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Final 12 months, I wrote an article in regards to the Android apps I like to recommend to non-techies. In that piece, my keyboard decide was Gboard, because of its ease of use. Nonetheless, not each reader agreed with me, and a few talked about a reputation I hadn’t heard (or used) in years: SwiftKey.

I used to be as soon as an avid SwiftKey consumer, choosing the progressive keyboard early in my Android journey over Google’s less complicated default choice. The attract of the extra environment friendly and sensibly designed Google different finally drew me away as I upgraded to extra polished gadgets. However, on condition that we’ve simply began a brand new 12 months, might the reverse be true? Might SwiftKey problem Gboard on my gadgets going ahead?

Nicely, all of the indicators had been there. I haven’t reviewed my keyboard alternative in fairly some time, except for a quick flirtation with the open-source different HeliBoard. I even have an affinity for Microsoft’s Android apps, together with the good Launcher and Cellphone Hyperlink.

I’m all the time up for brand new experiences, so I put in SwiftKey, relegated Gboard to the bench, and began typing. Now that I’m a couple of week into my journey, I’ve a couple of urgent gadgets to debate.

There’s maybe a great motive why I’ve caught with Gboard for thus lengthy. If you happen to personal an previous however nonetheless useful pair of trainers that you simply discover infinitely snug and that helped you hit private targets, you probably wouldn’t need to swap to one thing new, proper? That’s the place I discovered myself with Google’s keyboard. I’ve grown used to its responses to faucets and swipes, the general format, the location of its buttons, the scale of the keyboard on my display, and its look. Utilizing it’s a matter of muscle reminiscence, so switching to one thing new and giving it a good shot would take time and relearning.

Naturally, after I modified my default to SwiftKey simply after the brand new 12 months, it was a jarring expertise. Practically two weeks later, I’m nonetheless getting used to its idiosyncrasies, however the app’s broad settings array positively helped ease me into it.

Gboard is prescriptive, imposing a lot of its performance and design on customers. SwiftKey is much extra accommodating. So far as aesthetics go, it features a broader array of themes and theming choices. I a lot favor its Fluent Dynamic theme, which matches my cellphone’s general colour profile, over Gboard’s Materials-adjacent different. Whereas I don’t notably like masking my keyboard with patterns and transparency, this selection is accessible to SwiftKey customers.

Then there are the important thing choices; SwiftKey completely trounces Gboard on this regard. Whereas Google’s keyboard consists of a whole Edit display that offers me fast entry to the arrow keys, SwiftKey lets me place these keys under the keyboard itself. When the cursor struggles to land precisely the place I would like it to in a sentence after I faucet the display, I depend on these buttons to simply and shortly leap to the letter or phrase I need to edit. It has turn out to be a core a part of my each day typing routine. Though this inclusion means SwiftKey occupies extra of my display than I would love, it’s a small value to pay for the advantages.

Customizations are one factor, however do they really imply improved typing efficiency over Gboard? Nicely, not initially. I couldn’t fairly stand SwiftKey within the first few days of utilizing it, and needed to power myself to maintain utilizing it. However, finally, after experimenting with the button placements and keyboard dimension, I’ve grown way more snug with precisely touchdown faucets on Microsoft’s keyboard.

That mentioned, SwiftKey’s predictive smarts and swipe-typing efficiency path Gboard by a substantial margin.

To be honest, SwiftKey does supply some nifty advice options. It suggests a number of phrases in a single field, which is especially helpful when formulating shorter sentences. As a real-world instance, I typically inform my higher half that I’m leaving our house when she’s at work. So after I kind “Leaving,” SwiftKey suggests “Leaving the.” It’s a minor instance, however given how typically it gives these two-word solutions, the general time financial savings turn out to be important in the long term.

Moreover, I perceive that SwiftKey permits customers to swipe a number of phrases in a single gesture, however this has by no means labored reliably for me. Usually, I are likely to kind each phrase slightly than swipe them, so this didn’t have an effect on me that a lot.

A function I’ve realized to worth considerably is SwiftKey’s clipboard administration. I can simply save total strings right here for fast insertion in a message later. I’ve not fairly pushed this explicit function to its limits but, however I do plan to hone it additional as my typing journey continues.

Lastly, I need to contact on one main shortcoming that customers of huge tech keyboards have talked about: privateness.

One of many many points with Gboard is the apparent Google connection. Those that worth their privateness could not need to use a keyboard made by an organization that has a style for consumer knowledge. Nicely, SwiftKey isn’t precisely exempt from this both. It’s a Microsoft property, so you may count on loads of Copilot-led AI options baked into it. For what it’s value, I didn’t discover any of those really helpful. The one time I ever refine my writing is when drafting emails. I don’t want Copilot to assist right here, nor do I would like it to concern my textual content as queries. I’d a lot sooner use a standalone AI chatbot app for this. Fortunately, Microsoft does make it extra obvious which you could shut off these options in case you so need.

If you happen to don’t need to log in to the keyboard along with your Microsoft account, you don’t must. Don’t need to use the Rewards function? Don’t hassle. For one more layer of safety, you may even take away all permissions, and SwiftKey will largely work with out a lot fuss.

After all, in case you’re taking de-Googling extra significantly, you must think about an open-source keyboard. As I discussed within the intro, Heliboard is effectively value contemplating.

Whereas I frequently leap between numerous Android apps in a number of genres, I hardly ever swap up my keyboard. Because of this, I’ve been tied to Gboard for almost all of the previous decade. However, after utilizing SwiftKey for the previous two weeks, I can simply see myself adopting it for the remainder of the month, if not the 12 months.

SwiftKey gives loads of customization choices, together with small but important options that enhance my typing expertise. Regardless of Microsoft’s finest efforts to break it with useless AI injections, you may deactivate these with relative ease.

Is SwiftKey higher than Gboard? That actually relies upon. If you happen to’re reliant on a keyboard that integrates Google’s numerous merchandise, gives correct predictive smarts, and gives that acquainted feeling, Gboard is the ticket. However I do consider SwiftKey has a a lot greater ceiling when you get used to its quirks.