Is It Possible to Comfortably Type on a Tablet with One-Finger/Thumb Swiping Like on a Phone?

LCodeExplode on 03/05/2021 - 14:10

I do a lot of document typing for work, and find that I am actually decently fast on a phone using gboard and swiping (punctuation is the hardest part), just using one thumb. However the screen is too small to see enough at once.

My old cheap laptop for that purpose has a battery which won't hold charge anymore, so I'm thinking of going to a tablet and trying to write in bed, probably in portrait mode and shrinking gboard down to the size of a phone screen keyboard to swipe with one thumb. However I can't find any confirmation that this is possible, every google search for keyboards on tablets either returns physical keyboard attachments or just a screenshot of the isolated on-screen keyboard.

I was wondering is there anybody with an Android Tablet who can confirm that you can get the keyboard down to the size of a phone screen keyboard and place it where you want for easy swiping?

Computing

Comments

  • CyberMurning on 03/05/2021 - 14:14

    my experience, no.
    and basically not comfy to type on ANY tablet doesnt matter swiping or what

    • CodeExplode on 03/05/2021 - 14:34

      Is it due to the weight or just screen typing in general? Because I've gotten pretty good at it on my phone using swipe typing, so suspect I could do it on a tablet so long as I can find a way to get the keyboard down to a similar size and hold it comfortably.

      I do still have a dedicated work PC where I do a lot of typing, but sometimes it's just way easier to do it when half asleep in bed, and with my laptop dying it seems time to look at other casual writing options.

  • Hybroid on 03/05/2021 - 14:19
    +2

    You certainly can on iPad: https://support.apple.com/en-au/HT210758

    • scrimshaw on 03/05/2021 - 16:29
      +1

      You can do the same with SwiftKey. Just enable the floating keyboard option and you can reposition / resize the keyboard over any part of the screen.

  • Yummy on 03/05/2021 - 14:25

    No with 10 fingers.
    Yes with 11 fingers.

  • wiipantz on 03/05/2021 - 14:26

    Basically most devices can be boiled down two main functions, content creation device and content consumption devices. Touch screen are for the better aimed at consumption, albeit you can do what you want but it will be off standard and might become mothballed ect down the line. Tactile interfaces with good I/O generally make for better content creation devices, hence most people with laptops in a work setting still plug into a dock or port replicator to bolster this. I would personally err away from a consumption device for your particular use however your experience might vary.

    • CodeExplode on 03/05/2021 - 14:36

      I've gotten pretty good at it on my phone using swipe typing over ~10 years, so suspect I could do it on a tablet so long as I can find a way to get the keyboard down to a similar size and hold it comfortably.

      It wouldn't be my main way of doing work since I still have my dedicated work PC, I'm just looking for something to fill the gap when in bed due to my laptop dying. So long as I can get it basically functional like a phone (but with a bigger screen) it might be enough for what I need.

  • Axelstrife on 03/05/2021 - 14:53

    https://ibb.co/CmGKtMq

    This is on my ipad mini 5, definitly possible on the mini but would be too heavy to hold a larger tablet.

    • CodeExplode on 03/05/2021 - 15:17

      Thanks, Hybroid also mentions ipads as being able to do it but seeing that pic definitely helps. I've found mention of a floating android keyboard mode which might be similar, though the ipad version looks a bit cleaner (unfortunately only seen mentions of the Android one on phones though).

  • CodeExplode on 05/05/2021 - 00:29

    I ended up taking the plunge on a Tab S6 lite. After a bit of fiddling I got gboard floating and shrunk, and the screen seemed to need to build up a healthy layer of grossness before my thumb would slide on it comfortably, but now I've managed to swipe out a few paragraphs in bed and am happy with this as an alternative option to my work PC. It helps to have some variety of basic software which you're looking at all the time.

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