28Dec/09156
Swype keyboard preview for Droid leaked
You may have heard about Swype before -- it's an innovative input method from the co-inventor of T9, Cliff Kushler. Currently Swype is only officially available on Windows Mobile. However, a preview version of Swype for Android has leaked. This version of Swype supports high res devices such as the Droid and has a surprising amount of polish for early version. I might dare say they might be close to release.
If you have a Droid, you owe it to yourself to try this out. It's fast, accurate and fun -- Swype Inc. should be very pleased with themselves.
Notes
- This is unofficial pre-release software. It might burn down your house or eat your dog. DroidMuff.in is not responsible.
- Do not pass final judgment of this software yet. Wait for the official release.
- This version only supports WVGA854 devices. It will not work on your Eris, Hero, myTouch or G1.
Installation
- Navigate to this page on your phone. You can email yourself a link or go to droidmuff.in in the browser, tap Downloads on the main menu and then Swype keyboard preview on the downloads page to get here.
- Tap the Download link and wait for the download to finish.
- From the Download history screen, tap SwypeReference-WVGA854-trial-release.0.35.3959.apk, then tap install. Note: If you get an error, you need to go to Settings, then Applications and enable Unknown Sources.
- After Swype has installed, Go to Settings, then Language & Keyboard. Uncheck Android keyboard and check Swype.
Screenshots
Video from MobileCrunch
December 28th, 2009 - 16:52
“The swype package you installed does not match the screen size of the device. Please contact swype about this issue. Screen size: 480×320″
Seems to have some issues with the HTC Hero resolution, so won’t work with this one. Just thought i’d test it out since i really like Shapewriter which is identical to Swype.
December 29th, 2009 - 02:06
fantastic, thanks. I’ve got it going now on my droid and love it so far. it froze once in mid-swype…a notification for a new email came in half way through a word and it didn’t seem to know what to do with that. had to remove my battery, but it is a beta, after all. I would definitely pay money for this thing. way better and faster than conventional touchscreen typing. I’ll probably use my droid’s physical keyboard much less now that I have this. Awesome! love it! thanks again!
December 29th, 2009 - 04:45
this video is not on Android it’s on Windows Mobile….
anyway I just had 15 minutes playing with demo version of SlideIT. The execution of sliding is precise and fast, much more smoother than Swype.
You should try it too…. http://mobiletextinput.com/Download.php
December 29th, 2009 - 04:57
The video is of a HTC Droid Eris which runs Android 1.5 w/ HTC’s Sense UI, not Windows Mobile.
December 30th, 2009 - 11:56
Not too bright, there, are ya? Since he shows it’s an HTC Eris and says it at the beginning…
December 31st, 2009 - 06:34
It’s Swype keyboard on Android HTC Droid Eris
But SlideIT also has version for Android
See here : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=229U0ZYPum8
January 1st, 2010 - 09:31
You SlideIT guys are running scared aren’t you? You know Swype is better and just can’t stand it.
January 1st, 2010 - 09:34
Running damage control slide it? It’s no where near as good as Swype, that’s why you don’t have the big investors Swype does.
December 29th, 2009 - 16:22
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=229U0ZYPum8
December 30th, 2009 - 00:59
The package installed does not match the screen resolution of My Touch either. I hope there is a work around it. They should have a list of the handsets that work with this beta version.
December 30th, 2009 - 06:45
I’m still trying to get a copy of the low-res version. I will post it here if I do find it.
December 30th, 2009 - 10:10
If you need a wvga screen to work this program, how is it that the video has it working on the Droid Eris?? Itried it on my Eris, but no go.
December 30th, 2009 - 18:32
I didn’t take the video. Its a preview MobileCrunch put out.
December 30th, 2009 - 11:37
its working perfect on my droid.
December 30th, 2009 - 11:54
Love the look of the keyboard. Love the ease of use. Would love to see it auto-capitalize in the final version, plus automatically capitalizing the letter “I”. Very nice.
December 30th, 2009 - 11:55
Hero not supported :(
December 30th, 2009 - 12:43
it doesn’t support g1 screen resolutions.
December 30th, 2009 - 13:33
Does it change the droids keyboard look? Because I like the look of my keyboard..
December 30th, 2009 - 18:36
Yes, it looks different than the stock keyboard. Look at the screenshots.
December 30th, 2009 - 13:36
Doesn’t support G1’s resolution, does anyone know of a similar app that will ?
December 30th, 2009 - 13:47
Seems to me to be much slower then the native input methods :(
February 10th, 2010 - 16:54
ure kidding I assume? I wrote this in about 20 seconds after 10 minutes of using swype ever.
give it a try!
December 30th, 2009 - 14:45
I don’t understand what the “apk file” entails–I copied the entire extracted folder to My Droid:
the folder [mfhs]Swype-SwypeReference-WVGA854-trial-release.0.35.3959]
i navigate to the folder using Astro but then what do i do? I’ve tried clicking on the different components (the Manifest, the Classes, etc)
I don’t know where I am going wrong. Please help.
December 30th, 2009 - 15:02
You have to copy the apk file itself to the root folder, don’t extract the data. Then open the file via Astro, it’ll give you the option to install the program.
December 30th, 2009 - 15:02
I have also just downloaded APKInstaller, and navigated to the folder as well as all of its components and all I can do is click on them, to no avail :(
December 30th, 2009 - 15:09
Unzip the .zip file you downloaded from here. You should now have a .apk file. That’s the file you put on your SD card!
Then use something like ASTRO Filemanager to navigate to the file. Tap on it and choose App Manager. Then tap on Install in the upper left corner.
December 30th, 2009 - 15:10
how did he get it to work on his eris, i wont work on mine
December 30th, 2009 - 15:17
The video shows a beta tailored for that specific device. The linked file above is tailored to the droid/nexus one.
December 30th, 2009 - 17:10
Does not work on my Nexus One. Installed but does not work in messaging or email.
January 8th, 2010 - 23:02
It complains about screen resolution on my nexus one but it works, though only in portrait mode.
December 30th, 2009 - 15:15
When I unzip it gives me a folder, not a .apk file.
December 30th, 2009 - 15:21
SH… I have the same problem no .apk file, are you on a mac too?
December 30th, 2009 - 15:29
SH.. I don’t know if you figured it but I got it to work but copying the zip file to the sd card, then extracting it there. From their it installed directly and everything worked. So basically follow the instructions except copy the downloaded file directly to the SD card then open it (extract it ) there and it will be all good. Hope it works
December 30th, 2009 - 17:15
Yep, that’s what I did and it worked fine. And yes, I am on a Mac.
It is INCREDIBLE by the way. My typing is much better with it immediately.
December 30th, 2009 - 20:38
I was having the same problems you guys were, on a Mac.
It wasn’t downloading as a .apk file.
So, I now have extracted the .zip file onto the SD Card, then I click the extracted .apk file,
click “Open App Manager”
Then click Install. It says it installs correctly.
But when I click “Launch” it says “main activity not found”
I have also tried to install it with APKInstaller,
it says (again) it installs successfully, but nothing has changed with they keyboard.
What could I be doing wrong???
Im so anxious to get this! Thanks for your help!
December 30th, 2009 - 20:55
You missed the instructions.
5. Go to Settings, then Language & Keyboard. Uncheck Android keyboard and check Swype.
6. Try out Swype!
December 30th, 2009 - 21:02
THANK YOU sorry i got so caught up in the other stuff!
works great, pardon my ignorance!
thanks again!
January 2nd, 2010 - 10:18
my droid eris does not have the Language & Keyboard selection in the settings menu. Mine shows up as Locale & text and there is no option to disabe/enable the Android keyboard? Hence not able to get it to work. Am I doing some wrong?
December 30th, 2009 - 16:14
I installed this on my Droid this morning after reading the article. Absolutely awesome. Can’t believe how much quicker it is – and very accurate.
December 30th, 2009 - 16:16
it would be very helpful if you posted it as an apk instead of in a zip, so we could download directly to our phones…
December 30th, 2009 - 18:37
You can extract it with Astro.
December 30th, 2009 - 16:57
I get an error when trying to install on Moto Droid that says “Parse Error” there is a problem parsing the package. I have tried with and without the .apk extension on the file as well as extracting on and off the device as well as installing with apkinstaller and astro…thoughts?
December 30th, 2009 - 20:55
Have you tried redownoading?
December 31st, 2009 - 15:12
I have, to no avail.
December 30th, 2009 - 17:37
Seems to be slower then the native input methods :(
December 30th, 2009 - 18:14
Great Keyboard, Thanks. But on my Acer Liquid it worked only when the mobile is in the vertical position,
once I turn it to horizontal the keyboard closes, and I get a message that it’s not suitable for my screen.
