How do I disable the ESC key when using a bluetooth wireless keyboard with Android 12?

Question

I have a Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite, running Android 12. I use a bluetooth wireless keyboard.

No matter what app (or Android UI screen) I'm on, pressing the ESC key acts like pressing the Back button (which looks like a "<") on the Navigation bar.

I want to disable this. (My use case: when I wake up in the morning, I dream journal with my wireless keyboard underneath the blankets, with my eyes closed. But sometimes I accidentally press the ESC key, which ruins all the journalling I type after the accidental keypress).

How do I disable the ESC key acting as the Back button?

---

Note: I've tried using an open-source app (findable on the Google Play store) called "Key Mapper", to disable the ESC key. This works, but frustratingly, my tablet has killed this app in the past (to save memory or battery life, or for some other reason, I don't know).

Answer 1

You could try ExKeyMo (disclaimer: I'm the developer). It allows you to build an app with custom keyboard layout built in.

1. Enter code below in the ExKeyMo's form:

type OVERLAY

map key 1 WAKEUP

2. Click Download.
3. Install the app.
4. Select ExKeyMo Layout in keyboard's layout settings.

Note: it works for en-US keyboard layout. If you use other layouts you should check the instructions on ExKeyMo's page.

UPDATE:

ExKeyMo web app is not available on Heroku anymore. You'll have to run it locally. See the project's page on GitHub.