[Bug]: Swipe Typing – Current Input Word & Suggestions Not Visible

[hopsayer]

App

Android app

What happened?

[UX/UI] Swipe Typing Lacks Visual Feedback for Entered Word; Clipboard Chip Overrides Candidate Bar

---

Description
When using the Swipe/Gesture typing feature, the user currently receives no visual feedback regarding which word is being input. The clipboard chip occupies the space where predictions usually appear, and there is no mechanism to cycle through alternative word variants (suggestions) as there is with standard tap typing.

---

Actual Behavior

• No Popup: There is no floating tooltip or popup displayed under the user's finger during the swipe motion to indicate the word currently being traced.
• Incorrect Top Bar Layout: The top candidate bar displays a Clipboard Chip (or similar persistent UI element) instead of the swiped word.
• No Variants: Unlike regular tap-typing, the user cannot see or cycle through alternative word options (e.g., "meeting" vs. "meaning") for the swiped gesture.

---

Expected Behavior
The user must have clear visual feedback for the word they are typing via swipe. To achieve this, the implementation should adhere to the following requirements:

1. Option A (Preferred for Precision): Display a floating popup/bubble directly under the finger tip that shows the current live text being formed during the swipe.
2. Option B (Top Bar Redesign): If using the top bar, the Clipboard Chip must be hidden/temporarily removed during swipe input. The bar should be dedicated to the swiped word.
   • The primary word being swiped must be displayed prominently in the center of this top bar.
   • The system must allow users to cycle through alternative variants (e.g., via left/right arrows or a horizontal scroll/carousel) exactly as they can when typing letters individually.

---

Suggested Fix

1. Implement a TouchPopup view that follows the touch coordinates, rendering the current text prediction in real-time.
2. OR, modify the CandidateView logic:
   • Swap the Clipboard chip for the Swipe prediction text when a gesture is detected.
   • Center the text horizontally.
   • Add navigation controls (e.g., < > arrows) or allow tapping the word to expand a dropdown list of alternatives.

---

How to reproduce

Steps to Reproduce

1. Open any text input field (e.g., Messages, Notes).
2. Activate the keyboard.
3. Swipe a pattern on the keyboard to form a word.
4. Observe the top suggestion bar or/and an area with the current word under your finger while swiping.

Phone and version

Pixel 5, Android 14, v0.1.2

Redacted logs (optional)

[github-actions]

Thanks @hopsayer. A maintainer will look into it.

---

Meanwhile, connect with us: