iOS Numbers keyboards are cumbersome

Question

Level 1

9 points

iOS Numbers keyboards are cumbersome

If you use Numbers on your iPad, and you upgraded Numbers recently, you have noticed they changed data input: no more 10-key pad. (Big mistake, lots of users furious.)

From the 'Apple iWork for iOS' community I learned that you can enter the grey characters that appear on the formula-keyboard by swiping down on the key.

Three important things to know about the new Numbers.

1) There are three keyboards. A formula-keyboard (containing grey characters and a formula bar) and, an alphabetic-keyboard. Both keyboards have a '123' key that displays a third keyboard, with numbers and symbols, the 123-keyboard.

2) The contents of a cell, and the keyboard that entered the contents, determines the default keyboard that appears when double-tapping a cell or tapping a cell then tapping the 'green circle containing a keyboard icon'.

3) Which keyboard is a cell's default keyboard?

a) The 123-keyboard is never the default keyboard.

b) The formula-keyboard is the default keyboard for i) all cells containing formulas, and ii) digits entered via the formula-keyboard, or the formula-keyboard's123-keyboard.

c) The alphabetic-keyboard is the default keyboard for everything else, including digits entered via the alphabetic-keyboard and existing digits entered from previous versions of Numbers.

To get to the cells default keyboard either:

1) double-tap a cell,

OR

2) tap a cell then tap the 'green circle containing a keyboard icon' (bottom right of sheet)

THEN

3) If the alphabetic-keyboard appears, tap the 'black square containing an '=' symbol' (upper left corner of the keyboard). The keyboard will change - grey characters will appear and a formula bar, this is the formula-keyboard. Then, a) swipe down on the grey characters, OR b) tap the '123' key and enter the digits, then tap 'return' to move to the next cell in the column, tap 'tab' to move to the next cell in the row and repeat. The keyboard will change to the next cell's default keyboard.

(By the way, Apple needs to at least bring back the 10-keypad for number-formatted cells and the date-keypad for date formatted cells.)

iPad Air 2 Wi-Fi, iOS 10.3.1

Posted on Apr 6, 2017 10:59 AM

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Answer 1

Wrill

Level 1

9 points

Apr 16, 2017 12:15 AM in response to elmnano

I agree, he new keyboard setup is a headache. Considering the app is called numbers and is meant to work with numbers, why the qwerty keyboard is now the default baffles me. There is another way to bring up the old num pad though. When your in input mode (double tapped your cell), there is a grey arrow just above the keyboard (near i, o, p) that once tapped, will give you three keyboard options and you can select the num pad from that.

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Answer 2

SGIII

Level 8

37,996 points

Apr 16, 2017 8:00 AM in response to elmnano

elmnano wrote:

If you use Numbers on your iPad, and you upgraded Numbers recently, you have noticed they changed data input: no more 10-key pad. (Big mistake, lots of users furious.)

On my iPad Pro there's a numbers row across the top of the virtual keyboard, just like on MacBook and MBP. Very handy. So comments here apply to the keyboards that appear on smaller iPad screens and the iPhone.

SG

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Answer 3

elmnano Author

Level 1

9 points

Apr 18, 2017 9:21 AM in response to SGIII

My iPad has the numbers row as well. Accessed by tapping "=" in the upper left portion of the alphabetic (default) keyboard. Swiping down on the number key enters that number. But moving to another cell removes the numbers row, so you have to tap "=" again.

I use Numbers a lot and enter many numbers. The horizontal layout is not efficient (and hurts my wrist after a while).

If Tim Cook wants to sell iPads to businesses, the 10-key pad must be available.

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Answer 4

Apr 18, 2017 4:26 PM in response to elmnano

THat's a he,Paul rundown, but they used to be all in one spot! Plus, there used to be a duration keypad, too! Furthermore, the standard keyboard with letters comes up even if, as is usually the case, the cell one has tapped has a number in it!

SOrry, Auto-correct messing up again! And double caps at start of paragraphs in the forums happening, too!

THat should have been a "helpful rundown".

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Answer 5

SGIII

Level 8

37,996 points

Apr 18, 2017 9:15 PM in response to elmnano

elmnano wrote:

My iPad has the numbers row as well. Accessed by tapping "=" in the upper left portion of the alphabetic (default) keyboard.

On the large screen iPad the numbers row is there and stays there. No tap needed to call it up. That works great for me. It's on the smaller screens that input is now frustrating, especially in forms.

SG

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Answer 6

Diragor

Level 1

19 points

Apr 22, 2017 10:19 AM in response to elmnano

Yes, this change *****. I'm missing the date keyboard most, since you could just tap the month and it would fill in the current date. So is the date keyboard completely gone? I see no way to bring it up.

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Answer 7

SGIII

Level 8

37,996 points

Apr 22, 2017 12:12 PM in response to Diragor

Diragor wrote:

I'm missing the date keyboard most, since you could just tap the month and it would fill in the current date.

You can't do this in a form (hope they fix that) but to enter the current date in a cell in a table you can tap a cell, tap the new Cell Action Menu, and then tap Today's Date.

SG

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Answer 8

t quinn

Level 5

7,063 points

Apr 24, 2017 3:28 PM in response to Diragor

Hi Diragor,

I love being able to enter today's date with a single tap (Still hanging with 2.6.1). This is not been improved with the action menu outside of a form (twice the taps!). Forms have received such disrespect with this update that I have to believe that they will correct this. I am hoping that they return our keypads in forms. Forms are about restricting choices to simplify data entry. It may be that I would be happy with the action menu in a regular table but I worry that it is geared to iPads and not the smaller screens of an iPhone or iPod.

quinn

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