A small update for our iOS DiscourseHub users.
What
As a first low-hanging fruit part of an ongoing effort to increase the mobile composer experience, which lacks (writing) space[1], we are experimenting with removing the native keyboard-accessory-bar in the Hub:
Why
This wins us approx 2 lines of text space, at the small cost of losing native form navigation and a dedicated keyboard-close action.
Notes
It is our reasoning that most form/setting activity will not happen on mobile, and that most mobile use will be aimed at reading and writing topics, thus benefiting from this change.
The keyboard will also close when tapping outside any text area, so the space in the footer should provide an easy alternative exit strategy.
In case the loss of the done (keyboard close action) proves too annoying, we can consider re-adding a dedicated button for it.
No changes can be made for browser/PWA view.
It only applies on iPhones, not iPads.
Feedback
If our assumptions regarding this functionality are wrong, or if we have overlooked other applications, feel free to let us know.