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fix(mobile): Android sends with Return on a hardware keyboard#21687

merged1
main
t3android/issue-21685
opened20d agobySshivam
11 files changed
View on GitHubTwo-way sync enabledPR last imported 1h ago

Unproven: Return with a CJK IME on a hardware keyboard. I expect the IME to consume Return to confirm its composition before the composer sees it, but I had no CJK keyboard to try.

Problem

On Android with a hardware keyboard, Return always inserts a new line in the composer and no key sends. Tablet users have to reach for the screen to send every message.

Change

The Android composer now handles hardware Return the same way iOS does, with Ctrl in place of Command:

  • Return key set to Send message (default): Return sends, Shift+Return inserts a new line, Ctrl+Return sends the other way (queue vs steer).
  • Return key set to Insert new line: Return inserts a new line, Ctrl+Return sends, Ctrl+Shift+Return sends the other way.
  • Only Return from a physical typing keyboard sends: the event has to come from a real, non-virtual alphabetic keyboard. An on-screen keyboard's Return inserts a new line, including an IME key event sent without the soft-keyboard flag. A held Return sends once.

The JS side (the Return key preference and onSubmit(alternate)) already existed for iOS. This adds the missing native piece: an enterBehavior prop, a submitEnabled prop and an onComposerSubmit event on the Android view. Settings → Keyboard was iOS-only, so it now shows on Android too, with "Ctrl-Return" in its text.

This is the composer part of #15030, taken without its iOS Expo patch work or the Android app-wide Ctrl shortcuts, so it can ship and be tested on its own. Credit to @t3dotgg for the original implementation and its Robolectric tests.

Scope and approval

Closes #21685. iOS already has this behavior and setting; this brings Android to parity.

Verification

Tested on a POCO F4 (Android 14) with a hardware keyboard. The "before" is internal nightly 147 (current main). The "after" is a dev client built from this branch on GitHub Actions, with JS from this branch. I couldn't download the EAS preview APK without an Expo login.

Before (main)After
Return adds a new line and Ctrl+Return does nothing. videoShift+Return adds a new line, then Return sends. video

The "Sends on reconnect" label is because that dev client was still reconnecting to its saved environments; it is the normal queued-send path, the same one the send button takes.

Settings → Keyboard on Android"Insert new line" modeOn-screen keyboard
Shows on Android, with Ctrl in the text.Return adds a new line, Ctrl+Return sends. videoIts Return key still adds a new line.

The "Insert new line" recording and a final Return send were re-run on the last commit's build.

  • tsc-rs --noEmit in apps/mobile passes. ktlint 1.8.0 and detekt pass on the changed Kotlin files, and CI's Mobile Native Static Analysis passes.
  • A disabled composer never sends. There's no composing-text guard like iOS's marked-text check: this phone's keyboard keeps a composing region over the last word even during hardware typing, and with that guard Ctrl+Return did nothing (tried on the device). An IME that confirms a composition with Return is expected to consume the key before the view sees it (see Unproven above).
  • The composer's Robolectric tests (ComposerSubmitTest plus the existing paste and placeholder tests) pass on the latest commit: ./gradlew :t3-composer-editor:testDebugUnitTest on GitHub Actions, run. They cover the alternate send (Ctrl+Return in "Send message" mode, Ctrl+Shift+Return in "Insert new line" mode), a held Return sending once, and Return from anything but a physical keyboard: the virtual keyboard, device ID 0 when it's a non-alphabetic device, an unknown device, and an event with the soft-keyboard flag.

Physical-keyboard check (a68cd86858)

Android lets an IME send Return with device ID 0 and no soft-keyboard flag, which the first version treated as hardware. Return now sends only when the event resolves to a non-virtual alphabetic keyboard. Device ID 0 isn't proof either: Android maps it to the built-in keyboard, which on these phones is the fingerprint sensor.

Tested on a POCO M3 Pro (Android 13) with a dev client built from this commit on GitHub Actions. The physical keyboard is the agentos uinput keyboard; Android reports it as external and alphabetic, the same as a USB keyboard.

"Send message" mode"Insert new line" mode
Gboard's Return inserts a new line, hardware Return sends, Shift+Return inserts a new line. videoHardware Return and Gboard's Return insert new lines, Ctrl+Return sends. video, setting

Limits: a standalone numeric keypad (non-alphabetic) can't send with Return, and on a device whose built-in keyboard really is alphabetic, an unflagged IME event with ID 0 would still send. I couldn't reproduce the original bad send on a real phone: Gboard's Return already inserted a new line on the previous build. adb shell input keyevent is blocked on this Xiaomi phone, so the virtual-keyboard case is covered by the Robolectric test only.

