Advice for difficulty texting on smartphone due to issues with fine motor skills/coordination

[JemPD]

So i've resisted getting a smartphone all this time because I have terrible problems being able to text on one. The only one i tried was an iphone 5 which is i guess comparatively small.

I have problems with coordination that many of us have hands/fingers etc not going where we tell them to, aiming in one direction travelling in another. And fine motor skills being non existant during PEM - cant do up buttons etc because fingers feel like sausages

On my old nokia 216 (which is what i use now and very happily), the buttons are raised so i can feel with my thumb where the button is & if i miss it adjust accordingly by feel rather than only by eye. Whereas on the touchscreen phones i just repeatedly hit the screen in wrong place, its impossible, well i can do it but i have to redo each letter 5 or six times before i manage to hit the tiny little point on the screen where the chosen letter is. It takes 10 times the effort which i cant afford during PEM.

I dont need a ruddy smartphone because i rarely able to leave the house & never need the internet while out, so whats the flippin point in it AGGRRRH!

But life is becoming increasingly inaccessible without one tese days, because they only make apps for apple/android never for windows any more so i find myself thinking about changing over. But i just <sigh> i dont want to have to buy a thing that i dont even want, just so i can access NHS app, banking apps, loads of different things i am effectively locked out of because i dont have a smartphone.

the other issue is that i can hold and text (which is alll i do on mobile i dont call on it i use my landline for that) with one hand because its so small & light, i really fdont relish the idea of having to use 2 hands & prop it up on something every time i want to read a text or send a 2 word msg. Beingon my own its often my only contact with outside world & i dont want to be unable to text when in PEM or able to text a lot less because it costs too mch energy.

You all seem to have smartphones though so am wondering how you manage? I must be missing something.

edited for clarity

 

[CRG]

You are not alone ! I do have a large button basic mobile*, although hardly every have use for it - but does mean I can send/receive texts if necessary. As far as I can tell any important web based services that require an app for mobile use, are accessible via their websites - certainly true for the NHS, online Banking, so far I've not found anything important that I can't do via the web and survive via a Desktop.

Perhaps this explainer might help: What's the Difference Between a Mobile App and a Web App?

*https://www.doro.com/en-gb/shop/mobile-devices/easy-phones/doro-2404/

 

[JemPD]

You are not alone ! I do have a large button basic mobile*, although hardly every have use for it - but does mean I can send/receive texts if necessary. As far as I can tell any important web based services that require an app for mobile use, are accessible via their websites - certainly true for the NHS, online Banking, so far I've not found anything important that I can't do via the web and survive via a Desktop.

lol we are dinosaurs CRG But i use mine for texting a LOT i wouldnt have contact or be able to get help otherwise as i live alone & often am unable to speak.

And its certainly not true for the NHS, you cant check or change an appointment online through a website - at least not in my area.

the NHS app is not available for windows... if it is please tell me where to find it as it wasnt last time i checked. I cant do video calls with dr/consultants without a smartphone, they dont/wont do zoom or anything accessible on a windows laptop. and while some GPs are now resuming online appointment booking it is only through the NHS app, also sharing photos with doctors is much more difficult by email.

The virgin bank website (shocking but true) will only give you access to withdraw/online transfer £500 per day unless you use the mobile app. Its my money but it wont allow me to have any more unless through the app...which i think is outrageous & have told them so i'd move but thats another cognitive effort to switch.

there are a lot of things that are reduced function or 'you need the app for that'.

I have lost track of how many apps that i want/need/would be much easier if i had it

eg heres a list of the apps i want that are android/apple only that i can think of right now, but there are a dozen more i cant think of off the top of my head.

controller for smart meter if i get one.
controller for noise cancelling headphones
controller for cat flap
controller for vapourflow extractor/humidity controller.

restricted in choice of new boiler as they mostly need controlling via app.
local council's app for checking what can & cannot go into silver bin (the online lists are not nearly detailed enough & are rubbish but 'dont worry theres an app'.)

and on & on

It drives me bananas, i see loads of good things that i think 'oo that'd be great' but i cant have it because its all through an app

Its also the ubiquitous "can you send us a photo?"..... & the answer is no i ruddy cant because the effort required to get the digital camera out, take the photo, plug it into laptop via usb & import the photo, then compose an email & add an attachment. It takes ages & too much enegry. I stopped ordering from morrisons because they refuse to give refund on damaged/poor quality items without a photo.

