Arabic layout is messed up for longpress characters

Hi there,

Unfortunately it's hard for me to understand the problem you met, because I don't speak Arabic.

Can you share us some screenshots with marks to explain what you experienced? And more importantly, does it appear like a bug to you or something you wish to have in the future on SwiftKey?

Alpert

Hello Alpert,

It is technically a bug not a feature-request because something is not done right; but I consider it more of an oversight.

Let me explain, some languages have letters in their alphabet which are drawn similarly but have an extra something to make up another letter/sound; you'd find this is in Arabic like you'd find it in Japanese, Persian, and many European languages. 

Since you don't speak Arabic, I'll use French as an example as it uses Latin-based characters, unlike Arabic. In French, you have the letter e in the alphabets but you'd also find some words which use é è and ê, if you long-press E on the French keyboard you would find ALL the e-based letters. 

 (This even works the same in macOS and possibly everywhere else, not just on Mobile)

Now, imagine you press e looking for ë but you don't find it, instead, you find it, after testing EVERY button, under the letter s. Would you consider this something thoughtful of the people who made the software? That's exactly what's happening with the Arabic language on Swiftkey since forever.

Compare this from GBoard:

With these from Swiftkey (Multiple screenshots because the letters that are supposed to be in one place are scattered around the keyboard with no logical link or a clue as to why)

You've put the variation of the letter A under R and Z which makes absolutely no sense. 

Apple doesn't do this like Google does but they still do it correctly nonetheless: 

I hope this is both clear enough for you and the team, and it gets fixed reasonably soon because it's really irritating and makes typing hard. 

Hi,

Thanks for the detailed explain. I think you have reasons. I've already shared your information to mod team.

Alpert

Hello Reda,

After speaking with some folks, this layout was quite favorable during all the testing we did. I understand that when you pick a theme without secondary characters, it is harder to know where things are. 

This is a particular design choice you make when selecting a theme. 

Thanks for the feedback, it has been noted by the team as we are always looking to improve on layouts and languages.

Best,

Ryan

Hey Ryan,

> this layout was quite favorable during all the testing we did.

There is absolutely no way that someone who types in Arabic regularly would find this layout favorable, with themes or not, I have the themes you're mentioning but still find it painful to use, that's the point. The letters are scattered around other letters that have no connection to. How come every other input method I've tested (and demonstrated) uses this layout except Swiftkey?

You could have, at least, added an alternative layout for Arabic like you have for English (QWERTY, QWERTZ...) which corrects this for people who see to sense in using the keyboard like it is now.

Please fix.

Thanks.

We've been using this layout for years now, I believe. If this layout was completely unacceptable, we would have tons and tons of feedback coming in saying so and we would change it.

This based on support data. 

I understand other companies may do it one way, but this is the way we currently have it implemented, as as it stands we don't have strong evidence that lots of people want it changed. 

I have shared this post with the team and we agree that it's probably time to re-evaluate this layout. But even then, this takes time to test, etc.

Best,

Ryan

Fair enough. Thanks. :)

@rayan p
You said if the arabic layout not appropriate that you'll get a ton of reports, well let me answer you this question, because those tons are not using swiftkey because of this layout. Wondering is it hard to create additional arabic layout so we can choose between the current and the new layout?

i used to use swiftkey but they seems careless about changing arabic layout thats why now im on gboard. really hated these small buttons

Same here, the small buttons kill the accuracy. I'm now using Gboard just so I don't keep deleting the word I just mistyped due to the small keys.

I used to like swift key but this is my exact problem that made me change to using Gboard
Would be very nice to fix this problem
I miss swiftkey keyboard 😓

Guys, can you imagine the layout of gboard or ai type keyboard with predictions of swiftkey that's will be awesome. Don't know can swiftkey team make that dream come true? Hope they will

earlier create post about same issue on android but @Alpert close it and link me to this post as that was duplicated post so hope swiftkey team consider this problem for android too not only ios.

sincerely

@Ibrahim

Hi there,

I am a bit confused, because here is SwiftKey for Android section. My mod access does allow me to manage SwiftKey for iOS section, but as I rarely on iOS device so I am mainly in Android section.

