Feature: Native (Default) macOS Touchbar Text-Editor Features

[andibuch]

Preflight Checklist

• [X] I have read the Contributing Guidelines for this project.
• [X] I agree to follow the Code of Conduct that this project adheres to.
• [X] I have searched the issue tracker for a feature request that matches the one I want to file, without success.

Problem Description

Ferdium has implemented a custom Touchbar system for macOS. It lists the services installed, with a red-dot on ones with notifications, and lets you navigate between them

While this is a nice idea, it supplants the default Touchbar emoji behavior – which is problematic on a messaging-oriented app

When I am typing here on Chrome (or in any text field in any other browser, or any text-editing software), I am given multiple default text-editing features I have grown accustomed to in my Touchbar:

• A typewriter-button that gives me autofill / autocorrect options
• An emoji-button that gives me access to emojis to scroll through

These features are very, very useful in any text field – but especially in a messaging app. Access to emojis is quite important

As I understand it, these features come-up by default on macOS in any text field, in any app... unless the developer chooses to implement a custom touchbar, which Ferdium has done

As such, the emoji button is unavailable when messaging through Ferdium – and this is a problem.

Proposed Solution

Best-case scenario would be a context-dependent touchbar. As-in – when a text-field is focused, it reverts to system-behavior of showing the text-editing touchbar; when a text-field is not focused, it comes back to the Ferdium navigation-touchbar

Alternatives Considered

If we don't want to put the effort into developing touchbar code, least-effort solution would be to remove the touchbar navigation feature. It's nice, but it's not particularly useful – and it makes the default system behaviors inaccessible, which is the problem

A step-up would be: have the touchbar navigation feature as a toggle-switch in settings. Then users can select for themselves if they want it or not

Additional Information

No response

[cino]

Just here to suggest we might want to remove the touch bar functionality in total, or at least investigate if people are using it. Especially since Apple is using the touch bar less and less (new Macbook Pro's/Airs don't have these anymore).

[vraravam]

I am on an m1 mac, and I get both the services as well as type-suggestions in an expandable section of the same touchbar. Could you please post a picture of what you notice? @cino - I agree that we might want to slowly phase out touchbar support, but as you said, we would need to conduct a poll for the same before making a decision either way. for now, i dont experience this issue and can't vote for removing.