What happened to the Xperia keyboard? o.0

[Michelasso]

I've just bought the XC (received it yesterday) and I noticed there was no Xperia keyboard. Swiftkey is the default. "Ok - I thought - I'll download it from Google Play". Well, doing a search it doesn't show. Which usually means an app doesn't support that phone.

I mean.. Really? Is Sony ditching its own keyboard for the one.. owned by MS? Or it is just the X Compact? 

[CameronT]

Hi @Michelasso,

I'm not sure what the specific reason is for the change, but yes, the Xperia Keyboard has been replaced with SwiftKey.

The Xperia Keyboard is still out there if you can find the .apk but please be careful when installing apps from unknown and non-Play Store sources.

[_alexdon_]

I have side loaded xperia keyboard on my X as it's one of the best out there. You can find it on apk mirror and it's always up to date.

[Michelasso]

I have it on my rooted Xperia M2, so  getting the apk isn't the issue. I can just copy the update from /data/app to Google Drive and install it from there in the XC. In that way I'm also sure it isn't an hacked apk with malware or else. The problem is that this must be done at each update.  What I'd like to know is why the XC is denied from using it and if the Xperia keyboard is going to disappear from all Xperia.

Which the latter, don't get me wrong, would make me extremely happy. Because I could finally modify the accent colors in all my themes to what they are supposed to be, without worrying about the keyboard changing the highlight text color to a stupid, ugly orange. Or light blue. Or whatever else it is in Marshmallow. I'm just surprised I've never read about it before (and googling it I could hardly find anyhting).

[CameronT]

@Michelasso,

I'm afraid I do not have an official reason as to why Xperia Keyboard was removed from the current devices, or any idea if it will return in the future. 

[ALg68]

Can some1 please explain what Apk means, side loading is, or Apk mirror is.
I use my phone mostly for texting and email and it is painful now, to the point I'm using my old z1 compact more. I can't get the X compact to learn 1 new word, it doesn't seem to do it automatically and doesn't have a manual way of learning like the z1 c .
I have switched to the Chinese keyboard set in English so that I can have keypad not querty which is very difficult to use 1 handed, the whole point of a compact phone.

[CameronT]

Hi @ALg68,

Welcome to the community.

An APK is an Android application package. It is what is used to install apps on your phone. You can download apps from places outside the playstore in the form of a .apk, which is known as side-loading. An APK mirror is just a website that is hosting APK files.

You can add words to your personal dictionary under Settings > Language & input > Personal dictionary.

Swiftkey should learn and predict the words you're typing as you type them. You can make sure this is on under Settings > Language & input > SwipeKey Keyboard > Typing > Typing & Autocorrect.

[ALg68]

I have tried adding words manually and they never appear as an option when they predict. Place names etc, a couple of x's to my wife, nothing not 1 word learnt after a week of using it and yes ive turned on all the settings like you said.

[CameronT]

@ALg68,

Very strange. Try resetting the Swiftkey keyboard by going to Settings > Apps > 3 dots > Show System > SwiftKey > Force Stop > Storage > Clear Data.

[Hekkie]

On Google just search for "Xperia Keyboard apk". One of the first search results is a website where you can download the latest apk's. When downloaded you can installed it. Make sure you can install from unknown sources. If you don't trust it because it's not from the playstore run a scanner like AVG first.