5 keyboard apps for when you just need to type

Five mobile keyboard applications that improve typing efficiency

(This article has been updated, the original text was published on May 16, 2021)

Every smartphone comes with its own keyboard, but sometimes that's not enough. Maybe your phone keyboard is uncomfortable to use, and you are used to writing only two letter words, abbreviations, or worse - sending voice messages.

Luckily, no matter you are using an iPhone or Android, you can easily download a third-party keyboard to suit your needs. Just search the App Store or Google Play and you will find a lot of options.

Some keyboards allow you to add themes, use different fonts, and even play games. But if you just want to type out coherent sentences, we have selected some excellent applications for you.

Grammarly

Click on any YouTube video and you will most likely see Grammarly ads. You may be familiar with its browser extension, but the platform also offers keyboard apps for smartphones.

If you have a Grammarly account, you can link it to the app and get similar services. But even if you are not a paid user, the app will evaluate whatever you are writing, suggesting changes and marking typos. Grammarly can also detect the tone of your writing so that you don't appear aggressive when trying to express it clearly and concisely.

[Related: How to Avoid Annoying SMS Typing ]

In terms of customization, this is one of the easiest applications we have tested. It has two themes – light and dark – you can choose to add numeric rows at the top of the keyboard or delete key borders for a cleaner look. You can get an emoji keyboard, but there is no GIF or sticker search feature.

The app also allows you to write in more than 29 languages. Unfortunately, all the extras for Grammarly are only available in English, so if people think you're overbearing in Spanish, you're out of your way.

Some of these features were only recently launched to Android users, but if you are using an iPhone, these features may still be unavailable.

Grammarly keyboard app Applicable to Android and iOS, free to use.

Gboard

If you have a Pixel phone, you may have been using it all the time. But if you don't have one, you might be surprised to find that Google has its own keyboard app.

Gboard is a very comprehensive platform, and its most powerful feature is the built-in Google search engine. This means you can search for content via the keyboard without leaving the current app, or call Google Assistant.

It is also very useful to have Google search at your fingertips. If you use emoticons frequently - GIF search is not limited to IMGURL or GIPHY, you can refer to almost anything on the internet. You can also get other Google features from the app, such as voice input and translation.

Sliding input function is one of the best, and you can also customize the keyboard for one-handed use. However, we do not recommend this because the keys will become very small and even normal-sized thumbs will be garbled.

Gboard supports multiple languages, although switching between languages ​​is not completely seamless.

Gboard Suitable for Android and iOS, free to use.

Microsoft SwiftKey

This could have been an amazing technology project sponsored by Taylor Swift, but Microsoft actually acquired the platform for $250 million in 2016. Obviously, this splurge is worth it, as SwiftKey is now one of the best choices in functional keyboard applications.

Much like Gboard, this app has built-in search functionality, except that it is powered by Bing by default. If you don't like Microsoft's engine, don't worry - you can easily change it to Google. But if neither is your dish, you may need to keep searching for the app.

You can download new themes – some paid and some free. If you are creative, you can also create your own theme and customize things like adding numeric lines at the top of the keyboard or adding arrow keys to facilitate navigation in text.

[Related: These free apps will help you type faster]

One of the few aspects of this app we don't like is that the keys look cluttered, especially on international keyboards that contain special characters. There was no border on the keys that would have solved this problem easily, but unfortunately, the app doesn't offer this option.

The keyboard app will cause some users to worry about the risk of third parties spying on everything you type into your phone. This is a reasonable concern because data breaches have affected such applications in the past. But SwiftKey is one of the few apps that clearly prompts you whether you want Microsoft to collect your data to improve the platform's functionality when you set it up on your phone.

Opending out will not affect your availability, so you can rest assured that your back and forth message with the group chat is safe.

Microsoft SwiftKey For Android and iOS, free to use, including in-app purchases.

Typewise

Another keyboard application with legitimate security advantages is Typewise. Their main statement is that the platform provides complete privacy, so if that's a concern for you, it could be your keyboard.

One of the most interesting features of Typewise is its hexagonal layout, which promises faster and more accurate typing. When you activate this setting, your keys look like a honeycomb and your space bar will become two keys in the middle. The hexagonal layout reorganizes the classic QWERTY keyboard you may be familiar with, so it certainly takes some time to get used to.

In our experience, the learning curve is a bit too steep. Even if the shape makes better use of your screen space and provides larger keys, using the layout requires you to invest a week or two to make it work. The developers behind Typewise know this, they include games and tutorials to make your experience smoother.

Don't worry though - Typewise also offers a traditional layout where you can highly customize it by adding borders and numeric lines, setting vibrations and sounds, and changing font sizes.

Disadvantage is that many of these options are located behind the Typewise Pro paywall, paying $1.99 per month, paying $9.49 per year, or paying $24.99 to unlock them permanently.

Typewise Available for Android and iOS, free download, some features are limited to subscribers of $1.99 per month.

Ginger

Practical doesn't mean you have to be boring, Ginger keyboard is proof. Most of the applications on this list allow you to apply themes and even create your own themes. For this platform, this is just a basic feature - Ginger has built-in games.

Why do you ask? If you've ever needed a break in the typing process, play a simple but very fun game like the old-fashioned Snake or 2048, that's exactly what you need to keep moving forward.

Of course, you can download these games as separate apps on your phone, but building the game into your keyboard will allow you to stay in the app you are currently typing and won't forget you actually What are you doing. It sounds a bit weird at first, but it's worth a try.

Apart from that, Ginger is a fully functional keyboard application – it has voice input, translation, and Grammarly-like corrections and writing suggestions provided by Google.

[Related: How to use your phone with one hand]

The app is free, but you can choose to upgrade certain services to unlock specific features. For example, free users will get 50 writing corrections, but you can get unlimited corrections for $2.99 ​​per month.

If you like the theme, you can create the theme yourself, or purchase the theme individually or by package in the Ginger store. But if you like to change the theme regularly, you can also pay $5.49 per year to get all the themes you want. There are similar options for deleting ads and accessing unlimited translations, which will be very convenient if there is only one feature you need.

Unfortunately, Ginger stopped supporting iOS keyboards in 2015. Apple users can use the Ginger spell checker, which provides grammatical advice and other writing suggestions.

Ginger keyboard Suitable for Android. Upgrade prices start from $1.99 per month.

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