Google IME - How To Remove "Direct Input" Mode

Question

When typing normally in English, I'll have Google IME off, thus seeing "ENG" in the bottom right corner of the screen implying my typing will use the language my Windows machine is using (in this case, English).

Google IME List of Commands and UI Display in Windows Task Bar:

• By pressing the hotkey "Alt-Shift", Google IME will turn on.
• Google IME always defaults to "Direct Input" mode ("A" in pic), which is "English", but using Google IME.
• After this, by pressing the hotkey "Alt-CapsLock", Google IME will switch to "Hiragana" mode (あ in pic), allowing Japanese Hiragana input via romaji
• After this, by pressing the hotkey "Alt-CapsLock" again, Google IME will switch to "Full-width Katakana" (ア in pic), allowing Japanese Katakana input via romaji
• After this, by pressing the hotkey "Shift-CapsLock" twice, Google IME will switch back to "Direct Input" mode (_A in pic - no idea why this mode is _A instead of A), which of course is Google IME's "English"
• Pressing "Alt-Shift" again will turn Google IME off (thus back to English)

Scenario 1:

If you open an instance of a program while Google IME is Off, then press "Alt-Shift" to turn Google IME On, it will open Google IME in "Direct Input" mode, then requiring a second hotkey of "Alt-CapsLock" to turn on Japanese Mode. If you press "Alt-Shift" to turn Google IME Off, you will switch back to English (Windows default). If you then press "Alt-Shift" to turn Google IME On again, Google IME will turn on and automatically switch back to Hiragana (after a small delay), as it's switching back to the setting you were last on in this process

Issue 1:

Requiring the second input of "Alt-Capslock" is infuriating (Why require 2 hotkey presses to do 1 job?), whereas after you've done the dance once, it defaults to what you want (straight to Hiragana)

Issue 2:

Due to this "small delay", if you press "Alt-Shift" and start typing within 0.25 sec, you'll get stuck in "Direct Input" mode and see English characters instead of Hiragana of what you just typed

Scenario 2:

Google IME is process-based, so if you leave Google IME On and in "Hiragana" Mode in one process, and then switch to a second process, Google IME will automatically switch back to "Direct Input" mode in that second process. (Note: "Process" could be Firefox, Notepad, Word, each Firefox Tab, A separate instance of Notepad, etc.)

Issue 3:

Because Google IME is process-based (instead of Global Based), every process remembers what it was last set to ("Not Set" defaults to "Direct Input"). Thus every process (regardless of whether you closed and reopened the same program, or opened a second instance of the same program) defaults to "Direct Input", requiring the full dance again.

Issue 4:

Because Google IME is process-based, you could have one process default to katakana, another to hiragana, another to Direct Input! To make matters worse, it's impossible to keep track of if you've done the "Full Dance" in this particular process yet! So you never know what mode you'll be in when you Alt-Tab from one process to another!

Scenario 3:

If you open a new tab in Firefox with Google IME off, pressing "Alt-Shift" will turn Google IME on, and in "Direct Input" mode. Pressing "Alt-CapsLock" will turn on Hiragana mode. Pressing "Alt-Shift" will turn Google IME off. Pressing "Alt-Shift" again will turn Google IME On, and in "Direct Input" mode again (which is opposite of what occurs in Scenario 1, mysteriously...)

---

Thus boiling down to 1 primary point that would resolve all of the above issues:

1 - Is there a way to remove Google IME "Direct Input" mode entirely?

Countless threads have been started online over the past 20 years for this very issue, yet no resolutions have been discovered so far in them. Thus, the creation of this thread to (hopefully) finally resolve this issue once and for all. Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi, you're my only hope!

Answer 1

Mac has a crazy solution for this called "an honest to god checklist where you can remove any option except the one you want." Practically the entirity of the Japanese speaking world disables every option except Hiragana entry as F7 will convert to Katakana when wanted, and hitting space brings up the Kanji-conversion list. All of it can be done from the Hiragana option and so every person I have ever encountered disables all but Hiragana.

Since the 90s, legitimately the 90s, people have posted asking Microsoft if there's a way where, when you select Japanese, it actually types Japanese. It is endlessly frustrating as the answer is always 'hit another keyboard combo' when the obvious solution is TYPE THE LANGUAGE THEY SAID THEY WANTED AND SELECTED. No, instead every Japanese typer on Windows is forced to deal with the dreaded 'Direct Input' option in the IME that types English instead of Japanese IN THE JAPANESE KEYBOARD.

Imagine that 100% of the time you type in English, so naturally you have 'English' selected as your Keyboard input. But, Microsoft in their wisdom forces you to type a keyboard combo or else you'll get transliterated fart sounds instead. Go to type "h-e-l-l-o" and instead you get "fart-toot-boop-boop-pfffft." Then you catch the mistake, hit the keyboard combo to say "yes in fact I wanted English when I selected the English keyboard," and BACKSPACE BACKSPACE BACKSPACE.... A smooth 10 second process but hey at least you're typing in THE LANGUAGE YOU WANTED now. Oh wait- no now you just switched from Microsoft Word to Google and guess what, fart sounds again baby because Microsoft thinks that hey I know you said you wanted English but maybe you wanted fart sounds again?

So you get upset, ask if there's a way to remove the cursed transliterated farts option and a Microsoft employee hits you with a "you can use a keyboard combo" and closes the thread. Sometimes someone will chime in and say they disable all but the Japanese option so that they can just use the one keyboard combo to switch between Japanese and English. Fabulous - if you don't use absolutely any other language in the entire world. Type Korean and Japanese? You HAVE to switch input methods out of Japanese. Amazingly, when typing in other languages it happens to type that language. But rest assured when you switch back to Japanese Bill Gates is patting your shoulder letting you know that don't worry you'll be typing in the 'Direct Input' English option again until you hit a second keyboard combo again (repeat keyboard combo legitimately 100s of times a day if you use more than one language throughout your day).

Again, I emphasize that Mac has this incredible section within the Japanese input method settings where you can use this futuristic checkbox technology to REMOVE THE OPTIONS YOU DON'T WANT. The English/Transliterated Farts combo keyboard? You bet in Mac they have a checkbox you can uncheck farts on and get just English always. English when you select English? Yes please! And hey, for that one person in the history of ever who wants to type in fart sounds after specifically selecting the English keyboard? They got you covered, just leave the fart option checked. The Japanese person who for some reason likes to type in English after specifically selecting Japanese? They got you covered baby. For the entirety of the rest of the Japanese world where Japanese is wanted when Japanese is selected? Mac has a solution. For Windows? Up yours bro we cannot and will not.

Note that this is an issue with ANY Japanese input method on Windows. There is legimately not one input method where you can force Hiragana input. You ALWAYS have Microsoft's wonderful 'Direct-Input method that types English characters even though you said you wanted Japanese' option force enabled and non-removable. Microsoft IME, Google IME, ATOK - they all apparently cannot introduce the "Now Japanese entry when you want Japanese 100% of the time every time" feature.

Obviously Microsoft made some dumb decision back in the 90s that forces you to maybe consider that you don't want to actually type Japanese when you said you did, just like how you maybe don't want to go in reverse after you put your car in reverse. Maybe sometimes you want to go forward after putting it in reverse you know? It's a fantastic feature we all know and love in our cars today and only causes us road issues approximately 50 times a day.