What to do if Galaxy Note8 has “Unfortunately, Android Keyboard Has Stopped” error

“Unfortunately, Android Keyboard Has Stopped” is one of the common errors Android users encounter for years now. In this troubleshooting episode, we address this error in a specific device — the #GalaxyNote8. There’s been a growing number of Note8 owners experiencing this error so we hope this dedicated article will help them. “Unfortunately, Android Keyboard Has Stopped” error is usually a result of an issue with Samsung keyboard app so there’s a significant attempt in this article to deal with this app directly.

Fix #1: Restart your Note8

Restarting your Note8 device should be the first troubleshooting step that you want to do. Sometimes, minor glitches only exists as long as the device is running. In other words, the moment there’s a momentary break in operation, like when you restart, the bug may cease to exist. Restarting your Note8 clears its RAM, which in turn clears all processes. If the bug is memory-related, a quick reboot may fix the issue for you.

Normally, you can reset your Note8 by pressing and holding the Power button, then selecting restart. In this situation though, we want you to perform a soft reset to simulate a battery pull. This is usually performed when a device with a non-removable battery has frozen or has become unresponsive. To soft reset your Note8:

  1. Press and hold the Power and Volume down buttons for 12 seconds.
  2. Use the Volume down button to scroll to the Power Down option.
  3. Press the Home key to select. Note: Wait for the device to power down completely.

Fix #2: Force close the Keyboard app

If the issue won’t go away after restarting the device, the next good thing to do is force close the Keyboard app. This is an effective solution to a lot of app-related issues to be sure not to skip it. “Unfortunately, Android Keyboard Has Stopped” error is usually a one-time glitch due to a RAM error so stopping this app manually might help. To force close the Keyboard app, follow these steps:

  1. Open Settings app.
  2. Tap Apps.
  3. Tap More settings (three-dot icon) at the upper-right.
  4. Tap Show system apps.
  5. Find the keyboard app you’re using. This may be Samsung Keyboard or the name of the third party keyboard app you’re using.
  6. Once you found the keyboard app, open it.
  7. Tap FORCE CLOSE button.

Fix #3: Delete Keyboard app cache and data

Sometimes, apps may encounter problems when their cache or data gets corrupted. Cache or data corruption in apps usually happens after an update but there are other factors that might make them problematic as well. Whatever the reason might be, it’s good if you can clear the cache and data of the keyboard to see if that will help. To do that, follow the steps below:

  1. Open Settings app.
  2. Tap Apps.
  3. Tap More settings (three-dot icon) at the upper-right.
  4. Tap Show system apps.
  5. Find the keyboard app you’re using. This may be Samsung Keyboard or the name of the third party keyboard app you’re using.
  6. Once you found the keyboard app, open it.
  7. Tap Storage.
  8. Tap Clear Cache button.
  9. Restart your Note8.
  10. If the problem continues, repeat steps 1-8, then hit Clear Data button.

Fix #4: Update apps and Android

The issue should had been fixed by now but if it remains clearing it’s data, the next good thing to do is to ensure that all your apps, including the keyboard app are up-to-date. The same should be true for the operating system. Some errors are fixable by updates only. “Unfortunately, Android Keyboard Has Stopped” error is vague and does not tell us much about the exact problem. Hopefully, installing an update for it, for other apps, or for Android fixes it.

If you’re using third party keyboard, make sure that you update it as well.

Fix #5: Clear cache partition

Clearing the cache partition deals with one important aspect in your Android device — the system cache. At times, the system cache gets corrupted after an update or after installing something. This can lead to all sorts of problems. In order to minimize issues related to system cache, make sure that part of your troubleshooting package for this issue involves clearing the cache partition. Here’s how:

  1. Turn off the device.
  2. Press and hold the Volume Up key and the Bixby key, then press and hold the Power key.
  3. When the green Android logo displays, release all keys (‘Installing system update’ will show for about 30 – 60 seconds before showing the Android system recovery menu options).
  4. Press the Volume down key several times to highlight ‘wipe cache partition’.
  5. Press Power button to select.
  6. Press the Volume down key until ‘yes’ is highlighted and press the Power button.
  7. When the wipe cache partition is complete, “Reboot system now” is highlighted.
  8. Press the Power key to restart the device.

Fix #6: Boot to safe mode and observe

Third party apps can interfere with Android in a lot of ways. Though Google (the Android developer) and app developers do the best they can to minimize problems with apps from occuring, bugs can still be found from time to time. To see if one of your installed apps is causing the problem, you want to restart your Note8 to safe mode. In this mode, no third party apps, those that you installed after unboxing the device, will be allowed to run. If “Unfortunately, Android Keyboard Has Stopped” error won’t occur while your Note8’s on safe mode, that’s a clear sign that you have a bad third party app.

To boot to safe mode:

  1. Turn the device off.
  2. Press and hold the Power key past the model name screen.
  3. When “SAMSUNG” appears on the screen, release the Power key.
  4. Immediately after releasing the Power key, press and hold the Volume down key.
  5. Continue to hold the Volume down key until the device finishes restarting.
  6. Safe mode will display in the bottom left corner of the screen.
  7. Release the Volume down key when you see Safe Mode.

Fix #7: Use third party Keyboard

If the problem has persisted up to this point, there really might be an issue with Samsung Keyboard on your device. We are not aware of any particular issue that affects many Note8 users right now but some pretty significant bugs in the past were slow to be detected and fixed by Samsung and Google. To remedy the situation, consider using a third party keyboard app. There are many apps that you can install from the Play Store that can do the same exact (and more) functions of Samsung keyboard.

Fix #8: Factory reset

Finally, if everything has been done and there’s no solution in sight, you should not hesitate to wipe the phone and restore all its settings to their defaults. Factory reset is usually an effective solution for all sorts of issues  that basic software troubleshooting can fix. Just be sure not to forget to create a backup of your files to avoid losing them.

To factory reset your Note8:

  1. Turn off the device.
  2. Press and hold the Volume Up key and the Bixby key, then press and hold the Power key.
  3. When the green Android logo displays, release all keys (‘Installing system update’ will show for about 30 – 60 seconds before showing the Android system recovery menu options).
  4. Press the Volume down key several times to highlight “wipe data / factory reset.
  5. Press Power button to select.
  6. Press the Volume down key until ‘Yes — delete all user data’ is highlighted.
  7. Press Power button to select and start the master reset.
  8. When the master reset is complete, “Reboot system now” is highlighted.
  9. Press the Power key to restart the device.

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