Setup Guidevisibility9 views

How to disable the on-screen keyboard on a Newland EA320

On Newland EA320 Android handhelds, the on-screen keyboard pops over the POS app. Use StageGO to disable the Gboard package and reboot.

On Android-based handheld scanners like the Newland EA320, the default Gboard on-screen keyboard can pop up over the POS or scanning app whenever a text field gains focus — slowing down the people using the device and getting in the way of barcode input. The fix is to disable the Gboard input method package, which the EA320 won't miss because hardware scanning and any USB or Bluetooth keyboard you've paired carry on working as normal.

Before you start

  • Have the EA320 in your hand, charged, and unlocked.
  • Know which staging tool you'll use — the Newland EA320 ships with the StageGO app pre-installed. If it's been removed, reinstall it from the Newland support site before continuing.

Build the NoGboard profile in StageGO

  1. Open StageGO on the EA320.
  2. Create a new profile and name it NoGboard (the name is for your own reference; any name works).
  3. Add a Disable Application step with the package name `com.google.android.inputmethod.latin`. That's Google's Gboard package — disabling it removes the on-screen keyboard without uninstalling anything.
  4. Add a Reboot step after it. Disabling the input method only takes effect after the device restarts.
  5. Save the profile. StageGO generates a QR code that encodes the two steps above.
StageGO profile editor showing the NoGboard profile

Apply the profile to the device

  1. Print or display the StageGO QR code on a screen.
NoGboard StageGO config QR barcode
  1. On the EA320, open StageGO and use its built-in scanner to read the QR. The app applies the profile and reboots the device automatically.
  2. After the reboot, focus on any text field — the on-screen keyboard should no longer appear. Hardware scanning and any external keyboard input still work.

If that didn't work

  • Confirm the package name is exactly `com.google.android.inputmethod.latin`. Some devices ship with a different keyboard package — if StageGO reports the package wasn't found, list the installed input methods in Settings → Languages & input → On-screen keyboard and disable the right one.
  • If the keyboard still appears after the reboot, an enterprise MDM may have re-enabled the package on launch. Check with whoever owns the MDM profile.

When to raise a ticket

If StageGO refuses to apply the profile or the device won't accept the QR, raise a ticket at /support/ticket with the EA320 serial number, the Android build number (Settings → About phone), and a photo of the StageGO error if there is one. We can usually unblock this remotely. We can also send you the prebuilt NoGboard barcode if you'd rather not generate your own.