Hacker's Keyboard
June 18, 2024
More About Hacker's Keyboard
HAVE FEEDBACK, QUESTIONS, OR BUG REPORTS? Please check https://code.google.com/p/hackerskeyboard/wiki/FrequentlyAskedQuestions or email me. It's difficult to track issues reported through review comments.
Completion dictionaries are provided by plug-in packages, see the "other applications by this developer" section for the currently available list. The keyboard also supports use of dictionaries (but not keyboard layouts) provided by AnySoftKeyboard language packs.
For more information, please see the documentation:
https://code.google.com/p/hackerskeyboard/wiki/UsersGuide
https://code.google.com/p/hackerskeyboard/wiki/FrequentlyAskedQuestions
https://code.google.com/p/hackerskeyboard/wiki/ReleaseNotes
https://code.google.com/p/hackerskeyboard/
In case an updated version is not working for you, you can download older releases here:
https://code.google.com/p/hackerskeyboard/downloads/list?q=label:Release&sort=-filename
Known issues include:
- Localization for the keyboard layout is incomplete, currently the Spanish, Finnish, Lao, Romanian, and Thai are only localized in 4-row mode and show the English QWERTY layout in 5-row mode.
- Some languages and layouts may not be usable on your phone if it lacks the necessary fonts.
- Right-to-left languages (Arabic, Hebrew) are apparently not fully supported on pre-Honeycomb devices. Your mileage may vary.
- Many applications don't react to additional keys since they aren't programmed to handle them.
The supported keyboard layouts include:
- Armenian (Հայերեն)
- Arabic (العربية)
- Bulgarian (български език)
- Czech (Čeština)
- Danish (dansk)
- English Dvorak (language "en_DV")
- English (QWERTY)
- English/British (en_GB)
- Finnish (Suomi)
- French (Français, AZERTY)
- German (Deutsch, QWERTZ)
- Greek (ελληνικά)
- Hebrew (עברית)
- Hungarian (Magyar)
- Italian (Italiano)
- Lao (ພາສາລາວ)
- Norwegian (Norsk bokmål)
- Persian (فارسی)
- Portugese (Português)
- Romanian (Română)
- Russian (Русский)
- Russian phonetic (Русский, ru-rPH)
- Serbian (Српски)
- Slovak (Slovenčina)
- Slovenian (Slovenščina)/Bosnian/Croatian/Latin Serbian
- Spanish (Español, Español Latinoamérica)
- Swedish (Svenska)
- Tamil (தமிழ்)
- Thai (ไทย)
- Turkish (Türkçe)
- Ukrainian (українська мова)
Latest Version
v1.40.7
June 18, 2024
Klaus Weidner
IT Tools
Android
12,669,165
Free
org.pocketworkstation.pckeyboard
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User Reviews
A Google user
5 years ago
Just phenomenal on every front—ESPECIALLY considering how holding the dash key allows you to select an em dash, which is a feature I find myself getting quite a lot of use out of. This said, if it's possible, I'd like to have the option to remove one particular key—the "change fields" key. Being wedged on the right side of the spacebar, all it does is get in the way, all the bloody time. I love this keyboard, but I can't stand that horrible key.
A Google user
4 years ago
Been using this for years. I love 99% of this app but I have a consistent issue with 1% of it: the phantom tab key in the 4-row layout!! For example it appears in Gmail message fields where it either shortens the spacebar or moves the period. It's a subtle but authentic form of digital torture, no joke. I'd greatly appreciate an option to remove that "feature" in the 4-row layout and leave the period and spacebar alone. It used to not behave this way, nor should it. Thanks X 1000
A Google user
6 years ago
An essential full keyboard. No invasive permissions. Autocorrect is a bit off sometimes. Key presses can be inaccurate but predictably so; aiming for bottom of keys is enough to work around it. Would be nice to have an option to present suggestions without autocorrecting to them on inputs that otherwise prevent it (like a browser address bar). Not my daily driver but always switch to it whenever I need to do any serious editing, or for clipboard use (Ctrl + C, Ctrl + V) in places where it's disabled.
Josef M
1 year ago
Excellent, but - Ddirectional (aka arrows) keys don't work in Telegram. - Switching input language also switches keyboard layout, which, to me, doesn't make much sense. Update: directional keys do work within Telegram now. I still wish they would untie the layput from the language: I can't use the autocomplete function with some language because the associated layout makes it slower than just typing every single character. I wish I could use US layout with all the languages, as on a PC.
A Google user
5 years ago
Great app. Love the design and layouy. I however only have one complaint. Or maybe a suggestion. I need a keyboard that can be opened via hot key (i.e volume up, down, etc). The keyboard app I used to use no longer suppsorts current android versions and from appearances will not be updating anytime soon either Please add a funtion to open the keyboard in any app via hot key and I would be greatly satisfied.
FlyingLP Ranch
1 year ago
This is the best "aftermarket" keyboard I have found for Android. It provides full functionality. I'd give it a five (5) start rating, EXCEPT I cannot get the Dictionary to work on my latest installation (Samsung XCover Pro). I had a similar installation (also a Samsung XCover Pro) back in January, and that works perfectly. I have "hand-verified" the settings line by line; tried downloading the Dictionary via the APP and directly from the PlayStore. The Dictionary just won't "come alive" :-(
A Google user
5 years ago
One the best keyboards in terms of compatibility and privacy. No unnecessary permissions, like location? (Seriously? Come on Swiftkey.) I see no battery drain while using the app. I love how this keyboard has the function keys. Hackers Keyboard is great for apps like VNC Viewer, that require a lot of "Windows keys", (e.g.) Function keys, CTRL, ALT, Windows key, ect.. I appreciate how this app, unlike others; doesn't have a delay whenever I click on a text box. With other keyboards (like SwiftKey), I have a noticeable delay, before the keyboard actually pops up, sometimes the keyboard even getting stuck; very annoying. With Hackers keyboard, whenever I click on a text box, the keyboard immediately pops up; no issues with the keyboard getting stuck; that's how it should be. The only thing I'd ask the developer, is to make his Dictionary add-in (plug-in?); usable in other apps. It seems as though it's only ever available when using my default SMS/texting app. A more sophisticated spell-check, which auto-corrects words without user input, would be a welcomed addition as well.