Hope this can be fixed in upcoming versions
December 30th, 2009 - 19:21
I have the droid and have spacing enabled after the words but its not working, any ideas?
December 30th, 2009 - 20:20
Works perfectly on my Droid. I love it so far. If it gets auto-capitalization, I’d definitely pay to have it. Landscape it is a bit harder to use than when the phone is vertical, but I still love it!
December 30th, 2009 - 22:42
I have an Eris but for some reason I can’t get it to work properly, what did you do differently? I go to Settings -> Locale & text -> and I check “Swype” but it doesn’t work. Any tips?
December 31st, 2009 - 00:48
This version only works on wvga devices. Does not work on the Eris.
December 31st, 2009 - 01:45
If it doesn’t work on the Eris…why is it on the Eris in the video…and working?
December 31st, 2009 - 14:38
Yeah, that’s what I’m saying. There must be a setting or a certain way to get it to load properly.
February 24th, 2010 - 21:08
Hilarious.
January 12th, 2010 - 00:16
go to type somehing and long hold the ?123 button
then hit input method and swype
December 30th, 2009 - 23:23
I installed this but it does not work. I have an Eris, anyone know what I am doing wrong?
December 31st, 2009 - 00:47
This version only works on wvga devices. Does not work on the Eris.
December 31st, 2009 - 09:15
The video shown above is running on Eris, how did he get it to work? What was the method?
April 3rd, 2010 - 01:18
It’s a stock video of swype, not a video of the version available to download. He didn’t make a video of himself using it, he just found the hi-rez version and linked to a video made for a swype advertisement.
December 31st, 2009 - 08:25
ever get it to work? i have screen resolution errors
December 31st, 2009 - 07:00
Works beautifully on my Milestone…
December 31st, 2009 - 08:12
Running Droid eris, followed all instructions, downloaded to mac. copied apk to sd card. used astro to install. went to settings, locale & text, get option for text settings. check Swype.
launch it and get following error “swype package you installed does not match the screen size of the device. please contact swype about this issue. Screen size 320×480″
HELP
December 31st, 2009 - 15:08
Same issue here. Can someone please post instructions on how to make this puppy run on an Eris?
December 31st, 2009 - 15:54
I’m a Droid owner and by far, this is the best change I’ve made to my phone since the day I got it. Even better, in my opinion, than any app I’ve downloaded from the app store.
I LOVE THIS SWYPE APP!!!
My son was trying to show my that it wasn’t as cool as I thought by lazily type “understanding” and swirving all over the keyboard, and it still got the word right. Insanely cool!
Why is this not in the Andriod Appstore?
December 31st, 2009 - 18:04
Works fine on my Droid
December 31st, 2009 - 23:02
Help with Eris…….anyone? anyone?
January 1st, 2010 - 02:29
Like I said in the post, this version will not work with the Eris.
January 1st, 2010 - 13:15
Then why is the video shown using the Eris?
January 1st, 2010 - 23:27
seriously guys? he has said it a million times, it will not work on the hero or eris.
March 30th, 2010 - 12:12
Then don’t show it on a eris
January 1st, 2010 - 01:50
Sorry all, but the directions are still not clear. Should the zip file be copied to the SD card of the droid, and put in a folder such as /Swype, like all the other folders on the SD card, or should the zip file be just copied to the root directory of the SD card? What is done after the files are extracted using the Astro app? I never found any file that had the .apk extension, or anything that said to “Install” the file. There seems to be many files contained in the zip…should the zip file have been extracted on the computer, and then only the needed files copied to the Droid?
Any further help would be most appreciated, thanks!
January 1st, 2010 - 02:28
I’m uploaded the APK itself now. Try again.
January 1st, 2010 - 02:22
Is the download gone? I’m getting a “Sorry, but you are looking for something that isn’t here.” page when I click on the Download link. If I right-click > Save As the package isn’t valid.
January 1st, 2010 - 02:27
Sorry about that, try again now.
January 1st, 2010 - 11:03
I also still see no .apk file…I have followed all instructions…Any help? Is it suppossed to be in the .zip folder? Please upload again
January 1st, 2010 - 11:05
I loaded swype on my Droid and love it. I had a G1 for a year and used the hardware keyboard all the time, but the hardware keyboard on the Droid has been a disappointment — guess my fingers are too fat — I make a lot of mistakes with it.
