For sure android is the maturist Smartphone Operating System yet it has a long way to go head to head with Desktop Operating Systems. One of the places where the android OS’es are behind, is the input. Developers have been working on improving input system in android, with the release of Android 15 there have been 3 keyboard accessibility features have been added to the Android OS. In the upcoming releases google may add another feature to the Input system, the one that compensates the lack of mouse.
When you connect a Physical keyboard to you mobile you can play with keyboard adjustment by opening settings, going to System → Keyboard → Physical keyboard. Now you can play with the layout other keyboard shortcut. Android Version 15 allows you to enable some keyboard accessibility features. Currently these features include.
- Sticky Keys:
Press one key at a time for shortcuts instead of holding keys down together.
- Bounce keys:
The keyboard ignores quickly repeated presses of the same key within 500 ms.
- Slow keys:
Adjusts the time it takes for a key press to activate to 500 ms
Android QPR1 Beta 2 Signals.
With the release of Android QPR1 Beta 2 there is a new fourth keyboard feature named as “Mouse Keys”. This feature will let you control mouse with keyboard. When it comes out you will be able to use the numpad to move the mouse pointer.
If you imagine a physical keyboard it will be easy to understand how a mouse will be controlled. As the number 1 is at the bottom left corner, pressing it will move the mouse cursor to the bottom left side and pressing the 9 will move the cursor to the top and right.
This feature might come in handy in situation like “you are watching a TV show on your TV and you have attach your Google pixel 9 with the TV” now you don’t wanna get off the couch, you can control the mouse using your keyboard. As most of the android devices are built for touch screen navigation, this feature will help in navigating those apps.
Although the feature is out but still it is under build, you can use it to move top left right and bottom, you can’t use it to move bottom left, top right etc. And you can’t perform left and right clicks also. Maybe this feature will be address in the Android QPR1 Beta1. If they do so then this feature will be out for google pixel by Dec.