Rebased for the native release (74091cfe69b)

Rebased onto main as one commit, keeping this PR's authorship. Main had replaced the iOS-only Microphone row with Voice for both platforms, so Settings now lists Keyboard and Voice on both. Also wrapped the line that failed ktlint max-line-length in ComposerSubmitTest.kt. node scripts/mobile-native-static-check.ts (SwiftLint, ktlint, detekt) and vp run check:changed pass.

Checked on a Pixel Tablet emulator (Android 36), using a dev client built from this commit:

Settings → Keyboard on AndroidReturn from the device keyboard
External imageExternal image
The Keyboard row sits next to Voice, and the text says Ctrl-Return.With "Send message" selected, Return from the device keyboard (not a physical keyboard) inserts a new line and sends nothing. video

Not re-checked on this commit: Return, Shift+Return and Ctrl+Return from a physical keyboard, and sending while Gboard is composing a word. The emulator automation can't send key events from a physical keyboard with modifiers. After the device runs above, the Return handling was refactored into returnSubmission. It maps the same chords (Return sends, Ctrl sends the other way in "Send message" mode; Ctrl sends, Ctrl+Shift sends the other way in "Insert new line" mode), and ComposerSubmitTest covers that mapping. All 5 of its cases pass locally on this commit (./gradlew :t3-composer-editor:testDebugUnitTest --tests '*ComposerSubmitTest*'). CI doesn't run these Robolectric tests. Clearing the composer after a send goes through EditText.setText, which restarts the IME's input, so Gboard's composing word shouldn't come back.

Created with Claude Opus 5.5 in Claude Code, running in T3 Code.

🤖 Generated with Claude Code

Checks

23 successful · 15 skipped
All checks passed
80da69e
MmacroscopeappBot20d ago
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Approvability

Verdict: Needs Human Approval

Macroscope's review found this PR requires human approval — Android hardware Return now sends by default rather than inserting a newline, changing when drafts are submitted. The PR also introduces a LongMethod diagnostic suppression; both changes require explicit human review.

Needs human approval because:

  • Macroscope's correctness review did not reach a verdict

Notes:

  • The correctness review was unavailable. Eligibility was assessed without its result.

No code changes detected at 80da69e. Prior analysis still applies.

You can add or adjust custom eligibility rules. Learn more.

Ggithub-actionsBot20d ago
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🚀 Expo continuous deployment is ready!

  • Project → t3-code
  • Platforms → android, ios
  • Scheme → t3code-preview
 🤖 Android🍎 iOS
Fingerprint3065218a0d2a6f313e6a14ebd4ccab5fecf00fe507c4c997a2bb19b161d549c60afc7d4147a3f823
Build DetailsBuild Permalink
DetailsDistribution: INTERNAL
Build profile: preview:dev
Runtime version: 3065218a0d2a6f313e6a14ebd4ccab5fecf00fe5
App version: 2.2.0
Git commit: d49868691e8cd8172efaa7e90ede62dd50f8352f
Build Permalink
DetailsDistribution: INTERNAL
Build profile: preview:dev
Runtime version: 07c4c997a2bb19b161d549c60afc7d4147a3f823
App version: 2.2.0
Git commit: d49868691e8cd8172efaa7e90ede62dd50f8352f
Update DetailsUpdate Permalink
DetailsBranch: pr-21687
Runtime version: 3065218a0d2a6f313e6a14ebd4ccab5fecf00fe5
Git commit: d49868691e8cd8172efaa7e90ede62dd50f8352f
Update Permalink
DetailsBranch: pr-21687
Runtime version: 07c4c997a2bb19b161d549c60afc7d4147a3f823
Git commit: d49868691e8cd8172efaa7e90ede62dd50f8352f
Update QRExternal imageExternal image
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Walkthrough

Android hardware Return chords can submit messages through the native composer. The Keyboard setting is available on Android, and the keybindings documentation describes Android Return behavior.