I have been digging my heels in for yrs, but its beginning to really bug me all the things i cant do because i dont have one.

 

[Peter T]

My network is no longer supporting my ancient Nokia so at some point I expect it to grind to a halt, but I struggle to text anyway using letters organised alphabetically with a number of letters on each key. I get a fair few missed letters with having to sequence the number of taps to get the target letter.

I sometimes think I should just give up on having a mobile, as although the smart phone qwerty layout is much better, like others I struggle to hit the right letter on a small touch screen. However I don’t want not to be able to have a phone on those rare occasions when I do go out by myself.

 

[JemPD]

but I struggle to text anyway using letters organised alphabetically with a number of letters on each key

dont you have the T9 predictive text function? So you just press the key that holds that letter once and the phone produces the most likely words with those 3 letters in that order? and then you press * to swap through the options... so if you want to say 'home' you press 4663, which also spells good, gone, hood, hoof etc. 43 comes up as he or if & you press * to change it.

I couldnt survive without that!

 

[Peter T]

dont you have the T9 predictive text function? So you just press the key that holds that letter once and the phone produces the most likely words with those 3 letters in that order? and then you press * to swap through the options... so if you want to say 'home' you press 4663, which also spells good, gone, hood, hoof etc. 43 comes up as he or if & you press * to change it.

I couldnt survive without that!

I struggle using predictive text.

 

[rvallee]

Heh, I have the same problem. It's maddening to use those as I keep losing my train of thought.

Depending on your computer, the better option could be to set it up to access your phone. This way you can send and receive texts on a PC. There is an app on Windows 11 called Phone link. Not sure on Windows 10.

It doesn't work all that great, Bluetooth is very finicky, but it solves the sausage finger typing problem. For the most part you can keep using the phone as is, but when you need to type in something longer you use the PC.

 

[IanMcPhee]

Would a tablet with a SIM slot be an option, if you don't need to be carry it on you?

Or a keyboard for a smart phone? You can get ones that connect wirelessly that also have a track pad, or also you can just use a regular USB keyboard?

 

[Kitty]

If your friends and contacts use WhatsApp, @JemPD, maybe just download that onto your computer once you have your smartphone? It doesn't work independently, it needs to be linked to a phone, but once it's set up you don't need to use the phone keyboard for texts at all.

There may be other messaging apps that don't even require a phone, but from what you say it sounds as if it would be useful to have one anyway. And WhatsApp is pretty widely used, so you may find most of your contacts have it already.

I send almost all of my texts and messages from my laptop, as I can't manage well on a phone screen because of severe hand arthritis. It makes life much easier using a decent sized laptop keyboard.

 

[inox]

Have you condidered a small tablet?

I have an iPad mini, and mostly use apps on it.

Bonus, I seem to tolerate some tv/YouTube on the smaller screen.

A stylus/touch penn is really helping me. For use with both tablet or smart phone. It lessens the arm movement needed, and makes it easier hit the right letters.

 

[inox]

My network is no longer supporting my ancient Nokia so at some point I expect it to grind to a halt, but I struggle to text anyway using letters organised alphabetically with a number of letters on each key. I get a fair few missed letters with having to sequence the number of taps to get the target letter.

I sometimes think I should just give up on having a mobile, as although the smart phone qwerty layout is much better, like others I struggle to hit the right letter on a small touch screen. However I don’t want not to be able to have a phone on those rare occasions when I do go out by myself.

Have you tried with a stylus / thouch penn? I couldn’t manage without.

 

[JemPD]

I struggle using predictive text.

yeah i think i can only use it because i became very adept with it befor e i became ill so some of it is automatic, i do struggle when in PEM but struggle less with that than with typing. I do have a kindle and have tried using the predictive text function on that for fb/S4 but its IMPOSSIBLE - at least with the old fashioned predictive text i described it can only give you a word made from the letters you type. Predictive text on tablets smart phones is beyond irritating trying to second guess what you might be going to say... useless and irritating.
I dont think i could type out a text having to press the button a certain number of times for each letter.... its what you get used to isnt it.

@rvallee thats a good idea but i would find having to turn the computer on even harder each time i wanted to eg ask my carer to bring me an extra banana up when she comes. just too ill for computer a lot of the time, & i ought not to be on it much of the time that i am!
i finger typing on a large keyboard takes a lot of energy moving the arm, so that wouldnt be the solution & i need to be able to use it while out to give lists to carers/

 

[JemPD]

Would a tablet with a SIM slot be an option, if you don't need to be carry it on you?

