The Android 15 Developer Preview 2 is out, and it brings with it three new keyboard features to make using physical keyboards easier. Android has been a smartphone operating system through and through for its entire life. But Google has recently been introducing compatibility and accessibility features to the OS. These features are designed to make using Android with external devices easier and more convenient. The Android 15 Developer Preview 2 gives us a look at three such features that are sure to make work on Android less frustrating.
Three Android 15 keyboard features for physical keyboards
The three new keyboard features introduced in Android 15 are focused around external, physical keyboards. Many users often attach a physical keyboard to their Android device for faster work output. But the OS didn’t ever really provide the same convenience desktop operating systems did. Thus, Google has rectified that by introducing what it thinks are features that will result in more ease of use. The three features are:
Sticky Keys
Anyone who’s used the Windows operating system and gamed on it has probably encountered Sticky Keys. Sticky Keys make it easier to enter keyboard shortcuts. Modifier keys like the CTRL key, once pressed, stay pressed virtually. So the user can press the other keys of a combination without having to physically keep the modifier key pressed. This makes it vastly simpler to enter keyboard shortcuts and combinations. Sticky Keys was enabled on Windows by rapidly pressing the Shift key five times, as many gamers discovered.
Bounce Keys
The second keyboard feature being introduced in Android 15 is Bounce Keys. Bounce Keys, when enabled, ignore repeat presses of a key when done in quick succession. This is most helpful to people with impaired motor skills who may accidentally press the same key multiple times without meaning to.
Slow Keys
Last, we get Slow Keys. Simply put, Slow Keys make it so a key has to be pressed for a specified period of time before it does something. This prevents accidental presses from interrupting a user’s work. The Developer Preview 2 shows that the feature will be configurable to up to five seconds. While Sticky Keys and Bounce Keys were seen in the Android 14 QPR3 Beta 2, Slow Keys are new.
Samsung’s OneUI already has these features
As pointed out by SamMobile, these three features aren’t completely new. Though they’re now being introduced to stock Android, OneUI has had them for a while now. OneUI is Samsung’s own custom UI for Android, seen on the company’s phones and tablets. It has recently seen some changes and has become a truly spectacular experience loved by many.
OneUI is full of thoughtful little touches that enhance a user’s experience. And these three keyboard features already being present in OneUI are a testament to that fact. Nevertheless, the introduction of new keyboard features in Android 15 is excellent news. Especially for those who prefer the look and feel of stock Android.
