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7 Common Galaxy S8 Keyboard Problems & Fixes

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In this guide we’ll detail some of the most common Galaxy S8 keyboard problems and offer tips to fix them. Samsung’s Galaxy keyboard has improved by leaps and bounds over the past few years, but it’s not perfect. These fixes apply to the Galaxy S8+ as well.

While there are dozens of replacement keyboards for Android, most Galaxy S8 users stick with the keyboard that comes pre-installed. And while it has a lot to offer, it’s frustrating when words don’t capitalize or you get extra spaces in sentences.

Read: 17 Common Galaxy S8 Problems & How to Fix Them

If you’re having problems with the Galaxy S8 keyboard you’re not alone. We’re seeing reports of the keyboard not capitalizing, autocorrect problems, and just general typing errors. Some of these problems are easy to avoid, or can quickly be fixed in settings.

Other problems we continue to hear about is keyboard lag, or the keyboard not showing up at all. So you can’t type anything. If you’re experiencing any of these, here’s how to fix the most common Galaxy S8 keyboard problems.

Galaxy S8 Keyboard Not Showing

The biggest Galaxy S8 keyboard problem is the keyboard not showing at all. When it happens, you can’t go into keyboard settings and change an option. This is a small software glitch that happens occasionally, and there are two ways to fix it.

First, just try rebooting the Galaxy S8. Press and hold the power button on the top right edge of the phone, and hit Restart. When the phone reboots the keyboard should work. Sometimes this software glitch will freeze your phone, if so, here’s how to reset a frozen Galaxy S8.

If you’re still experiencing a missing keyboard the next step is clearing out the cache for the keyboard application. This gives it a fresh start and typically fixes most problems. Head to Settings > Apps > All Apps > Samsung Keyboard and tap Force Stop. You can also click on Storage, then clear the keyboard data and cache. This might delete your saved dictionary, but you’ll get the keyboard back.

Galaxy S8 Keyboard Not Capitalizing

Another common complaint is the Galaxy S8 keyboard won’t capitalize words and names while you type, or will even auto-correct to lowercase during a sentence. This is frustrating and slows you down.

Read: How to Fix Galaxy S8 AutoCorrect Problems

By default, the keyboard should automatically capitalize the first word of any sentence. First, make sure to turn on or double-check the auto capitalization. It’s buried in settings, so here’s where to find it. Head to Settings > General Management > Language & input > On-screen keyboard > Samsung Keyboard and look through the list of options. Turn on the 3rd option shown below.

Enable auto capitalization and if it’s already selected, something else is causing the problem. Your next step is clearing the data and cache we mentioned earlier. Or, try downloading a new keyboard and setting it as the default keyboard, then switch back to Samsung’s. This clears out the system and should fix your problem.

Keyboard Predictions Not Appearing

One of the most useful keyboard features is predictive text. Where the keyboard knows what you’re going to type before you do, and adds it automatically. Or, sometimes the prediction pops up above the keyboard so you can select exactly what you want.

However, sometimes the prediction doesn’t appear, or after a prediction, you’ll get weird spacing in your sentence. Having to go back and delete a random space wastes time, and gets irritating.

Head to the same Settings > General Management > Language & input > On-screen Keyboard > Samsung and look through the settings list. Turn on predictive text, or toggle it off and back on. We also recommend selecting “Predictive Text” and making sure you didn’t turn off auto replace.

In here you’ll also see “Auto spacing” which inserts a space automatically after you add a word using predictive text. This is what’s causing random spaces in your sentence. You chose a predicted word or hit spacebar to use the highlighted word, and it added a space for you. Then, you added a space yourself out of habit. Disable auto spacing or turn off predictive text completely. It’s useful to some, but predictive text slows me down, so I disable it.

AutoCorrect Isn’t Learning, or Unhelpful

As you use the Galaxy S8 keyboard it should learn from you, your typing habits, and frequently used words. Then, over time, autocorrect becomes more accurate. However, you’re probably having issues with this too. If you’re trying to type words like “to/too”, “home” and “come”, but instead you get “top”, “hone”, and “cone”, you’re not alone.

Go back to the keyboard settings and tap on Predictive text, instead of swiping the on/off toggle switch. In here, uncheck “Auto Replace”. This way the phone will still predict words for you, and show them above the keyboard, but it won’t replace them automatically. Most users just turn predictive text on or off, but keeping it on without the aggressive auto-replace is the best of both worlds.

Galaxy S8 Keyboard Lag

If you’re typing quickly and notice the keyboard can’t keep up or is lagging behind and trying to catch up, don’t worry. This happens from time to time, and usually fixes itself the next time you use the keyboard.

However, there are instances where the keyboard simply lags for no reason and seems to run very slow.

Sadly, there isn’t any known fix for keyboard lag and we’re just waiting on an update from Samsung. That said, there is another trick that can potentially fix Galaxy S8 keyboard lag. In fact, this next step fixes almost any problem you’re experiencing with the keyboard.

Go into Settings > General Management > Language & Input > On-screen Keyboard > Samsung Keyboard and scroll to the very bottom. Now, tap on “Reset to Default Settings” and then select “Reset keyboard settings”. This will wipe out any changes you’ve made from the first time you used the keyboard and take it back to how it was out of the box.

Additionally, if you’re having auto-correct problems or the phone isn’t learning from you, clear all personalized data too. This gives the entire keyboard a fresh start, clears any settings you messed with, and will speed up the experience. You can also try going to Settings > Apps > and clear the cache on the keyboard, per the instructions above.

Keyboard Typing Noises Missing

While most owners quickly disable keyboard tap and typing noises, some enjoy hearing it. Giving them confirmation that each key gets pressed while they type. If you’re not hearing the keyboard noises, here are a few things to check.

Go to Settings > Sounds & Vibrations > and scroll down the Keyboard sound. Make sure this isn’t turned off. Flip the switch on, and your keyboard sounds should come back. If that still doesn’t work try restarting your Galaxy S8, or resetting all the keyboard settings like we just mentioned earlier.

Another common reason for this is simply the device sound settings. From the home screen on your phone, press the volume up button on the left side of the phone, then tap the drop-down arrow. Make sure the phone isn’t in mute or silent mode. This affects the keyboard noises too.

Replace the Galaxy S8 Keyboard

If these suggestions don’t fix your problems, you can always try a factory data reset and completely erase your entire Galaxy S8. However, that isn’t ideal. Instead, try downloading one of the many 3rd party keyboards for Android smartphones and tablets.

Our first recommendation is to download and install Gboard, from Google. Previously know as the Google Keyboard. It’s extremely fast, user-friendly, and has the power of Google search built-in.

We have a round-up of the best third-party keyboards for Android, detailing everything you need to know about each one. SwiftKey and Swype are both still popular, but we prefer Gboard. Download one of these keyboard replacements for Android, and see if you have a better typing experience. Here’s how to change your keyboard.

In closing, another common complaint is the swipe-to-type on the Galaxy S8. If you’re experiencing problems with swipe entry, make sure it’s turned on in settings too. Before you go, take a peek at these 25 best Galaxy S8 cases, or learn how to use Galaxy S8 Emoji Keyboard.

1 Comment

1 Comment

  1. Tracey

    06/13/2018 at 12:01 am

    Thank you so much for this helpful article. I was slowly going mad from my Samsung keyboard being so unresponsive when I clicked letters and have now activated and am using the G Board by Google which works a charm. So fast and predictive and actually types the letters as I tap them, unlike the Samsung keyboard on Samsung Galaxy S8. Thanks again :)

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