Or a keyboard for a smart phone? You can get ones that connect wirelessly that also have a track pad, or also you can just use a regular USB keyboard?

a good idea, but the thing is i do need to use it as a phone while out occasionally i dont want something i cant hold & i dispise my ipad & kindle i just hate them so much LOL i cant hold them they are too big & i just find them such a hassle. Its got to be small enough that i can hold it up to my ear without dropping it my hands are tiny.

If your friends and contacts use WhatsApp, @JemPD, maybe just download that onto your computer once you have your smartphone? It doesn't work independently, it needs to be linked to a phone, but once it's set up you don't need to use the phone keyboard for texts at all.

There may be other messaging apps that don't even require a phone, but from what you say it sounds as if it would be useful to have one anyway. And WhatsApp is pretty widely used, so you may find most of your contacts have it already.

I send almost all of my texts and messages from my laptop, as I can't manage well on a phone screen because of severe hand arthritis. It makes life much easier using a decent sized laptop keyboard.

yeah thanks but i dont want to msg using my laptop i'm too ill a lot of the time to have it on even on a stand its a pain, i dont want to have to turn this ruddy thing on with all its taking 10 mins to start up (obv not but feels like it) & its glitches and having to watch the battery doesnt run out too often or it corrupts the hard drive, blah blah, not thank you and moving my hands/wrists to type takes too mcuh energy in a crash. A lot of my texts are along the lines of

replies ='cant talk an bad sendin u love'

to carer who is downstairs while i bad in bed & every movement is an agony

'pls bring meds up'
'tea'
'help'
'come'

no way i can be bothered with trung on a laptop to do that.

A stylus/touch penn is really helping me. For use with both tablet or smart phone. It lessens the arm movement needed, and makes it easier hit the right letters.

ah... not come cross those.

Have you tried with a stylus / thouch penn? I couldn’t manage without.

ooo! i think that might be answer. can you get cases with a slot to keep them together all the time.

will look into the wireless keyboards too, or maybe one of those double sided phones? with fold in middle. Do any of you have those?

 

[JemPD]

Thank you so much every one for praticipating giving advice mcuh appreciated

 

[RedFox]

Many phones have text-to-speech functionality. I believe it's a default Android feature. Pull up the keyboard, tap the microphone icon, and you can dictate your texts. The voice recognition provides good results even in noise environments or if you don't enunciate every word.

 

[inox]

ah... not come cross those.

ooo! i think that might be answer. can you get cases with a slot to keep them together all the time.

Not sure?

I’ve just opted to get a ton of them. Luckily someone found cheap ones at the local grosary store for me, that I’m happy with.

But wouldn’t be surprised if that is a thing

 

[JemPD]

Many phones have text-to-speech functionality. I believe it's a default Android feature. Pull up the keyboard, tap the microphone icon, and you can dictate your texts. The voice recognition provides good results even in noise environments or if you don't enunciate every word.

thanks but when i'm bad, speaking is almost impossible, i just cant make the wrods go from mind to mouth at all, and when i try it just comes out as unintelligible - even to people who know me well. And the effort of generating sound.... makes me so ill. I often have to write things down for my carer. Having to talk while in PEM is just a no no, its easier to crawl to bathroom than to speak 3 words out loud.

 

[IanMcPhee]

@JemPD You might like to look at Samsung's Note line of smart phones that come with a very good styli. They support palm rejection, which means you can lean your hand on the phone screen but it only registers the pen input.

Also both iPhone and Android support handwriting to text conversion if that's any help to you?

 

[JemPD]

@JemPD You might like to look at Samsung's Note line of smart phones that come with a very good styli. They support palm rejection, which means you can lean your hand on the phone screen but it only registers the pen input.

Also both iPhone and Android support handwriting to text conversion if that's any help to you?

very helpful Ian thank you

 

[rvallee]

Then accessible phones are probably the only option worth considering. I don't know enough about them to be sure what could fit, sensory issues aren't generally considered in terms of accessibility, but difficulty typing is definitely up there.

I'll try and do a bit of search on this, although it takes me a while to get started when looking at things I'm not familiar with. I'm sure you're not the only one who could use this.