I’ve had a private gripe with my Apple default keyboard for some time in terms of sure capabilities, and I acquired uninterested in ready for the following new replace to repair all these minor issues. As a substitute of settling for what my iPhone gave me, I made a decision to check out just a few exterior keyboards as a substitute.
Should you’ve been occupied with attempting out new keyboards that fit your particular wants however do not know the place to begin, there are lots of choices you may discover and see what fits you greatest. This is all it’s worthwhile to know.
Why Strive One other Keyboard?
Downloading an exterior keyboard may not be for everyone: for those who’re comfy with your iPhone’s onscreen keyboard and really feel that you simply’re not trying to achieve any particular benefit from it apart from mundane typing, you may not trouble with an exterior keyboard.
Nonetheless, the iPhone keyboard comes with sure points confronted by many customers sporadically, together with lags, update-related points, inaccurate ideas, and the disappearance of the keyboard altogether. Personally, I discover the textual content alternative characteristic on my telephone to be very irritating to make use of. For instance, I’ve at all times had bother utilizing textual content alternative for my e-mail tackle, as a result of even after typing it out totally, my keyboard usually replaces it with the shorter textual content that I had assigned.
You would begin by trying out your keyboard’s settings. To make modifications to your iPhone’s onscreen keyboard, go to Settings > Normal > Keyboard. Right here, you may add additional keyboards in different languages, swap on a one-handed keyboard, and allow different options reminiscent of sensible punctuation and slide to type.
If you wish to dip your toes into one thing aside out of your onscreen keyboard, nevertheless, there are lots of options so that you can attempt. Listed here are six exterior keyboards that may be higher than your iPhone’s keyboard, and what distinctive goal they convey to the desk.
When you obtain an exterior keyboard, you may swap between your default Apple keyboard and your new keyboard utilizing the globe icon within the lower-left nook of your keyboard.
1
Gboard: Finest for Versatility
Google’s Gboard is a must-try keyboard for those who’re on the lookout for a solution to sort easily and sooner as an iPhone person. On my first attempt, I felt a noticeable distinction in my typing utilizing Gboard, given how marginally sooner (when it comes to textual content showing on-screen) it’s than Apple, and higher accuracy for auto-suggestions.
The keyboard makes it straightforward so that you can sort higher and sooner with just a few major options. First, Glide Typing permits for easy and quick typing by permitting you to slip your fingers from one key to a different. Whereas your Apple onscreen keyboard additionally has this characteristic within the type of slide-to-type, Gboard gives higher accuracy and feels a lot smoother. One other characteristic to attempt is voice typing, which converts audio to textual content as a transcription.
However the principle motive I like to make use of Gboard is the built-in Google options that you could entry proper out of your keyboard. You’ll be able to instantly use Google Translate, do a Google search, or insert a GIF, sticker, emoticons, or emoji out of your Gboard. Apple’s keyboard solely permits for GIFs for use when you use iMessage, whereas Gboard’s GIFs can be utilized in any app you’re typing in.
Additional, for multilingual customers, Apple’s keyboard may not be the very best, because it severely restricts the way you entry different languages. For example, I can solely add as much as three languages on a multilingual keyboard, with the language choices provided by Apple not overlaying the native dialects I take advantage of. The keyboard additionally doesn’t permit translation help. By comparability, with the addition of Google Translate (which helps over 240 languages), Gboard blows Apple’s default keyboard out of the water when it comes to selection.
2
SwiftKey: Finest for Autocorrect
Microsoft’s SwiftKey is a fierce competitor to Google’s keyboard when it comes to performance. Its accuracy in terms of autocorrect and ideas has sped up my typing velocity by leaps and bounds in comparison with the velocity I am used to with the default keyboard. Though I used to be skeptical about SwiftKey’s declare to offer higher accuracy over time by its AI-powered clever keyboard, I’ve discovered that phrase ideas and predictions have improved over time as I take advantage of the keyboard often.
If in case you have a behavior of mistyping phrases and making loads of typos whereas texting like I do, then SwiftKey is usually a higher various than Apple’s default keyboard. You can even entry Microsoft’s search perform and tone rewrite perform utilizing Copilot from the keyboard, in addition to the Copilot chat out of your browser, which might be accessed from SwiftKey.
SwiftKey, like Gboard, additionally permits you to entry GIFs, and a translator, on high of a clipboard for simple copy-and-paste throughout apps, a digital camera (to insert and take photos), and a Create Mode for AI picture era by a shortcuts toolbar. The keyboard show itself might be custom-made after you register to your Microsoft account.
One factor I discover that Gboard does higher than SwiftKey, nevertheless, is the keyboard’s look time if you level to a notice, app, or textbox to begin typing, the place SwiftKey lags by just a few milliseconds typically.
