backspace key not working in some apps

[mnalis]

Using Simple Keyboard 5.25 (from F-droid), backspace key does not work in some applications, like Fossify Gallery move/copy screens. It has been reported there at FossifyOrg/Gallery#145, but the conclusion there AFAICT seems to be that the problem only occurs with some keyboards like Simple Keyboard.

What is interesting, is that in other (simpler) parts of Fossify Gallery (like rename screen), backspace from Simple Keyboard does work. So it seems that backspace (and allegedly cursor keys, but I don't use those) don't work in some advanced situations (overriden input mechanisms?) in Simple Keyboard, but works fine in majority of other keyboards.

I've reproduced the issue with several phones (Android 14 and Android 11), and the problem always happens with Simple Keyboard, but never with e.g. LineageOS AOSP keyboard or Fossify Keyboard.

Here is video:

small_Screen_Recording_20250212_153733_Gallery.mp4

Timeline:

• 00:10 - backspace with Simple Keyboard does not work in Move to dialog
• 00:21 - backspace with Fossify Keyboard works in Move to dialog
• 00:35 - backspace with Fossify Keyboard works in Rename dialog
• 00:33 - backspace with Simple Keyboard works in Rename dialog

[rkkr]

Looks like the app doesn't handle KeyEvent.KEYCODE_DEL. You can try connecting a bluetooth keyboard and clicking backspace in it and should not work the same way. Will check in emulator, it should reproduce there also.

The other way to delete is to update the text contents with trimmed text. Which some apps also don't support properly.

[rkkr]

Yes delete also doesn't work and even no other physical keyboard keys work. You can't even type in it.