Update: A Google employee has revealed that Gboard will eventually be available on Android devices. Bri Connelly, who works on the Gboard team, said:
“Working on the best way to bring the same functionality to Android right now.”
Connelly also confirmed that while Gboard is US-only “for now”, we should “expect to see more languages/country support in the near future”. Regarding UK support specifically, Connelly said it would be added “as soon as we can get it out the door”.
Original story:
Android and iOS might be sworn software enemies, but that doesn’t mean Google and Apple can’t play nice – sometimes, anyway.
Google has revealed a brand new – and seriously cool – keyboard app for the iPhone. It’s called Gboard, and it lets you search Google directly from the keyboard, without forcing you to ever leave the app.
If, for instance, you’re texting your friend about tomorrow’s lunch plans, and they want to know the address, you can just search Google using the Gboard keyboard and embed the info directly into your conversation.
“Searching and sending stuff on your phone shouldn’t be that difficult,” writes Rajan Patel, Principal Engineer at Google. “With Gboard, you can search and send all kinds of things – restaurant info, flight times, news articles – right from your keyboard.”
Check it out:
Basically anything you can search for on Google can be sent using Gboard. Results will appear as cards in the conversation, and will include details like phone numbers, ratings, and opening hours.
But wait, it gets better: Gboard also supports emoji, and even has a GIF-searching function. Millennials, rejoice!
And finally, Gboard also supports swipe-typing, a common feature on alternative keyboard apps. That said, some features are missing. Unlike Fleksy, there’s no way to change the colour or size of the keys. There’s also no one-handed typing mode, which is a much-liked feature on Google’s own Android Keyboard.
The Gboard app is available on Apple’s App Store for iOS today (in the US, anyway), but Google hasn’t announced any plans for an Android launch yet. Boo!
Related: Best Android Apps 2016
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What do you think of Google’s new iPhone keyboard app? Let us know in the comments.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.