Anyway, I had been watching for Swype in the market, then saw this and downloaded it immediately, and I use swype 100% now, I did the tutorial to help me get more acclimated, and am getting faster on it. I think it is really well designed. Much thanks to the developers!
January 1st, 2010 - 11:40
Thanks!
It seems that once the file was downloaded in IE with a zip extension, you probably can just rename it either in IE or using ASTRO in the Droid, and this might be a simple clarification step 1a in the above listing.
January 1st, 2010 - 15:03
Love it so far on my Moto Droid. I have large fingers, so I have to get use to it. It’s pretty fun to use!
January 1st, 2010 - 18:11
Those of you who were having trouble, I think the issue should be fixed now.
IE was seeing the MIME type as zip, which apparently causes it to change the extension as well… The APK actually is a zip, but you don’t want it to be seen that way. Hopefully forcing the MIME type to be something different will fix the problem.
I’ve cleaned up the comments in an effort to reduce confusion. Don’t be offended if you don’t see your comment. Thanks for reporting your issues, it made it easy for me to track down the problem.
EDIT: Just tested the issue in a VM… Still happening. I’m not sure how to fix it so I’ve updated the instructions. Hopefully this will prove to be less problematic since everyone will be on the same platform.
January 1st, 2010 - 20:07
Installed it on my DROID and it seems to work great EXCEPT when i try to type out a text message…. In landscape mode you cannot see any choices of your contacts as you start typing in order to choose a recipient.. better explained like this:
1- open messaging
2- Press pencil icon for ‘create new message’
3- Click on ‘to’ screen
4- Type in who I want to text… If I want to text John Smith, I start typing J-O- and a drop down menu with all contact matches appear… I then tap the contact I want, John Smith
*5 – In landscape mode with Swype installed, my contact choices, as explained above in #4, do not appear
Suggestions?… or perhaps a future fix?
BTW, I know it does work in stard mode, just not landscape, which I use, and feel is best to use, for texting since the screen keyboard is bigger and you also have to drop down keyboard
January 2nd, 2010 - 00:20
just tried this on my droid, i am not going back to the old keyboard!
January 2nd, 2010 - 09:24
installed on my droid this morning, love it. can still type tap function like on native android. would love the hepatic feel for when I do that as well as sliding. great app!
May 24th, 2010 - 14:59
can you switch from swype to regular texting.
January 2nd, 2010 - 10:45
Well the notes state it will NOT work on the Droid Eris, so this is why it will not work on my phone. However, the demo is on the Eris — hmmm – interesting… eagerly awaiting its arrival…
January 2nd, 2010 - 12:02
Cannot wait to try this. I am hoping for a version that will run on an HTC Hero soon.
No joke, I would pay $25 for a copy right now. I wish that Swype would just make it available on the Android Market.
January 2nd, 2010 - 13:43
this is amazing. thanks for posting.
January 3rd, 2010 - 09:41
With large thunbs (the only reason to try another input method), there is the same problem with selecting the right key. Landscap[e is still the best method for me. Sorry, but bye bye Swype
January 4th, 2010 - 10:28
no sopport 320×480 in Huawei u8220
January 5th, 2010 - 02:43
i installed it , it wasnt bad, but i dindt like it at all made my motorola Droid slow , lagg , and you cant type fast at all, stick with the original one
March 7th, 2010 - 12:14
hi..just installed program but when i trace out a word nothing appears in the text box
i can only get the text to appear if i tap out each letter. . i dont know what ive done wrong. i have moto droid. help.
March 9th, 2010 - 09:50
This preview is dead. There’s a beta (beta.swype.com), but it’s currently closed.
March 18th, 2010 - 22:13
so we cant use swype anymore? where can i get a working one?
March 30th, 2010 - 18:46
I second that. I want to try this
July 12th, 2010 - 04:43
you can try SlideIT which use the same method,
you can find it on the Market
or here http://www.mobiletextinput.com/Product/SlideIT/Android/download.php
July 19th, 2010 - 12:46
i have the same problem… so what should we do???
HELP!! WE NEED HELP!:D:D
July 19th, 2010 - 12:49
just installed it on my milestone.. aktivated, and than it tells mit that ich should load an upgrade… but where can i get it.. can´t use it.. it only peeps when i try to slide.. only tipping works..
so need help.. please give respons