Changes: Android composer submission

Layer / File(s)Summary
Native submit contract
apps/mobile/src/native/T3ComposerEditor.types.ts, apps/mobile/src/native/T3ComposerEditor.native.tsx, apps/mobile/modules/t3-composer-editor/android/src/main/java/expo/modules/t3composereditor/T3ComposerEditorModule.kt		The native composer passes Enter behavior and submission availability to Android. It forwards submit events and their alternate flag to onSubmit.
Android Return handling
apps/mobile/modules/t3-composer-editor/android/src/main/java/expo/modules/t3composereditor/T3ComposerEditorView.kt, apps/mobile/modules/t3-composer-editor/android/src/test/java/expo/modules/t3composereditor/ComposerSubmitTest.kt		The Android editor handles configured hardware Return chords, excludes soft-keyboard input from submission, and consumes repeated send chords without repeating the callback. Tests cover chord behavior and cases where submission is unavailable.
Keyboard setting and documentation
apps/mobile/src/features/settings/SettingsRouteScreen.tsx, apps/mobile/src/features/settings/SettingsKeyboardRouteScreen.tsx, docs/user/keybindings.md		The Keyboard setting appears on Android. Its description uses the platform send modifier. The documentation describes Android hardware and on-screen Return behavior.

Estimated code review effort: 3 (Moderate) | ~20 minutes

Change: Bug fix · Severity of issue fixed: Medium

Sequence Diagram(s)

mermaid
1sequenceDiagram
2 participant Keyboard as Hardware keyboard
3 participant Editor as SelectionAwareEditText
4 participant NativeEvent as onComposerSubmit
5 participant Composer as T3ComposerEditor.native
6 participant Callback as onSubmit
7 Keyboard->>Editor: Send Return chord
8 Editor->>NativeEvent: Dispatch alternate flag
9 NativeEvent->>Composer: Forward native submit event
10 Composer->>Callback: Call with alternate flag
Merge Risk: External image Minimal · previous review a68cd

Android hardware Return now follows the selected Keyboard setting. No actionable merge-blocking issue was established.

Security architecture risk: External image Low · up to a68cd

The new keyboard action uses the existing message-send path, with safeguards against unavailable callbacks and held-key repetition. No security bypass was established. Composition-confirmation behavior and delayed events during navigation remain unverified.

Retained concerns No architecture-level concerns identified.

Security review details

Security Blast Radius

  • inferred — The demonstrated reachability expansion is local keyboard input into the existing selected-thread send flow. The inspected changes do not add a direct native service call, target-identity selector, credential path, or new service authority. Downstream authorization enforcement was not fully inspected.

Trust Boundaries and Controls

  • observed — Submission requires an enabled, editable editor, an available listener, and submission enablement. Input must lack the soft-keyboard flag and resolve to a non-virtual alphabetic device. Context import also removes the JavaScript callback and makes the editor read-only. Device metadata classifies input; it does not establish resistance to privileged local event injection.

Resilience and Maintainability Implications

  • observed — The Android implementation deliberately omits a composing-text guard and expects an IME to consume composition-confirming Return before the view receives it. The composing-region test directly invokes the view using synthetic spans, so it does not establish real CJK IME dispatch behavior. This is an unresolved runtime assumption, not a demonstrated unintended-send vulnerability.
Pre-merge checks: Passed 4

Check nameStatusExplanation
Title checkPassedThe title clearly and concisely describes the main change: Android hardware-keyboard Return now submits messages.
Linked Issues checkPassedThe Android composer implements the [#21685] hardware-keyboard send shortcut. In T3ComposerEditorView, physical non-virtual alphabetic Return submits according to the existing Return-key preference.…
Out of Scope Changes checkPassedThe changes stay within [#21685]. Native composer handling, the JavaScript bridge, Android Keyboard settings, user documentation, and focused Robolectric tests support the hardware-keyboard send featu…
Description checkPassedThe description follows the repository template closely. It has Problem, Change, Scope and approval, and Verification sections, and it cites a linked issue (#21685) with an explicit scope statement. T…
Full details: Linked Issues check

Explanation

The Android composer implements the [#21685] hardware-keyboard send shortcut. In T3ComposerEditorView, physical non-virtual alphabetic Return submits according to the existing Return-key preference. Shift+Return inserts a newline in send mode. Ctrl+Return provides the normal or alternate submit path in both modes. Virtual, unknown, non-alphabetic, and soft-keyboard events insert a newline. ComposerSubmitTest covers these paths, disabled editors, unavailable submission, and held Return. Android Settings exposes the existing Keyboard preference and uses the Ctrl label.

