devices.

This thread is a byproduct of this “bug” and though related, is not intended to discuss the details of this issue but rather to try and identify a specific typing style that seem to trigger the bug as this is shaping up to be one of the leading conclusions of this ongoing troubleshooting effort.

Whether you experience this issue or not, I am interested to know how you type! Please be as descriptive as you can.

I will start:

I usually type by hovering my fingers on the keyboard. Often times I stop typing as my mind is phrasing the next sentence or is contemplating how to spell a word during which time cursor mode turns itself On involuntarily. I do find that if I consciously lift off my thumbs the millisecond I identify a pause in the flow of typing cursor mode is not invoked.

I hereby invite all the participants of the original thread to contribute here and help us to identify the root cause:
@Crusader03 @TheBond @SteveNoza @Egonzalez1978 @Oscar SSM @Smokeaire @morizek @bb_bunny @Wrec @trevorgauntlett @bobmoley @panopticon @francobones @krazyatom @schwartz1030 @sergetrudel @Bla1ze @nighguy @RegN @emaniloff @conite @George Fragkistas @LiamQ @dendron01 @the_boon

[anon(10387168)]

I won't repeat what you have mentioned as my typing style has been and is the same as yours. On my K1 it had no negative affect, my K2 is the only BlackBerry devise that is giving me grey hair. Very interested also, to gauge keyboard hoverers as opposed to thumbs off typing. This is a mitigation strategy as some PKB (mine) are hyper sensitive and others are not, making me think calibration is different. Cheers,

[TheBond]

Although it's a discovery in itself that we had been typing incorrectly for years and now BlackBerry wants us to type in a way which is not only productive but consistent with their test team.
On a serious note, touch typing has an element of hovering / placing thumbs on the frets of the keyboard. As your thumbs try to reach out, these slight contacts can contribute to it.
We have also noticed some apps and text boxes are more susceptible than others.
Anyhow, I am in the same boat when I type. I necessarily don't hover all the time but it's how mind works for me when typing longer emails, especially typing faster. Never experienced this on KEYone, Passport and PRIV.

[nighguy]

I type with both thumbs resting on the keyboard. The KEYone was susceptible to accidental upswipes so a wrong word would get thrown in there at times. With Key2 the cursor mode keeps popping up & moving my cursor and the alternate keyboard layouts pop up. I have to be conscious to keep my thumbs off the keyboard

[RegN]

Sounds like I type and have same issues as op. Not sure what that means. I have kinda figured I will have to live with it or turn off the keyboard. I used a Q10 and Classic for years so need to relearn. I'm not interested in taking chance to send it back and buy another. Although I would sure like to type on conites phone.

Blackberry KEY² Silver Edition

[TheBond]

Sounds like I type and have same issues as op. Not sure what that means. I have kinda figured I will have to live with it or turn off the keyboard. I used a Q10 and Classic for years so need to relearn. I'm not interested in taking chance to send it back and buy another. Although I would sure like to type on conites phone.

Blackberry KEY² Silver Edition

I always had a feeling that there are many who have learnt to live with it as oppose to raise it with BlackBerry. I have also pondered if it'll get unliveable, I'll probably switch the feature off. Sad but that's how its going to be. Years of habit isn't hard to get rid of.
It kinda defeats the purpose of Physical Keyboard, as the feel of the frets was something you couldn't replicate on these slabs / virtual keyboards.

[RK_BB]

I always had a feeling that there are many who have learnt to live with it as oppose to raise it with BlackBerry. I have also pondered if it'll get unliveable, I'll probably switch the feature off. Sad but that's how its going to be. Years of habit isn't hard to get rid of.
It kinda defeats the purpose of Physical Keyboard, as the feel of the frets was something you couldn't replicate on these slabs / virtual keyboards.

Equally, many people that came over to the K2 from a VKB device (or carry another slab device in addition to the K2) most likely aren't hovering as a matter of habit in which case they experience no bug.

[Wrec]

I've been typing on BB keyboards going back to BBOS days (I've never owned a straight slab). This Key2 is the first phone that's exhibited these weird issues. Didn't happen on the KeyOne or Priv or PassPort.

But the issues don't seem as prevalent now as they once were a few months ago. I still get the cursor issue occasionally , moreso the symbol screen popping up. I can go a day without having the cursor issue and then out of the blue, it will crop up multiple times while typing one text.

I "chimp" with my two thumbs, isn't that the only way to type on a BB? When i pause to think about what comes next, my thumbs are resting lightly on the keyboard generally on or around the space bar, maybe straddling the space bar.....and that's when the cursor mode usually crops up and also the way I test for it when the keyboard app is updated or a security patch comes out. However, I also get the cursor issue sometimes mid-typing... I'll be looking primarily at the kb while chimping, look up at screen and find that the cursor mode opened by itself and there's now words being placed mid-paragraph at the top of screen.

Very frustrating when these issues occur. Pretty sure my chimping style is the same now as it was 10 years ago.

[TheBond]

I've been typing on BB keyboards going back to BBOS days (I've never owned a straight slab). This Key2 is the first phone that's exhibited these weird issues. Didn't happen on the KeyOne or Priv or PassPort.

