I can’t write emails on the tablet with the onscreen keyboard

[davodego]

Steps to reproduce

1. Use a tablet with a 10'' screen
2. open Mail app
3. Write a new message
4. Click on the message text input field
5. the onscreen keyboard appears
6. The text field is pushed together by the onscreen keyboard so that the text I am writing is no longer visible. Scrolling is not possible.

Expected behavior

I can write text in the message field of the email.

Actual behavior

The text field is pushed together by the onscreen keyboard so that the text I am writing is no longer visible. Scrolling is not possible.

Mail app version

5.5.6

Nextcloud version

32

Mailserver or service

No response

Operating system

Ubuntu 24.04

PHP engine version

PHP 8.3

Nextcloud memory caching

No response

Web server

None

Database

PostgreSQL

Additional info

see also https://help.nextcloud.com/t/i-cant-write-emails-on-the-tablet-with-the-onscreen-keyboard/232588

[Sordon]

See also the following discussion in the forum: https://help.nextcloud.com/t/mail-app-5-5-6-missing-virtual-keyboard-cursor-in-input-fields-on-mobile-browsers/233573?u=aschrage

[GretaD]

Hello,

thank you for opening a ticket for the issue, it is indeed a problem that needs to be addressed. Im not sure how we can fix it though. This is a specific case that only happens when theres not enough vertical space, so we might need a new design for this scenario. @nimishavijay how should we approach this?

[GretaD]

We believe that an existing feature request will help solve this problem. https://github.com/nextcloud/mail/issues/10421

[schmidtinger]

Hello everyone and Nextcloud developers,

First of all, on behalf of many users, I would like to sincerely thank the entire Nextcloud team for their great work and ongoing support! The platform is fantastic and a crucial pillar for data sovereignty.

Unfortunately, I must provide an update and emphasize the seriousness of the situation:

I can unfortunately confirm that the original issue concerning the missing virtual keyboard and cursor in the input fields of the Mail App on mobile browsers (when composing a new email) persists even in version 5.6.1.

This is an extremely critical bug as it essentially renders the Mail app unusable on mobile devices.

🚨 Appeal to Developers and Relevance for Data Privacy

Since this bug has now been present across several versions, it would be extremely valuable and reassuring for the entire community if one of the responsible developers, such as GretaD, kesselb, or Christoph Wurst, could briefly comment on the issue and perhaps provide an update on the current status or possible fix.

This bug is particularly relevant because many organizations that use Nextcloud specifically for data protection and data sovereignty reasons place great importance on not storing personal data (e.g., customer data, email addresses) on employees' private mobile devices (smartphones/tablets).

Therefore, a fully functional mobile web interface for the Nextcloud Mail App is absolutely essential. Without this functionality, secure and data protection-compliant operation is severely limited. The core function of composing emails via the mobile browser interface of the Mail App urgently needs to be restored.

❓ Question to the Community

Can anyone else who has updated to version 5.6.1 or a newer version confirm this error? Or—even better—has anyone found a workaround that we can use as a temporary solution?

Thank you for any reaction!

Best regards, Schmidtinger

[mhst09]

There's a little lifehack for regaining focus and getting the editor working again. Click the three-dot button next to the "Submit" button, select "Text Blocks," and then close the window that opens. The editor will work again. It's clear that users won't be happy about this, but at least it works.

[schmidtinger]

Thanks @mhst09 for the lifehack. While it's not the perfect solution, this workaround works for now. Perhaps this could also be an important clue for the developers to find a way to resolve the issue.

[nimishavijay]

This is a specific case that only happens when theres not enough vertical space, so we might need a new design for this scenario.

Agreed, quite a specific issue that could be improved a lot by the linked issue. In the same direction, I'm wondering if we can detect if it's a tablet display and collapse all the from/to/cc info to one line if subject or body fields are in focus?

could look like this

Another solution is to introduce a 2 column layout, with one column for from/to info and the other one for subject and body, but this seems rather unconventional as I couldn't find any clients which do anything like this.