Fenix: [Bug] Text input problems: cursor jumps around, spaces are removed, characters are duplicated

[Poopooracoocoo]

Steps to reproduce

1. find text field
2. start typing a sentence.
   

   Expected behavior

cursor won't jump, letters will stay in place, spaces won't be removed and parts won't be duplicated

Actual behavior

all of the above happens :(

Info

Also reproducible in Firefox Focus with GeckoView
I've noticed that typing incredibly slow avoids the issue.

Device information

• Android device: Galaxy S5 (I've also tested on other devices such as a Galaxy S4, Bluestacks 4)
• Fenix version: Nightly 190707 18:02 (Build #11881816)
  📦: 3.0.0
  🦎: 68.0-20190612114833

[JonO7694]

interesting... have you tried clearing the apps cache?

[cadeyrn]

Which keyboard do you use? Which Android version? And have you tried it with a current Nightly build? Your build is outdated. I can't reproduce with HTC U11 / Android 8.0 / TouchPal keyboard.

[Poopooracoocoo]

I've tried it with Samsung Keyboard, Gboard, SwiftKey and Fleksy as well as Google Keyboard (old version of Gboard which is frankly faster). My build was outdated and after having updated, I'm still able to repro.
@JonO7694
Clearing the app's cache did nothing.

Did you type that comment with your setup you mentioned? @cadeyrn I typed the issue with my setup and it was super painful. I'm typing this comment on a desktop tho

[cadeyrn]

Not that comment but I typed a lot of other comments with my smartphone and without any problems.

Since there are not much more reports like this it looks like not many people are affected. So let's hope that someone from Mozilla can reproduce with one of their devices. :)

[sblatz]

@Poopooracoocoo are you able to reproduce in Reference Browser? What about Focus with GV disabled 🤔

[boek]

@cpeterso Since this is also happening in Focus it looks like it could be GV related?

[Poopooracoocoo]

@sblatz I haven't used ref browser in ages and don't have it anymore. It didn't happen in Focus without GV. @boek I'm pretty sure that this is a GV issue but I wanted to make an issue here as not only would it be seen but I wasn't sure.

[hakkikaancaliskan]

Writing is not so slow for me but selecting text with double tap or doing sth like this is a real pain.
Xperia XZ1 Android 9
Nightly 190723 18:04 (Build #12041810)

[Poopooracoocoo]

@hakkikaancaliskan I have the same issues with selecting text. Are you sure that your typing is not like what I said above? Which keyboard?

[hakkikaancaliskan]

@hakkikaancaliskan I have the same issues with selecting text. Are you sure that your typing is not like what I said above? Which keyboard?

I'm sure, no problem on typing but editing is painful. Same on Gboard and Swiftkey.

[cpeterso]

Since this problem affects Fenix and Focus+GV, I filed a new GV bug: https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1569007

This definitely sounds like a keyboard or IME problem.

@Poopooracoocoo - Can you reproduce the problem in Firefox 68 for Android? Is this problem reproducible in every web page with a text field?

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.mozilla.firefox

[Poopooracoocoo]

I'm not sure whether it's a problem in every text field but it certainly happens in GitHub text fields such as username/email, feature request/bug/issues and comments. It doesn't happen in the password field but I'm not typing full sentences in the password field so it's hard to confirm.

I typed that comment on a desktop but retyped it on Fennec 68. I had no issues except for my own spelling errors :P I noticed that compared to Fenix and Focus, typing in Fennec and other apps is faster too. I didn't think speed would be part of the issue as well.

[Poopooracoocoo]

Hooray! I no longer have this issue!

I'm not sure what happened. I still have text selection issues though

[cpeterso]

I still have text selection issues though

Is there a Fenix bug filed for your text selection issues?

[Poopooracoocoo]

@cpeterso arfggggggghhhhhhhghhh I'm now having those issues again in Focus. I bet this still happens in Fenix.

I don't think there's an issue for those test selection issues.