Hope I got your duplicate post right, friend. If there's anything wrong, just let me know.

And also hope devs can hear your voice and change the layout rightly!

Best

Alpert

@Alpert

im sorry i think i was wrong don't know how i sow ios feedback so i thought this post on ios section, but your comment clearify it. sorry again

i wondering if there a way to talk directly to the sk team? don't know how many members should report until they hear us but i'll prepair army all lead them to this post for voting and reporting hope its not against site policy.

thanks

@Ibrahim That's alright, don't worry.

@Ryan is from SK team, and he's your best chance. But as I shared Reda's post and @Ryan made comment in this thread, that means the team is aware of this now. The suggestion is being reviewed at this moment.

@Alpert thanks for being understandable. I'm afraid @rayan comment wasn't promising he claimed should be ton of users reporting the layout. Well those tons I'll bringing them all to you if u like they just not familiar of English language, so their voice faded. If you find it hard to abandon the current arabic layout then just add one and give us the choice personally created a lot of post to same purpose with different title, but no satisfied results. But no more 💪 i hope. Thanks 👌

@Ibrahim Fair point. I'll keep tracking of this. It might take some time to make the improvement even if it's go. For now I don't have update.

Well, I recommend you to use gboard or purchase ai type keyboard and save time to yourself. The arabic layout issue not from today.  year ago a friend tell me about this SwiftKey, but didn't like these small buttons the English layout was great but the arabic layout was frustrating 😤. Even if there's things don't like in the keyboards i mentioned above with time you'll get used on them. Good luck 

Thanks @rida lazri to post the detailed post,
Since long time and i was wondering why sk keep running on this Arabic layout, but after reading @rayan comment i understand that's no one report it or not enough members report it that's why i decided to sign-up and leave my comment here and support you Arabic users. To rayan since you're the only contact with sk team please tell them message from Arabic users to make Arabic layout standard like other keyboards for example gboard or ai type keyboard or even the Samsung keyboard. Thanks

Same issue i faced since long time with SwiftKey on arabic layout, but never come in mind to send feedback, but after seen all your reports figured it's the right time to do so. Now I'm using ai type keyboard and it come with arabic friendly layout, hope sk team can create the standard arabic layout so maybe I'll return to sk. I liked it's predictions specially now all it's theme became free.

i think from now i try to use GBoard

Thanks guys for mentioning that and make this feedback. Hope that swiftkey team care about this real problem and make it right ASAP.

As a user of Arabic for +20 years on computers and phones etc. The official layout of the Arabic keyboard is the one shown in the attached picture. This is the official layout that comes with all laptops as well.
The Arab community online has been posting about this issue with Arabic on SwiftKey keyboard for quite a while.
Would it be possible to have it as an option in the layouts of Arabic just like English has Qwerty, Qwertz and the other layout.

The closest and most accurate and efficient layout and shortcut of other than the main letters is the one adopted by the Google keyboard so you can copy if that makes it easier to explain.

Just so that you would reconsider reading feedback.

Most Arabic users would not know about the English Support system and most of those who do know do not actually use it!

My hopes that gboard Arabic layout would be brought to Swiftkey as I really like it like everybody complaining here!

Till this happens, I would stick to the gboard!

Thanks

Same issue bad experience with arabic layout

Same issue..
Switching to gboard.
Hope you fix that layout soon.

Arabic keyboard fail

Not sure if the sk team's still keeping up with this thread, but I've got the same exact issue and I really hope something is done about it sometime soon.

The size of the Arabic letters is toooooo small I can't see it
To be honest if l could delete SwiftKey from my device I would've but I can't so I'm switching to any other keyboard with better Arabic layout