As you've probably already noticed, the standard keyboard that comes with Android out of the box doesn't always satisfy the user's needs. Let's look at a few Android keyboards that are worthy of your attention.
SlideIT
Although the last update of this application was released back in 2013, SlideIT can be fully recommended to owners of old smartphones. Despite the somewhat outdated interface, the keyboard copes with its functions quite well, and swipe input in Russian is worthy of respect. We do not recommend buying the full version of this program - for the same money you can find much more interesting options.
A modern functional keyboard with a user-friendly interface and a wide range of functions. Features include:
- Synchronization of the dictionary in the cloud between different devices;
- Separate panel for cursor control.
Minuum
Flexy
If you absolutely do not accept swipe input, you will probably like the Fleksy keyboard. Stylish, fast and easily customizable, it also supports a large number of plugins (in the paid version). For those who prefer classic text input, Fleksy is an almost ideal option.
Swipe
The word “swipe”, which means typing by sliding a finger across the screen, has long become a household term. This feature was first implemented in the keyboard of the same name, but today it is available in many other applications, and Swype developers are forced to attract users with other interesting features:
- Enter text in two languages simultaneously;
- Change the size of the keyboard and the ability to add keys;
- Voice input;
- Gesture control, etc.
Google Keyboard
This keyboard is completely devoid of all the bells and whistles that competitors’ applications are stuffed with, but it inputs text better and more stable than other keyboards from our review. We can confidently recommend it to all users, especially those who primarily value the functionality of the application.
Which keyboard is better to download for Android? This question is asked by a considerable number of smartphone users running the corresponding operating system. This is done to personalize the device. A good keyboard for Android with emoticons will decorate the process of communication on social networks or ordinary messengers. Today we will look at the main applications that will help us do this.
Swiftkey
This is probably the best keyboard for an Android tablet. The program was included in Google’s proprietary service, Play Market, several years ago. Since then it has been there and received well-deserved ratings from users. In some smartphones, the keyboard was already built in as a precursor, as they say, factory software. Compared to the default Android keyboard, Swiftkey has expanded functionality. There is a method called predictive input. Its essence is that it suggests possible words. This principle works surprisingly well.
A good keyboard for Android, which we are reviewing now, is self-learning. The longer the user uses it when communicating on social networks or instant messengers, the more words she learns and the more accurately she will select them for using predictive input. It turns out that the more time this keyboard is used, the more convenient this process will be for the owner of the smartphone. A very important point is that there are a large number of themes that can be installed for additional personalization. Some of them are paid, but most are free. The user has the opportunity to make the keyboard look the way he wants.
Personalization options
Swiftkey has a whole bunch of settings that allow you to customize the application. The trick of the program is that you can activate the surface input function. It lies in the fact that you can type messages using the “Swipe” method, that is, without lifting your finger from the screen. Until recently, the program in the service was provided for a fee. However, not so long ago it was transferred to the category of free, and now users of smartphones running the Android operating system will be able to download it and use it for their own pleasure. You can install the application not only on a smartphone, by the way, but also on a tablet computer.
Dexilog
Dexilog is a really good keyboard for Android. 4 PDA actively discusses the strengths and weaknesses of the application, which we were able to find out. Dexilog has been fighting for the title of the best application in its segment for quite some time. Unfortunately, it does not have a modern design, and this probably affects the fact that it is inferior to other programs in terms of ratings. In terms of appearance, there are no special opportunities for personalization, since the number of themes is limited. But the functions and settings open up a huge scope for activity.
This good keyboard for Android with T9 is suitable for those people who love standard input, but want to customize it for themselves. That is, change the size of the keys, adjust the appearance, and so on. Dexilog does not provide any special research in this regard, although some possibilities still exist. Let's assume that the user misses a push-button telephone. In this case, the program can be used to expand the old one and use it when typing messages.
After some time
The developers are finalizing this program. In the latest versions, innovations have been added, such as emoticons. In general, Dexilog is trying to make up for lost time and seriously compete with its closest rivals. However, the program has not yet been brought to the “Lollipop” style, and this is a serious drawback. You can get the application from the Play Market service for free, but advertisements will pop up periodically asking you to purchase it. Notifications can be ignored, but if the user wants to get rid of them once and for all, then you can spend 140 rubles.
Another good keyboard for Android. A few years ago, custom keyboard options were ahead of Google's app. But not so long ago, developers seriously took hold of the program and brought its most important parts to mind. Today, the branded keyboard successfully competes with the programs described above, and competes on equal terms. It is delivered “out of the box” along with smartphones that have a version of the Android Lollipop operating system installed, but the user can download it from the service.
From the company for users
The program is distributed free of charge. Gesture input is available for users. The huge selection of language options is compensated by the lack of a large number of themes and other settings. But we can say that emoticons called “emoji” are becoming an expected plus. They appeared in the previous version of the operating system. It is very important that the Google keyboard works in conjunction with speech recognition. I would like to see developed predictive input. However, here the company screwed up, although over time this good keyboard for Android will learn everything from the user.
