I’m mainly on an Android Tablet (Nxtpaper 14“) but also on an iPad.
I can‘t find out how to invoke the Text function . When I tap on the „T“ menu it allows me to mark a rectangle (which appears to me with no action. It vanishes instantly with no effect.). Then when I start (intend) to write something it continues to show a rectangle - and suddenly (i can‘t really say why, or when) I‘m able to write something - then everything works fine.
I‘d like to know when I can start writing. Actually it‘s kind of a surprise to me when it works.
What do I miss? How does this work correctly?
I‘ve tried the search here in the forum with no success.
Just tap the T to make the text tool active, tap on the page and it should immediately start inserting text. You should see the blinking caret and the virtual keyboard should come so long as you aren't using a bluetooth pedal that might be disabling the virtual keyboard. Please tap the text tool twice and make sure that opacity is set to 100. If it's set to 1, or if you have it set to the color white, then it may be creating invisible content.
it's difficult to describe with words - therefore I've attached a small Video here on the Attachments. But you need to remove the trailing ".PDF" to have a look on the m4V format (its a "not allowed" format as you know).
As additional information. I have no pedals, keyboards or other bluetooth stuff connected. In the Video I'm on the NxtPaper 14" Android Tablet. I briefly show that the text is on Black 100% density etc.
The usual demonstration effect took place - the hand writing started on 2nd or 3rd attempt (quite often it takes more attempts - and suddenly it writes).
I started using mobile sheets on iPad (before switching to the 14" size on Android) and I used it now to try the same approach on handwriting into sheets (no keyboard, no pedals connected). I noticed the same issue to start handwriting as on the Android tablet. But if I have a Keyboard attached (the one in a cover which plugs into the iPad) then the handwriting starts flawless. If I disconnect the physical keyboard the issue re-emerges.
Then with no physical keyboard attached I've opened the screen keyboard (constantly) on the iPad and the handwriting works perfectly again.
I didn't find out how to hold the screen keyboard constantly open in MobileSheets / Android to try the handwriting under the same condition. When I open the keyboard within mobilesheets it disappears when I tap the pen on the screen. I have no physical keyboard for the Android Tablet - therefore I can't tell if it behaves similar to the iPad.
So you are trying to use the handwriting to text feature, which is part of the operating system and isn't really part of MobileSheets. Please note that you first have to tap on the page to start inserting text, because that adds a little control on the screen for text entry. You can't just start writing before text entry has started, as there is no text input component on the screen yet. The pen tool does let you start writing immediately like that, but obviously it won't convert what you draw to characters. With the text tool, first tap to start text entry, then start writing the letters and it should be converted to text if that's how you have the input set up in the operating system.
(05-11-2026, 04:43 AM)Zubersoft Wrote: So you are trying to use the handwriting to text feature, which is part of the operating system and isn't really part of MobileSheets. Please note that you first have to tap on the page to start inserting text, because that adds a little control on the screen for text entry. You can't just start writing before text entry has started, as there is no text input component on the screen yet. The pen tool does let you start writing immediately like that, but obviously it won't convert what you draw to characters. With the text tool, first tap to start text entry, then start writing the letters and it should be converted to text if that's how you have the input set up in the operating system.
Mike
I tap on the screen before I‘m writing as suggested. But instead of showing the „little control“ it shows the kind of rectangle.
As I stated on the iPad/ios version it depends if the virtual keyboard is defined within MobileSheets as „always“ showing up or not.
When the virtual keyboard is active the handwriting works instantaneous.
On Android I didn‘t find the option in MS to hold the virtual keyboard „always“ open.
I continued to try to find out a „rule“ when it works with the pen an when not. Actually it seems to me that after the first tap with the pen on the screen it depends how far I move the pen up. If I move more that 1mm then it looses the „contact“ and the next time the rectangle behavior starts all over.
Your video did not show you tapping though, it showed you pressing and dragging. That does something different - it draws a box that will define the dimensions for the text box that is generated. I'm suggesting a simple a tap without horizontal or vertical movement. You should not see any kind of rectangle while doing this.
I've posted this elsewhere, but these instructions from PageFlip apply to any pedal or bluetooth accessory on iOS that acts like a keyboard:
For those customers with iPad Pro and the new Magic Keyboard accessory, there is an accessibility setting that you may choose to use called “Full keyboard access.” When this setting is enabled, all other accessories using computer keyboard profiles (including PageFlip pedals) are either ignored or the signals are swallowed up by iOS and not reported to the app. Turning this setting off restores functionality between the device and the app.
Please check that setting as it could be a problem if you are encountering issues with the virtual keyboard. If you have an AirTurn pedal, AirTurn direct mode avoids any of these issues as the pedal is not paired so it does not impact the virtual keyboard.
