Enforce the user to use a specific keyboard

Question

How can I enforce the user to use specific keyboard in my App ?

Answer 1

There are a few problems with what you want.

1. Applications are not allowed to specify a keyboard that must be used. Keyboard is a user setting, you are allowed to prompt the user to change it, but ultimately if they do, and what the pick is up to them.

2. One application cannot install another one, again the best you can do is prompt the user to install it, but it is up to them whether or not they actually do.

If you want to pigeon hole your users into a keyboard (which I suggest that you shouldn't) your only option really is to create your own keyboard out of Views within your applications layouts and show/hide it when necessary and hook up all of the functionality that allows it to insert text into EditTexts. This would be a somewhat daunting task though, and it is very likely that if you attempt to do it this way it wont work perfectly and will upset users (especially users who already have a specific keyboard that they have chosen to use on their device.

Answer 2

It's not possible to force a user to use a specific keyboard unless you code it into the app (i.e. not a released app). Here's a stackoverflow conversation about building a custom keyboard for an app: How to make a Android custom keyboard?