3
Typewise: Finest for Accuracy
Typewise is completely different from every other keyboard I’ve tried out earlier than: the very first thing you’d discover upon setup is that this keyboard doesn’t have a standard format. As a substitute of the default format of rectangular/sq. keys you’d see on a traditional keyboard, Typewise’s keyboard has a hexagonal key setup, with the choice to change to a default format.
Whereas this struck me as odd, I shortly understood why the keys have been formed this manner: for the reason that hexagonal keys are barely larger than a standard key, my accuracy whereas typing is at all times barely higher with Typewise. The keyboard doesn’t include any extensions however gives just a few typing hacks and gestures that allow a handy typing expertise.
After utilizing Typewise’s straightforward tutorial, you may simply begin utilizing these options, reminiscent of a fast swipe up for capitalization, a left swipe for deletion and a proper swipe for restoration of phrases. Typewise is for texters who need to sort shortly with out a lot effort, and like utilizing keyboard swipes to carry out actions. With a professional subscription ($1.99/month), you may entry customized themes, an AI assistant for higher grammar and writing, and extra multilingual keyboards.
4
Grammarly: Finest for Writing
In relation to taking notes and writing essays on my iPhone, which I usually do, Grammarly is my go-to keyboard. This AI writing keyboard makes your life simpler when writing professionally by your iPhone. You’ll be able to reap the benefits of Grammarly’s Revision Mode to detect errors in your writing and use the Tone Detector to vary how your writing sounds.
Grammarly’s AI assistant and Generative AI, accessible with a premium upgrade ($29.99/month), may also assist rewrite tone and detect your textual content for plagiarism. I began utilizing Grammarly for its grammatical accuracy and help in writing, and have since began preferring its autocorrect characteristic (Good autocorrect) over Apple’s default keyboard. In relation to velocity, Grammarly’s keyboard feels equivalent to Apple’s.
Grammarly’s keyboard is greatest suited to you for those who have a tendency to jot down long-form textual content reminiscent of essays, paperwork, or complicated notes in your iPhone, or for those who use work-related apps and communication platforms. I discover Grammarly’s keyboard to be the very best keyboard to make use of once I compose skilled emails and texts by my telephone to keep away from typos and casual tones.
5
Fleksy: Finest for Extensions
If you’re wanting so as to add extensions to your iPhone keyboard whereas customizing it, Fleksy is a stable possibility to think about. With this keyboard, texting is usually a lot extra social. You’ll be able to search the online, use GIFs and stickers, share a track from Spotify or a video from YouTube, and use Yelp from the consolation of this keyboard.
You can even customise the look of your keyboard with themes (each free and paid choices can be found). Utilizing the app, I experiment with customized add-ons (reminiscent of one-handed mode, numerous visible results for typing, predictions, and ideas) and hotkeys for simpler typing.
Fleksy has just a few cool options I take pleasure in utilizing, reminiscent of swiping left to erase phrases you typed and swiping up so as to add phrases to your dictionary. The swiping to erase phrases characteristic has saved me loads of time whereas texting once I make errors, though typos are often corrected precisely by Fleksy.
A serious motive I like to change to Fleksy (and this may be subjective) is how satisfying I discover the typing sounds and customized pop-up results on every letter as I sort. That is one thing I like to make use of when I’m texting or typing casual, tough notes on my Notes app, which is why I frequent Fleksy once I must scratch that itch in my mind for a satisfying texting sound and visible results.
6
Phraseboard: Finest for Customized Phrases
Phraseboard is a keyboard that serves one goal greatest: creating and shortly accessing customized phrases that you simply use usually. Whereas Apple’s text replacement feature will help too, since I’ve had my justifiable share of issues with muddled phrases and inaccurate replacements, Phraseboard has develop into useful resource. Plus, with Phraseboard, you may merely entry a library of saved phrases and insert them with out typing any shortcut textual content. These phrases can then be sorted into customized classes (work, pals, and so on.)
Phraseboard’s keyboard is a good one, with a traditional typing velocity. However this keyboard is greatest used for those who’re solely on the lookout for a phrase keyboard, and since I solely swap to this keyboard to insert phrases, I discover that it really works for fundamental typing however is greatest utilized in mixture with a quick keyboard like Gboard or SwiftKey.
You can even entry customized fonts (the typewriter font is my most-used one for taking notes in third-party apps that do not present this font) and use types in your keyboard. I take advantage of Phraseboard primarily when taking notes and composing emails, and in different cases the place I take advantage of continuously repeated phrases that I do not belief textual content alternative to execute. For limitless classes and phrases, Phraseboard requires a subscription (professional entry begins at $8.99).
There are various different options on the App Retailer if you’re on the lookout for particular multilingual keyboards or font/multimedia-focused keyboards. You’ll be able to at all times swap backwards and forwards between an exterior keyboard and Apple’s default for those who want a while to determine which keyboard works greatest for you.