I am working on an Android app where I dynamically create an EditText and want to stop accepting input after a certain condition (for example, after 5 seconds).

My expectation is:

• Once the EditText is disabled (isEnabled = false) or focus is cleared, it should no longer receive input.

• If the user presses keys on a hardware keyboard, at the very least I should see those key events in the EditText's KeyListener

However, what I am observing is confusing.

Observed behavior

1. I explicitly disable the EditText:

   searchBox.isEnabled = false
   

2. Even after disabling it:

   • Characters typed on a physical keyboard still appear inside the EditText

   • setOnKeyListener on the EditText is never called

3. I do see key events in the Activity:

   override fun dispatchKeyEvent(event: KeyEvent): Boolean {
       Log.d("POC", "Key received: ${event.keyCode}")
       return super.dispatchKeyEvent(event)
   }
   

So:

• dispatchKeyEvent() is hit

• but the EditText still updates its text

• and onKey on the EditText never fires

class MainActivity : AppCompatActivity() {

    private lateinit var root: LinearLayout
    private lateinit var button: Button
    private lateinit var loading: TextView
    private lateinit var searchBox: EditText

    override fun onCreate(savedInstanceState: Bundle?) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState)

        root = LinearLayout(this).apply {
            orientation = LinearLayout.VERTICAL
            isFocusable = true
            isFocusableInTouchMode = true
        }

        button = Button(this).apply {
            text = "Select Company"
        }

        loading = TextView(this).apply {
            text = "Loading..."
            visibility = View.GONE
        }

        searchBox = EditText(this).apply {
            hint = "Search Company"
            visibility = View.GONE
        }

        // Key listener on EditText
        searchBox.setOnKeyListener { _, keyCode, event ->
            Log.d(
                "POC",
                "EditText onKey: ${KeyEvent.keyCodeToString(keyCode)}, action=${event.action}"
            )
            false
        }

        // Key listener on root container
        root.setOnKeyListener { _, keyCode, event ->
            Log.d(
                "POC",
                "Root onKey: ${KeyEvent.keyCodeToString(keyCode)}, action=${event.action}"
            )
            false
        }

        root.addView(button)
        root.addView(loading)
        root.addView(searchBox)

        setContentView(root)

        button.setOnClickListener {
            startFlow()
        }
    }

    private fun startFlow() {

        // Remove focus during loading
        button.clearFocus()
        root.clearFocus()
        root.isFocusable = false
        root.isFocusableInTouchMode = false

        loading.visibility = View.VISIBLE
        searchBox.visibility = View.GONE

        // Simulate async work
        root.postDelayed({

            // Restore focusability
            root.isFocusable = true
            root.isFocusableInTouchMode = true

            searchBox.isFocusable = true
            searchBox.isFocusableInTouchMode = true
            searchBox.isEnabled = true

            loading.visibility = View.GONE
            searchBox.visibility = View.VISIBLE

            // Explicitly give focus to EditText
            searchBox.requestFocus()

        }, 3000)

        // Disable EditText after 8 seconds
        searchBox.postDelayed({
            Log.d("POC", "Disabling EditText")
            searchBox.isEnabled = false
        }, 8000)
    }

    override fun dispatchKeyEvent(event: KeyEvent): Boolean {
        Log.d(
            "POC",
            "Activity dispatchKeyEvent: code=${event.keyCode}, char='${event.unicodeChar.toChar()}'"
        )
        return super.dispatchKeyEvent(event)
    }
}