diff --git a/ios/build.gradle b/ios/build.gradle
index 173cf83de..c9a761ca6 100644
--- a/ios/build.gradle
+++ b/ios/build.gradle
@@ -46,7 +46,10 @@ dependencies {
     implementation "com.badlogicgames.gdx:gdx-freetype:$gdxVersion"
     implementation "com.mobidevelop.robovm:robovm-rt:$robovmVersion"
     implementation "com.mobidevelop.robovm:robovm-cocoatouch:$robovmVersion"
-    implementation "com.badlogicgames.gdx:gdx-backend-robovm-metalangle:$gdxVersion"
+    //FIXME using a prior version of metalangle backend as 1.13.5+ crashes on A7 and A8 devices
+    // Yes this is dangerous, the old backend seems to only work with libGDX 1.14.0 incidentally
+    // Ideally the next release of libGDX will fix this and this can simply use $gdxVersion again
+    implementation "com.badlogicgames.gdx:gdx-backend-robovm-metalangle:1.13.1"
     implementation "com.badlogicgames.gdx:gdx-platform:$gdxVersion:natives-ios"
     implementation "com.badlogicgames.gdx:gdx-freetype-platform:$gdxVersion:natives-ios"
     implementation "com.badlogicgames.gdx-controllers:gdx-controllers-ios:$gdxControllersVersion"
diff --git a/ios/src/main/java/com/shatteredpixel/shatteredpixeldungeon/ios/IOSLauncher.java b/ios/src/main/java/com/shatteredpixel/shatteredpixeldungeon/ios/IOSLauncher.java
index 9caddae98..edfa8e33e 100644
--- a/ios/src/main/java/com/shatteredpixel/shatteredpixeldungeon/ios/IOSLauncher.java
+++ b/ios/src/main/java/com/shatteredpixel/shatteredpixeldungeon/ios/IOSLauncher.java
@@ -22,8 +22,10 @@
 package com.shatteredpixel.shatteredpixeldungeon.ios;
 
 import com.badlogic.gdx.Files;
+import com.badlogic.gdx.backends.iosrobovm.DefaultIOSInput;
 import com.badlogic.gdx.backends.iosrobovm.IOSApplication;
 import com.badlogic.gdx.backends.iosrobovm.IOSApplicationConfiguration;
+import com.badlogic.gdx.backends.iosrobovm.IOSInput;
 import com.badlogic.gdx.backends.iosrobovm.IOSPreferences;
 import com.badlogic.gdx.backends.iosrobovm.bindings.metalangle.MGLDrawableColorFormat;
 import com.badlogic.gdx.backends.iosrobovm.bindings.metalangle.MGLDrawableDepthFormat;
@@ -45,6 +47,7 @@ import org.robovm.apple.foundation.NSObject;
 import org.robovm.apple.foundation.NSString;
 import org.robovm.apple.uikit.UIApplication;
 import org.robovm.apple.uikit.UIInterfaceOrientation;
+import org.robovm.apple.uikit.UITextField;
 
 import java.io.File;
 
@@ -185,7 +188,22 @@ public class IOSLauncher extends IOSApplication.Delegate {
 		config.addIosDevice("SIMULATOR_64",     "x86_64", 460);
 		config.addIosDevice("SIMULATOR_ARM64",  "arm64", 460);
 
-		return new IOSApplication(new ShatteredPixelDungeon(new IOSPlatformSupport()), config);
+		return new IOSApplication(new ShatteredPixelDungeon(new IOSPlatformSupport()), config){
+			@Override
+			protected IOSInput createInput() {
+				//FIXME essentially a backport of a fix to text fields from libGDX ios backend 1.13.5
+				return new DefaultIOSInput(this){
+					@Override
+					public void setOnscreenKeyboardVisible(boolean visible, OnscreenKeyboardType type) {
+						super.setOnscreenKeyboardVisible(visible, type);
+						if (visible){
+							((UITextField)getActiveKeyboardTextField()).setText("x");
+						}
+					}
+				};
+
+			}
+		};
 	}
 
 	@Override