[cpeterso]

@cpeterso arfggggggghhhhhhhghhh I'm now having those issues again. I bet this still happens in Fenix.

OK. I'll reopen the corresponding GeckoView bug: https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1569007#c2

[cpeterso]

@cpeterso arfggggggghhhhhhhghhh I'm now having those issues again in Focus. I bet this still happens in Fenix.

@Poopooracoocoo - Focus has an old version of GeckoView. Can you please check whether the latest Fenix version still works on your device?

[rekotc]

cursor won't jump, letters will stay in place, spaces won't be removed and parts won't be duplicated

I can confirm it happens to me, i have a fairly old phone which might be the culprit, Samsung Galaxy S2 (using LineageOS 14). But the problem doesn't happen in every webpage, i noticed it in particular using twitter.com, every tweet i write is a pain!

I've noticed that typing incredibly slow avoids the issue.

Same here. It looks like the browser cannot keep up with the typing speed

[cpeterso]

@rekotc - Which Fenix version are you testing? Do you also seen this typing problem in Firefox for Android (Fennec 68)?

[Poopooracoocoo]

I've noticed that when this happens, the keyboard (Gboard in my case) will not have caught up with the browser (fenix and focus). I think that it's not the keyboards fault and that Fenix/Focus aren't telling the keyboard in time. Back to my point, the keyboard's suggestions will be rather late and sometimes not appear at all. Typing passwords is still normal.

[rekotc]

@cpeterso i'm using Firefox Preview 1.4.1 (Build #12531633), i can tweet normally using the regular Firefox 68.1.1

[cpeterso]

I've reopened the GeckoView bug for more investigation: https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1569007#c5

[Waqar144]

I am having text selection issues as well.
But no problems with typing / editing so far

[cpeterso]

I am having text selection issues as well.
But no problems with typing / editing so far

@Waqar144 - Which Firefox Preview version are you using? Are you using Android's default Gboard keyboard?

[cpeterso]

This bug is in the GV team's Q4 (November or December) backlog.

[Waqar144]

I am having text selection issues as well.
But no problems with typing / editing so far

@Waqar144 - Which Firefox Preview version are you using? Are you using Android's default Gboard keyboard?

I am using SwiftKey.
And Firefox version: 2.2.0

PS: I just saw that on the playstore there's a new update, I will install it right away and report back.

Update: Just checked. Selection is working! Seems good to me. Thanks.

[makotokato]

I am having text selection issues as well.
But no problems with typing / editing so far

@Waqar144 - Which Firefox Preview version are you using? Are you using Android's default Gboard keyboard?

I am using SwiftKey.
And Firefox version: 2.2.0

PS: I just saw that on the playstore there's a new update, I will install it right away and report back.

Update: Just checked. Selection is working! Seems good to me. Thanks.

Thanks. Jump issue might be https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1563640. And space issue was https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1571375.

[cpeterso]

Looks like the text selection problems have been fixed, but we still have reports of typing problems (possibly related to keyboard suggestions causing input event jank?).

@Poopooracoocoo was still able to reproduce typing problems on September 16 ^ and @rekotc on September 17 ^ (in Fenix but not Fennec 68).

[hakkikaancaliskan]

Looks like the text selection problems have been fixed

@cpeterso not fixed :(

XZ1, Android 9 LOS 16
Nightly 191024 06:01 (Build #12970608)
📦: 18.0.0, ef631b6df
🦎: 71.0a1-20191021095628

[makotokato]

Looks like the text selection problems have been fixed

@cpeterso not fixed :(

@hakkikaancaliskan Does it mean that toolbox position is invalid? (If so, this may be regression since I cannot reproduce it on non-Fenix Nightly)

[hakkikaancaliskan]

You mean non-nightly Fenix?
Yes, there is no problem on 2.2.0.

