Looks like I've got SOME corruption somewhere that is building up. Tried fresh pleco install on another phone which worked perfectly in finding alternate character.
I've been living with known quirks in current install which haven't been too much of a problem such as previously reported audio delay but this one is a deal breaker. I'm going to backup and reinstall. Such a step is a risky move, not worth effort before.
The reinstall may fix floating audio button reported concurrently.
Thanks.