I’ve tried a number of telephone keyboards, ...

It is easy to take nearly all of what our smartphones do as a right. A lot of what was novel a couple of system with a display screen — that each one the bodily performance of older cellphones needed to be represented digitally, primarily — is now commonplace. You do not take into consideration your

smartphone keyboard
as a result of you do not have to, but it surely’s really one of many extra customizable options of recent Android and iOS gadgets.

Each Android and iOS will let you replace the keyboard that comes preinstalled as a part of your system’s working system with quite a lot of totally different keyboards you possibly can obtain out of your app retailer. These can change the look of your keyboard at their most simple, and basically change the way you kind and what your keyboard can really do at their most complicated. I just like the default keyboard on my

iPhone 16
and

Pixel 9
advantageous, however I’ve grow to be satisfied there might be a greater possibility on the market, and I’ve determined to have a look at the most well-liked keyboard choices obtainable within the Google Play Retailer and Apple App Retailer to try to determine what standards to make use of to choose a superb smartphone keyboard, and discover the very best one for me.

A smartphone keyboard ought to really feel snug to kind on

Not too cramped, straightforward to make use of, and correct

A keyboard must be snug to kind on first and simple to make use of rapidly, as a detailed second. Meaning keys which might be straightforward to learn and never too crowded, but additionally not so huge that you simply lose out on priceless display screen area with the ability to see no matter you are really typing out.

Each Gboard, Android’s default keyboard, and the iOS keyboard, mimic the half-screen keyboard you may discover on a Blackberry or an adjunct just like the Clicks Keyboard, and if something, what Google and Apple provide is much more spacious than these {hardware} choices. That, mixed with software program that is in a position to predict what keys you meant to press once you mistype, makes for keyboards that really feel snug and correct to make use of.

Gboard

Gboard is Google’s default Android keyboard, with built-in Google Translate, swiping to kind, GIFs, and customized emoji.

The overwhelming majority of third-party keyboards work in the identical method. SwiftKey, which Microsoft acquired in 2016, makes use of the identical structure because the iOS and Android default keyboards, with some additional options layered on high. Typewise takes a dramatically totally different method, utilizing hexagonal keys and abandoning the standard QWERTY structure for one which’s alleged to be extra correct for typing with two thumbs.

It takes some time to get used to, and Typewise clearly is aware of not everybody will have the ability to adapt as a result of it contains the choice for a traditional structure, however the thought has legs. Alternate options to a standard keyboard have existed for years, even within the bodily keyboard area — the Dvorak layout being probably the most outstanding various — so Typewise is in good firm.

Typewise Customized Keyboard

Typewise is a third-party keyboard for Android and iOS that incorporates a distinctive hexagonal structure and keyboard interactions designed to make it simpler to kind rapidly with two thumbs.

Hexagonal keys take up more room than regular keys, which leaves much less room for issues like delete and backspace. Typewise will get round that by making swiping on keys take the place of these lacking buttons. You swipe left to delete and swipe proper to undo, and swipe up and down on particular person keys to make them lowercase and uppercase. The entire course of is not essentially extra snug to kind on at first, however I can undoubtedly see the way it may get there for those who’re prepared to take care of the educational curve.

A smartphone keyboard ought to do greater than a bodily one

GIFs, emoji, translation, and different options

Whereas it is potential to purchase hardware keyboards with issues like built-in timers, phrase counters, or media playback controls, digital keyboards can theoretically do something in order for you them to. On Gboard, that features looking for and inserting GIFs into messages, recording audio messages, typing out emoji, including images and recordsdata, and translating textual content earlier than you ship it.

The iOS keyboard affords an identical set of options. You may add issues like Genmoji, Apple’s AI-generated emoji, stickers, images, audio messages, and use all kinds of iMessage apps so as to add extra performance to your chats.

Microsoft SwiftKey AI Keyboard

Microsoft’s SwiftKey AI Keyboard allows you to kind and swipe to enter textual content, and contains integration with Microsoft Copilot for producing and rewriting textual content.

Microsoft SwiftKey is a little more restrained, but it surely helped popularize one keyboard characteristic that is now practically anticipated on all smartphone keyboards: swipe typing. SwiftKey, Gboard, and the iOS keyboard all allow you to swipe throughout keys as an alternative of urgent them to enter textual content, leveraging machine studying to guess what you plan to kind.

It has much less of a studying curve than Typewise’s structure modifications and may dramatically enhance the velocity at which you enter textual content with one hand. SwiftKey has different integrations with Microsoft merchandise like Copilot, if you wish to use AI to generate textual content or rewrite your messages, voice typing, and translation instruments.

A smartphone keyboard must be customizable

Change the look to suit your temper and elegance

Mechanical keyboards have grow to be a significant method folks specific their character and sense of fashion. It helps that they are endlessly customizable: you may get keys in quite a lot of totally different colours and supplies, switches that thunk or click on, and boards with built-in lights and different aesthetic prospers. The identical must be true for digital smartphone keyboards. Gboard and the iOS keyboard are pretty restricted on this regard.

They’re going to alter when your smartphone is in mild or darkish mode, and in Gboard’s case, change shade to match the Materials You shade palette matched to your wallpaper, however that is about it.

SwiftKey has a gallery of various themes that add backgrounds to your keyboard, and Typewise, in the meantime, locks its personalization strategies behind a “Professional” subscription that both prices $1.99 per thirty days, $9.99 per 12 months, or $24.99 for a one-time, lifetime buy. For probably the most excessive, in-depth customization choices, you may need to flip to Facemoji. The app contains an AI assistant for those who assume you want one, however the actual draw is all of the methods you need to use Facemoji to create a customized keyboard.

Facemoji AI Emoji Keyboard

Facemoji is a third-party keyboard that may be totally custom-made with totally different fonts, visible results, and backgrounds.

In the event you do not need to take the time to create your individual keyboard, you possibly can choose certainly one of dozens of customized keyboard themes created by the Facemoji “group.” Once you do work up the braveness to make your individual, the app allows you to choose the background of your keyboard, the form and shade of your keys, any visible results (sparkles, clouds, and so forth.) that hover over your keys, the font of the textual content in your keyboard, the colour and form of the swipe line once you use swipe typing, and extra.

I used to be in a position to swap to an over-the-top Studio Ghibli-themed keyboard with a cute cat background and digital beads that bounced round anytime I moved my telephone however wasn’t typing. It is an excessive amount of for my style, however the truth that it is potential is de facto cool.

The most effective smartphone keyboard can do loads, however solely once you want it

Default keyboards are ok, however there may be one various price recommending

Years of iteration have made the default keyboards on each Android and iOS straightforward to suggest. There’s much less of a purpose to contemplate options when each Gboard and the iOS keyboard include a bunch of helpful options built-in and are already very snug to kind on. If you’re contemplating an alternate, the keyboard that balances straightforward typing, useful options, and customization choices the very best is Microsoft SwiftKey. It is superb at correcting typing errors for those who mistype, and on the whole, it feels premium in a method that different choices do not.

Microsoft SwiftKey AI Keyboard

Microsoft’s SwiftKey AI Keyboard allows you to kind and swipe to enter textual content, and contains integration with Microsoft Copilot for producing and rewriting textual content.

For extra smartphone keyboard comparisons, Pocket-lint has additionally taken an in-depth take a look at the professionals and cons of the Samsung Keyboard versus Gboard, together with a guide on how to get the most out of Gboard for those who do resolve to apply it to your telephone.