[cpeterso]

Adding the GV bug to GV's November sprint because this bug is on Fenix's list of top 10 GV bugs.

https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1569007#c9

[makotokato]

@Poopooracoocoo I would like to define this issue cleary since I don't reproduce jump etc (If using arrow key on GBoard, cursor cannot set expected position) on Fenix Nightly.

Although you say https://github.com/mozilla-mobile/fenix/issues/4208#issuecomment-532053657, but no exactly reproduce step. Do you have reproduce step for this issue? And I would like to see screencast when this occurs.

[Poopooracoocoo]

@makotokato sorry but I have no clear steps on how to repro. Here's a screen recording though.

Edit: oops. GitHub's mobile site didn't warn me that it doesn't host videos. http://s000.tinyupload.com/index.php?file_id=07889278563863659843

[yaomtc]

I've seen this happen using AOSP Keyboard on LineageOS. I don't know how to trigger the issue, though, and it hasn't happened for a while. If it happens again I'll try to get a screen capture and note when it started happening.

[makotokato]

I believe that this is fixed by GeckoView 75.0. If @yaomtc , what version do you test?

[makotokato]

Fenix Nightly on Play store is 20200214 that will have the fix. @Poopooracoocoo, do you know whether this issue still occurs on the latest Fenix Nightly (Firefox Preview Nightly)?

[yaomtc]

@makotokato, the latest version on the fenix Github page, which is... 3.2.0.

[kuba-orlik]

Tried to reproduce it in the newest version and it seems that the bug is fixed

[makotokato]

@makotokato, the latest version on the fenix Github page, which is... 3.2.0.

3.2.0 uses old version of GeckoView. 3.3.0 (current Fenix Nightly) will be GeckoView 75.

[ebalazs-sv]

Hi! I can reproduce this issue on the latest Fenix Nightly 200511 (Build #21320626) with Motorola Moto G6 (Android 8), following the steps:

1. Log in on Fenix and save the credentials;
2. Sign out;
3. Go to Turn on sync and tap "Use email instead";
4. On the Sign in page, tap "Use a different account";
5. Remove the first part of the email address and add a different one;

The characters are added in the opposite order.

Notes:
Not reproducible when deleting the entire email address or when not deleting the first letter.

I will remove the needs:STR label.

cc @makotokato

[igalic]

behaviours i've noticed on github, specifically, where i write most text:

• trying to “quote" a passage from a previous comment on github, i paste it in the text box, and start adding >, they appear at the end

• deleting parts of a text (a bug that's prefilled, try to delete what doesn't apply) with the backspace key starts deleting words in front of it

im using

Nightly 200602 06:01 (Build #21540609)
44.0.20200531130125, 2ac91e358
GV: 78.0a1-20200529095426
AS: 0.59.0

on oneplus 5t, Android 10 / OxygenOS 10, with SwiftKey 7.5.5.19

[igalic]

and a new one, i just discovered:

• paste text
• select all
• fumble around to hit theqquote button
• the text is now quoted!hurrah!
• add or deleteaa single letter
• result: the entire text is gone.bbooo!

im leaving the "mistakes"inhere,as the browser/the keyboard / thewwebsite are making them, for you to see, and because it's too hard to fix

not least becauseii have so little time.
this isthe reason whyI use my phone to contributeto begin with: i have a small daughter to take care of, and can't just whip out my laptop

[igalic]

and a new one, i just discovered:

* paste text

* select all

* fumble around to hit theqquote button

* the text is now quoted!hurrah!

* add or deleteaa single letter

* result: the entire text is gone.bbooo!

im leaving the "mistakes"inhere,as the browser/the keyboard / thewwebsite are making them, for you to see, and because it's too hard to fix

not least becauseii have so little time.
this isthe reason whyI use my phone to contributeto begin with: i have a small daughter to take care of, and can't just whip out my laptop

after this update:

Nightly 200603 06:00 (Build #21550609)
44.0.20200601130057, 2ac91e358
GV: 78.0a1-20200529095426
AS: 0.59.0

the above no longer happens

---

it does happen now on a second such maneuver.

