X

Windows Phone 7.5 users: Our keyboards keep disappearing

Microsoft is looking into a reported bug in Windows Phone 7.5 Mango in which users are reporting that their onscreen keyboards are randomly disappearing.

Lance Whitney Contributing Writer
Lance Whitney is a freelance technology writer and trainer and a former IT professional. He's written for Time, CNET, PCMag, and several other publications. He's the author of two tech books--one on Windows and another on LinkedIn.
Lance Whitney
2 min read

Mango users say their keyboards are disappearing.
Mango users say their keyboards are disappearing. Josh Miller/CNET

Mango may have been bitten by its first big bug.

Users who have upgraded to the version 7.5 of Microsoft's Windows Phone are complaining that their keyboards randomly disappear or fail to appear when needed. Both Twitter and the XDA Developers forum have received a swarm of messages from Mango users reporting the glitch.

Apparently, people will either touch the input field only to find that the keyboard fails to pop up or be typing an e-mail or IM or other text, and the keyboard will suddenly vanish. The issue appears to be affecting a fair number of people, at least among those reporting it online, though other users say they have yet to run into it.

Windows Phone enthusiast site WM Power User said that the bug doesn't seem to be specific to any one make or model but is affecting a cross section of Mango-powered phones. Posts from people on the XDA Developers forum confirmed that as well. WM Power Users also noted that several of its commenters claim the issue existed in the Mango beta but was never fixed for the final version.

Responding to one of the many tweets from Mango users, a rep from Windows Phone Support said that Microsoft is aware of the issue. The company also sent CNET the following statement: "Customer support is working with the individuals reporting changes to their experience. We are investigating these reports to determine the root cause of any issues users are having."

The case of the disappearing keyboard may not be the only Mango mystery that Microsoft needs to solve. WM Power User cited a variety of other potential bugs bitting into the latest update, including a decrease in keyboard accuracy, Live Tiles not properly updating, the Zune music player freezing when someone is listening through an auxiliary cable, and other glitches affecting specific phones, such as the Samsung Focus and LG Optimus 7.

Microsoft launched the Mango update to Windows Phone users at the end of September and reported that as of October 4, half of all users had already received it. New smartphones outfitted with Mango will reach store shelves over the fourth quarter, starting with the Samsung Omnia W, which is destined for Europe later this month.

Updated 10/19 4:00 a.m. PT with statement from Microsoft.