But the issues don't seem as prevalent now as they once were a few months ago. I still get the cursor issue occasionally , moreso the symbol screen popping up. I can go a day without having the cursor issue and then out of the blue, it will crop up multiple times while typing one text.

I "chimp" with my two thumbs, isn't that the only way to type on a BB? When i pause to think about what comes next, my thumbs are resting lightly on the keyboard generally on or around the space bar, maybe straddling the space bar.....and that's when the cursor mode usually crops up and also the way I test for it when the keyboard app is updated or a security patch comes out. However, I also get the cursor issue sometimes mid-typing... I'll be looking primarily at the kb while chimping, look up at screen and find that the cursor mode opened by itself and there's now words being placed mid-paragraph at the top of screen.

Very frustrating when these issues occur. Pretty sure my chimping style is the same now as it was 10 years ago.

I am exactly in the same boat. For the very same reason and for experimentation, thanks to @RegN, I have disabled the gestures and will see how I go.
I also thought that was the only way we typed on BlackBerry phones lol.
In my experience, large texts, url field and some apps have more recurrence of the cursor than others.

[the_boon]

I’ve been on an LE for a bit now, my OCD can’t handle the different sounding/feeling spacebar.

That said, I haven’t had any issues with either of my KEY2’s keyboards when I had them

[Wrec]

I am exactly in the same boat. For the very same reason and for experimentation, thanks to @RegN, I have disabled the gestures and will see how I go.
I also thought that was the only way we typed on BlackBerry phones lol.
In my experience, large texts, url field and some apps have more recurrence of the cursor than others.

Yeah, crops up mainly for me on larger texts (Textra). Not do much with email.

[RK_BB]

I’ve been on an LE for a bit now, my OCD can’t handle the different sounding/feeling spacebar.

That said, I haven’t had any issues with either of my KEY2’s keyboards when I had them

Can you describe your typing style?

[Bob80220]

I have always been predominantly a one thumb typer going back to 2005 with my first BlackBerry... right thumb. Although I do use my left thumb to hit the alt key. So no hovering on the keyboard for me.

My biggest issue with the keyboard is the inconsistency with swiping up predicted words. I have contacted BBMo Technical Support on a couple of occasions regarding the inconsistent swiping of predicted words but they have not taken me seriously based on their replies.

Bob

[RK_BB]

@Wrec & @TheBond what do you mean by "large text"?

[anon(10387168)]

I am very keen to hear from folks that have had zero issues with the PKB as that could be very helpful.

[TheBond]

@Wrec & @TheBond what do you mean by "large text"?

By large text I mean, long emails / input text fields. Hope that explains.

[Wrec]

@Wrec & @TheBond what do you mean by "large text"?

I meant a long text.

I suppose a long text presents more opportunity for the cursor issue to appear.

[anon(10387168)]

For me the worst flare up is using Gmail.

[zlatko23]

I haven't had any issues with both KeyOne or Key2. I am typing this message on my Key2 just to observe and report my typing style. What I can see is that I lift my thumbs quite high off the keyboard - like a 5-6 mm. This might explain why I have never triggered accidentally the cursor mode. When I am composing my next sentence in my head I keep my thumbs also high off the surface in the positions of the last keys they have pressed. Key2 is had been great typing experience for me so far. A lot better than my KeyOne.

[SteveNoza]

I didn't quite know how to answer the question as I do at times pause and hover, but not often. I think what really made the keyboard issues pop up for me was my old school BB style of typing by not lifting my thumbs off the keys, but sliding them from key to key.

[TheBond]

I didn't quite know how to answer the question as I do at times pause and hover, but not often. I think what really made the keyboard issues pop up for me was my old school BB style of typing by not lifting my thumbs off the keys, but sliding them from key to key.

Yep that's exactly majority of us have found. Apparently BlackBerry doesn't support that style any more

[SteveNoza]

Yep that's exactly majority of us have found. Apparently BlackBerry doesn't support that style any more

Yeah, even though I had "slab time" between my Q10 and my Key 2 where you have to lift your thumbs to type, and I tried to do this on my Key 2, the old school BB typing style happens when I go on automatic and let the muscle memory take over while typing. I just had to disable keyboard gestures.

[the_boon]

Can you describe your typing style?

I don't really glide over the keyboard too much if that's what you're wondering

[Remrose]

I type with my thumbs off the keyboard a few millimeters when I pause, so I have not had the floating cursor issue. My problem is the angle at which I hold the phone whilst typing. With the keyone, I would hold the phone in a flater plane and not experience any issues when hitting the V or B keys. with the key2, the space bar is a lot more sensitive and requires less pressure to produce a space, thus with the flater hold of the phone, I end up with a lot of text with a space in any word containing a v or b (eg bab by). I need to learn to type with a more vertical phone. Been difficult to relearn.

[jmorgan456]

I didn't quite know how to answer the question as I do at times pause and hover, but not often. I think what really made the keyboard issues pop up for me was my old school BB style of typing by not lifting my thumbs off the keys, but sliding them from key to key.

I know that I tend to slide my fingers on the keys. I have disabled swipe typing as a result.

I do tend to have extra spaces in emails. I also tend to get random symbols for no apparent reason.