Jose Fernandez
2 years ago
Don't know how to contact app creator except through here. Gave 3 stars because it does work. However, I installed it for the "permanent notification" feature in its setting. I used firefox in a Pixel 4 android and tried to force open/popup the hacker's keyboard using the notification while in firefox, but nothing happened. Note tapping on a text field will bring up the keyboard. However, I need to be able to force Hack's Keyboard to pop-up while in a web page without tapping on a text field.
Rachel Maes
3 years ago
I love this app for coding, especially the suggested punctiations that float above the keyboard in portrait mode. My only annoyance is that it automatically adds a space after pressing a suggested word, leading to potential simple errors if I don't take care not to erase the added space beforehand. I'm not sure if there is a workaround or not, but if so, this app would easily be rated 5 stars.
A Google user
5 years ago
Great easy to read, very customisable with a full 5-row keyboard in landscape. The arrow keys are really helpful in terminal emulators. Custom gestures can be saved and used. It doesn't have glide typing, but only takes two-tap to switch back to which other keyboard or keyboard you might often use. It even leaves enough screen on landscape, improving the quality of experience, by not having to chase a line of text that pops in and out of view with most in landscape mode. Thanks for a useful tool
Rob Anderson
4 years ago
So glad this exists! Having a great user experience. And you can add different languages and dictionaries. Customizeable and brilliant! My only recommendation. Make the space bar larger (at least for the 4 row keyboard) and make the enter button smaller. When I type I accidentally.will.put.dots.in.between. my words because the space bar is just not quite wide enough. So if the enter button was not as wide, the space bar could be a better width. Otherwise, fantastic app! Loving it
A Google user
6 years ago
Good no frills keyboard that isn't invading your privacy under the hood. With that said, the space bar is flat out not wide enough and I find myself constantly hitting comma or period by accident. The persistent smiley button where "Return" should be is also annoying, and I find myself inserting smileys by accident while trying to hit enter. The former should be changed and the latter should be configurable.
A Google user
5 years ago
Note: you have to DL a separate spelling/completion suggestions dictionary! No prompt tells you to do this. 5 stars for app, 0 for documentation to use it. If you have a large screen phone the full layout is superb. I wish there was a help file to ID some of the keys with unfamiliar fuctions like the diamond to left of space bar (or the ability to hide the ones I won't use). Love that it truly disables auto correct when you uncheck it and doesn't force capitalization after a period. Thank you.
A Google user
5 years ago
Great for terminal apps. Also has a small memory footprint, 7mb or so. By comparison, Gboard uses some 100mb RAM (always) which you feel on some devices. It's also private, no internet access, or any other permissions for that matter. All that said, using it for your main keyboard feels a little unpolished compared to others. I think heavier keyboards implement "intended key detection", and it's far easier to mistype on this one. Still one of the best out there! Keep up the good work! 👍👍
Valanate C
3 years ago
This is still one of the greatest keyboards for Android. It's always one of the first things I install on a new phone, even in 2022. I just love its layout and functionality! The backspace key is where it should be! Arrow keys = yay! And it's especially good given how big phones are these days. Sure, it needs an update. It could stand to borrow a few modern features from other keyboards, like swype actions, emoji support, or better autocorrect. But I still love it!
A Lambert
4 years ago
I have been using this app for years now and can't stand any other keyboard. I'm old and I need the arrow keys. It looks like a physical keyboard. I have enabled auto complete, because it spells better than i do, but sometime those are way off. I have many passwords with both numbers and letters (mostly required now), so having numbers on the same screen in portrait mode is a plus. I like that I can change the size so my fumble fingers have more room.
A Google user
5 years ago
Really good keyboard with every key in easy reach. Very precise. Almost all the bad reviews are completely mistaken. Still works on Android 10, and still the BEST keyboard you can have for Android, if you're not a fan of swiping. The slash button is right where it should be. The circular symbol is not the degrees symbol, it's the meta key. And every keyboard worth their salt used to warn you of the dangers of using a keyboard to enter sensitive data, including factory/stock ones.
Nicholas Bodley
4 years ago
After searching and trying out many keyboard schemes, eternally hoping for an Android FITALY, here, at last, is the equivalent of a >>complete standard desktop hardware keyboard! << It even works very well in a Pixel XL, simplified from the tablet version. Dvorak is included. For larger screens, it has 12 function keys. No emoji. Do try out the extensive long–press popups! A newer feature is a "re–do" area at the left of the deleting backspace. It adds a '|' onto the screen; horribly annoying!
Dee Luna
1 year ago
Many other keyboards have access to way too many permissions where this only uses vibration and editing of the user defined dictionary. With that in mind, having access to anything more, such as accessing the internet or GPS, is suspicious. Also, having a full keyboard is a nice touch. The only thing that is weird is just the name. Note that without a separate download, the autocorrect and predictive typing will not work. Update: The correction stuff doesn't seem to work on Android 13.
Zarel Tgr
1 year ago
Even after all these years, this is still one of the first things that goes on the device when I get a new one. However, since approximately Android 12, on some (not all) devices, the keyboard detects typing about half a key-height too high, resulting in plenty of accidental bottom-row letters instead of spaces. If this is ever updated, a calibration method would be lovely!
