Search “keyboard” in the Google Play Store, and you’ll find a nearly endless list of apps to choose from. But are any of them better than the one that came pre-installed on your phone? There’s a keyboard app for every Android user—here are 5 excellent options.
Best Overall “Mainstream” Keyboard
The name you know is the best for most people
There are only a handful of keyboards that I would consider to be “mainstream.” Many people use the Samsung Keyboard, but that’s just because it was there. Microsoft SwiftKey is still a big name, and, of course, there’s Google’s Gboard.
Gboard boasts over 10 billion (yes, billion with a “b”) downloads on the Play Store. It’s not just popular, though—it’s also very good. Gboard is flexible for many different screen and hand sizes, includes themes, has a handy row of customizable tools, an excellent clipboard, slide typing, and just generally works well. If someone asks for a keyboard recommendation, Gboard is an easy choice.
Best Open Source Keyboard
A Gboard rival without the privacy trade-offs
Now, if Gboard isn’t your jam, there’s a good reason it has to do with privacy. If that’s a priority, open source apps are usually your best option. Thankfully, HeliBoard is an excellent open-source keyboard app for Android.
HeliBoard can work completely offline, and it essentially has every feature that you can find in Gboard. That includes resizing, themes, multiple layouts, clipboard, slide typing, extra tools, and more. One nifty, unique feature is called “Incognito Mode,” and it forces the keyboard not to learn from your typing. It’s a super solid, privacy-conscious app.
Best Keyboard for Customization
Go wild and make it yours
Design Keyboard puts “design” right in its name, so you know it’s a big part of this keyboard. It includes over 1,500 themes to make the keyboard truly feel personal—some of the themes are even animated.
In addition to themes, Kika has a huge selection of stickers and “fancy fonts” that you can use, too. This app has the potential to make your keyboard look like a “Just f*** my s*** up” special. With great power comes great responsibility. You can make some really cool, unique looks, or an absolute monstrosity.
Best Keyboard for Power Users
Become a better typer
While every keyboard has its own style, the vast majority stick to the same basic idea we’ve come to expect: rectangular keys with a long spacebar at the bottom. Typewise is a keyboard that strays just enough from this formula to help you type faster without needing to completely rewire your brain.
Typewise’s main feature is hexagon-shaped keys. This allows them to nestle together and be a bit bigger than what you get with most keyboard apps. However, it does slightly change the layout. Instead of the typical four rows of keys, Typewise has five, and the spacebar is split into two keys in the center row. Along with handy gestures like swiping up on a key to capitalize, Typewise claims you’ll be a better typer in one week.
Best Keyboard for Voice Typing
It’s not actually a keyboard
Most keyboard apps include a little microphone button somewhere for voice-to-text dictation. However, if you want the best voice typing, you’ll need to look outside of the keyboard. Wispr Flow is technically not a keyboard—it works alongside your regular keyboard app.
Wispr Flow is a voice-to-text app that uses AI to accurately transcribe your speech. I am generally not someone who rushes to use AI tools, but I was very impressed with Wispr Flow’s results. You can speak very quickly, even mumbling, and it will pick up what you said with surprising accuracy. It uses Android’s Accessibility Service to put a floating button on the screen every time your keyboard pops up. Just tap it and start talking.
Keyboards in every flavor
Interoperability of features like the keyboard is what makes Android so great. You have the freedom to choose a super wacky keyboard like Design Keyboard, or something very utilitarian and advanced like Typewise. Every user is different, and so should their keyboard.
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