[igalic]

i didn't think it was possible, but this is bug shows about 10× worse in Gitea's Text input fields than here on github

i should do a screen recording of a review…

[Poopooracoocoo]

@igalic Yikes. I thought they had finally fixed this. and hooray! we finally have a great recording of this bug! <3

[Poopooracoocoo]

Still having issues in Firefox Nightly.

[ghost]

It is still a serious problem in many situations...
With different IME used, the problem occurs sometimes, causing an especially unpleasant inputing experience.
I hope it will be soon adressed completely.

[Waqar144]

It is just unbelievable that one year later we are still suffering from this bug. THIS IS BASIC STUFF.

[ekager]

Is everyone having issues using SwiftKey? It is helpful if everyone posts their hardware + keyboards being used so we can continue to investigate.

[ekager]

cc @makotokato are there open bugs for SwiftKey?

[Waqar144]

Is everyone having issues using SwiftKey? It is helpful if everyone posts their hardware + keyboards being used so we can continue to investigate.

Google Pixel (sailfish) Android 10 with SwiftKey keyboard, running Firefox Beta

[Poopooracoocoo]

I'm still using Gboard on various devices, including a Galaxy S8 (Android 8) and Galaxy S5 (Android 6). I've used the release and nightly channels. I've set Gboard to not personalise my suggestions although I still encountered these issues with it enabled. I've also encountered these issues with SwiftKey, Hacker Keyboard, AnySoftKeyboard and Samsung Keyboard. It's more severe on GitHub, GitLab and even more so on Gitea as @igalic said.

[igalic]

I'm also seeing this on The Lounge, which i run as Pwhich on mobile presents only a single input line

---

this ⬆️ text is courtesy of Fenix text input capabilities

here's what i tried to write:

---

I'm also seeing this on The Lounge, which i run as PWA on Fenix Nightly, which on mobile presents only a single input line

[makotokato]

cc @makotokato are there open bugs for SwiftKey?

No, I don't know. I need more details to reproduce this.
Also, I will add logging code for GV Nightly, then I would like to look the log after that.

[wem1c]

Also having this issue. started a couple of days ago. Seems to happen when trying to insert text into existing strings. The cursor jumps, the letters you type are not letters that get inputed.

Tried both SwiftKey and Gboard, having the same issues with both when using Firefox Nightly for android. (Does not happen in any other app)

Device: Xiaomi Mi 8
Android: 10 QKQ1.190828.002 / MIUI Global 11.0.5 Stable
Firefox Nightly 201020 17:01 (Build #2015770827)

[Poopooracoocoo]

this issue will be turning two soon...

[makotokato]

GV 83+ issue is https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1672095, I will fix this soon.

[orionlee]

Similar issues happened for me on Zooniverse talk pages (example page) as well.

The Firefox Nightly build I used is based on GV 84. The GV bug mentioned above seems to mean it's resolved in 84.

Behavior:

• Entering text started out okay (at least for short messages I've tried).
• After entering a few more comments, e.g., traversing to different parts of the site and going back to another talk topic, the issue started to pop up, jumping around, preceding characters are duplicated (e.g. if preceding characters are zo, typing o will result in zozoo)
• Reload the page does not resolve the issue.
• The issue is resolved after closing the current tab, and opening a new tab with the old URL.
• But it will happen again soon afterwards! :-(

Notes:

• the site is loaded by AJAX.
• the site's commenting also has its own auto complete (for auto completing hash tags)

Configuration:

• Gboard, Hacker Keyboard
• Firefox build: Firefox Nightly 201024 17:01 from Google Play
• Android version: 7.0
• Firefox build version details

Nightly 201024 17:01 (Build #2015771595)
AC: 64.0.20201023143136, d78abdf9f
GV: 84.0a1-20201022093646
AS: 63.0.0

[makotokato]

@orionlee
https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1672095 has been landed, but we doesn't merge with Fenix Nightly yet.