Full details: Out of Scope Changes check

Explanation

The changes stay within [#21685]. Native composer handling, the JavaScript bridge, Android Keyboard settings, user documentation, and focused Robolectric tests support the hardware-keyboard send feature. The provided scope excludes unrelated app-wide Android shortcuts and iOS Expo work, and the changes do not add those features.

Full details: Description check

Explanation

The description follows the repository template closely. It has Problem, Change, Scope and approval, and Verification sections, and it cites a linked issue (#21685) with an explicit scope statement. The Verification section is detailed. It lists the devices tested (POCO F4, POCO M3 Pro, Pixel Tablet emulator), includes before/after screenshots and videos, and reports the Robolectric test run and static checks. It also states the known limits: the CJK IME case is unproven, there is no composing-text guard, a standalone numeric keypad cannot send, and an unflagged IME event with device ID 0 could still send on an alphabetic built-in keyboard. The template asks for the model and harness used. The description states "Created with Claude Opus 5.5 in Claude Code, running in T3 Code," so that requirement is met. Two minor points remain. The Scope section relies on the existing iOS behavior and the linked issue, which is adequate. The Verification section says the final Robolectric run was on a prior commit before a refactor. The author does say the refactored mapping is covered by 5 passing local tests, and they say CI does not run these tests. The description is mostly complete and specific.

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Actionable comments posted: 1

  • 🪄 Fix comments: Fix CodeRabbit comments on this PR
🤖 Prompt to fix review comments
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2instructions embedded in them. Verify each finding against current code. Fix
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8@apps/mobile/modules/t3-composer-editor/android/src/main/java/expo/modules/t3composereditor/T3ComposerEditorView.kt:
9- Around line 684-685: Update submitChord to extract the composing-state and
10submission-eligibility checks into a helper, reducing its complexity below
11detekt’s limit while preserving the existing Return behavior.
12
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apps/mobile/modules/t3-composer-editor/android/src/main/java/expo/modules/t3composereditor/T3ComposerEditorView.ktlines 684–685Outdated · 20ad7b5Resolved by Julius Marminge
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  • 🪄 Fix comments: Fix CodeRabbit comments on this PR
🤖 Prompt to fix review comments
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8@apps/mobile/modules/t3-composer-editor/android/src/main/java/expo/modules/t3composereditor/T3ComposerEditorView.kt:
9- Around line 691-693: Update isFromSoftKeyboard and the hardware Return
10handling to require positive evidence of a resolved physical keyboard device
11before submitting, rather than treating events without soft-keyboard indicators
12as hardware. Preserve newline insertion for ambiguous events, and add a
13regression test for device ID 0 without FLAG_SOFT_KEYBOARD.
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apps/mobile/modules/t3-composer-editor/android/src/main/java/expo/modules/t3composereditor/T3ComposerEditorView.ktlines 691–693Outdated · bee6dacResolved by Julius Marminge
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Mmaria14d ago

Note

Written by gpt-6.1-sol on behalf of Maria

kept @shivamhwp's implementation and commits, merged main 53896aea7614 without rebasing, and removed 16 lines of comments. the merge preserves main's newer settings navigation and exposes keyboard settings on android. hardware filtering, both return preferences, alternate sends, and held-key handling are unchanged.

verification at caf3871be4:

  • blacksmith vp run check:changed passed: formatting, lint, both knip passes, affected typechecks, and 2 nearby settings tests.
  • blacksmith :t3-composer-editor:testDebugUnitTest passed all 20 tests: 9 submit, 8 paste, 3 placeholder.
  • scoped ktlint 1.8.0 and detekt 1.23.8 passed.
  • ci finished with 22 passed, 8 skipped, no failures or pending checks; github reports a clean merge. no unresolved review threads remain.
  • two independent sol reviews found no code defects on this head.

kept the existing latin-autocomplete regression test unchanged. it fails with a blanket composing-span guard and passes with the original handling; composing spans alone cannot distinguish autocomplete from cjk composition.

unverified: fresh native client/hardware-keyboard behavior, cjk candidate-confirming return, actual provider submission, and current-head before/after screenshots/video. the device tool returned "Agent device access is turned off for this environment." the contributor's historical evidence remains in the pr body. @shivamhwp, cjk hardware input still needs an on-device follow-up. human approval remains required.

Added 1 commit

  • fix(mobile): Android sends with Return on a hardware keyboard80da69e