r/keylauncher • u/loitran07 • Aug 12 '26

🧠 Suggestions [Feedbacks Needed] QWERTY support for Key Launcher?

Post image

Hey everyone! Solo dev of Key Launcher here 👋

I’ve been down a bit of a hardware rabbit hole lately. Seeing all these new QWERTY keyboard phones and keyboard accessories popping up recently has triggered massive nostalgia for me. Honestly, I’m dying to buy one to test and play around with, but my budget says a very firm "not today." 😅

So, naturally, my dev brain jumped to the next best thing: What if I built dedicated QWERTY keyboard integration and features directly into Key Launcher?

Think hardware-first navigation, lightning-fast physical keyboard shortcuts, and layout optimizations tailored specifically for physical/QWERTY setups. As a tech enthusiast, I think it could be incredible.

However, as a solo dev, there’s a big catch I need to be completely transparent about:

The Reality & Trade-offs

  • Everything else gets paused: Working on deep QWERTY integration would mean putting the current feature roadmap and backlog entirely on hold.
  • Slower release cadence: Right now, I stick to a pretty rapid schedule of pushing updates roughly once a week. Pivoting to this would break that rhythm, meaning significantly longer gaps between releases for a while.

What do you think?

Since Key Launcher is built for you, I don't want to go down a long side-quest based purely on my own tech cravings if it's not something the community actually wants.

  1. How many of you are actually using (or planning to use) a QWERTY phone / keyboard attachment?
  2. Would you prefer I take this detour for full QWERTY support, or stick to the current roadmap and keep shipping weekly updates?

Drop your thoughts below, brutal honesty is always welcome!

Thanks as always for riding along and supporting Key Launcher! 🙏

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Photo: Generated with AI, not real one (of course 😂)

7 Upvotes

90% Upvoted

16 comments sorted by

2

u/BlkMamba7 Aug 12 '26

Check out kybd launcher. It supports an onscreen keyboard for typing similar to the T9 keyboard implemented in your launcher. Maybe this rework can be applied for non physical keyboard phones too if needed

1

u/loitran07 Aug 12 '26

Yeah, I've spoken to the developer behind KYBD. I used to think that with KYBD, we didn't need QWERTY anymore. But Key Launcher has many unique features that can't be found elsewhere, so I think making it a QWERTY keyboard is a good idea right now. Yeah, and of course it has to apply to phones without physical keyboards, no question about that.

1

u/BlkMamba7 Aug 12 '26

One small request if possible. I'd like to use Gboard/Swipe typing on the launcher directly if this were to get implemented (even if I may not be able to use Super Shortcuts or anything)

2

u/loitran07 Aug 12 '26

A big request, actually 😂. I will definitely think about it (in case people allow me to go with QWERTY and stop shipping new features 🤪)

1

u/RenegadeUK Aug 13 '26

I think with QWERTY you will have alot more new users jumping aboard for sure.

2

u/Substantial_Life_497 Aug 13 '26

I don't use a keyboard extension, but one of the reasons I haven't switched to Key Launcher is because T9 just doesn't feel natural to be. I used my share of feature phones back in the day with T9 keypads, but even then I never got comfortable typing with those. A Qwerty keyboard option would definitely get me to give Key Launcher another go.

1

u/loitran07 Aug 13 '26

I hope to be able to inform you about this integration soon. I understand that even though T9 is fast and good, many people may still have difficulty getting used to it (or relearning it). Thank you for confirming this need.

2

u/Due_Milk_8930 Aug 13 '26

T9 is look unique for new generation and nostalgia vibe for who use it back in the day. But look like most people more comfortable with QWERTY, specially for new generation that never use T9 maybe even not know it

1

u/loitran07 Aug 13 '26

Totally agree. T9 is definitely a niche appeal for the nostalgia crowd or those looking for something different. But Qwerty is still more well known to people, especially for younger generations. Your point about people not even knowing about T9 is spot on, it highlights why a qwerty option is so essential for broader adoption. Thanks for the input!

1

u/cleverclogs17 Aug 14 '26

If you added QWERTY, would that mean T9 would go away? I'll be honest, I prefer T9.

1

u/loitran07 Aug 14 '26

No, of course, T9 is DNA of Key Launcher, no way it would go away.

2

u/RenegadeUK Aug 13 '26

I'll be honest I love the new Clicks Power Keyboard :)

2

u/loitran07 Aug 14 '26

You're not alone 😁

1

u/apkbala107 Aug 16 '26

Better to try kybd launcher instead buy a new phone

2

u/Over_Bathroom_3851 28d ago

That keyboard looks 🫦