Flexy
A good keyboard for Android does not always have to have a huge range of options for personalization. Minimalists will appreciate this application. What makes it different? Laconic design, a small (but well-designed) list of beautiful themes. However, this application is paid. To use it all the time, you will have to pay 125 rubles after the end of the trial period. By the way, it is 30 days. You will have to spend even more money on purchasing themes.
The free version of the program does not even contain emoticons. However, this is brightened up by the ability to use various widgets. For example, you can set a search string. Fans of GIF keyboards will also appreciate the program. Although not everyone will appreciate such opportunities. This is rather an acquired taste, even though the majority of widgets are not just interesting, but also useful. There are traditional options, thanks to which you can adjust the number of layouts and activate the fifth row for the arrangement of numbers. There is no swipe dialing method. However, they were replaced by special control gestures.
Installation is carried out from the Play Market service. The user will be given initial instructions. Some people will like the minimalism of the application, and after the trial period ends, the user will want to continue using the device. However, it is impossible to say that this is a truly affordable and good keyboard for Android: the need to purchase it within the system is a hindrance.
Conclusion
So, today we have looked at several programs that will allow you to add additional personalization to your smartphone. This can be done by changing the shell, but choosing a new keyboard instead of the default one is often the right step to make communication more interesting and convenient. After all, after a while you get tired of looking at a standard keyboard, which is already disgusting to the core. It is clear that the Play Market service is replete with such programs, and we could not fit them all into this article even if we wanted to. However, the choice remains only with the user, and only he has the right to decide which keyboard he should install on his favorite device.
The standard keyboard on Android is improved with every system update, but you always want something more - new functionality, unusual design or unique design. Today we’ll look at a selection of the best alternative keyboards for Android.
Let's start with the SlideIT application. The full version costs money, but there is a demo with which you can fully evaluate the capabilities of the program. The full version should appeal to a lot of people. The main feature is the function of writing using sliding movements across the screen. No that's not . It's a full-fledged QWERTY keyboard where you swipe your finger to write a word. The pre-installed dictionary allows you to accurately recognize the entered information.
The Slide mode has many advantages: higher speed of writing messages, ease of typing and much more. Of course, it is difficult to write complex words, names of organizations or names that are not in the dictionary, but you can always switch to the usual mode with a simple gesture.
In addition to the convenient slide mode, there is a function for installing additional skins. The standard set already includes several pieces, although they differ only in color.
SlideIT has a standard set of keys, except that there is no letter “е”, but the program will automatically suggest replacing it with a spelling variant with it. In slide mode, all words are recognized quite accurately, and you can enter one letter at a time. Full words are suggested as you enter.
Sometimes difficulties arise when entering website addresses and email addresses - SlideIT can automatically replace characters, considering the entered information to be incorrect. In addition to the usual panels with letters and symbols, there is a menu of emoticons, which should please fans of “emotional” correspondence. Switching between languages is done by pressing one button, and voice input mode is available as an application.
When used on older budget models, the application may freeze a little, especially if the device is overloaded with various programs. Modern gadgets work without delay and very smoothly.
SlideIt is a good keyboard that will make typing easy and fast.
Pros:
- pleasant appearance;
- ease of typing;
- large selection of shells;
- good functionality.
Minuses:
- quite high cost of the full version;
- slows down on budget devices.
Go Keyboard
Next on our list is GOKeyboard. Its main advantage lies in the many different layout modes on the screen. There is a standard QWERTY layout, an imitation of a mobile phone keyboard and large keys with several letters. When selecting the last two options, you can configure the T9 automatic input mode.
There are many settings in the application: vibration response, click sound and much more can be adjusted. The downside of this variety is the poor translation into Russian - some sections of the menu are not translated at all, others have errors.
In addition to the letter keyboard, there is a layout with symbols, emoticons and arrows for moving along the line. The location of the buttons is convenient and allows you to quickly type text. But there is one noticeable disadvantage: on smartphones with small screens, GoKeyboard takes up the lion's share of the screen, and the typed text is very difficult to read and edit.
The program has many additional shells. They can significantly transform a smartphone or tablet. Five are immediately available, but there are many more on the Internet, and new ones are released regularly.
The input is quite simple, there are no slowdowns. The dictionary can be supplemented with new words for auto-correction to work. You can use the existing dictionary of a standard keyboard or some other one.
GoKeyboard will appeal to those who are fans of this line of applications. There is no interesting functionality here.
Pros:
- free;
- many different shells;
- different keyboard display options.
Minuses:
- not the best menu translation;
- takes up too much of the screen.
HackersKeyboard can hardly be called the most popular, but it is worth paying attention to. The main feature is the ability to very precisely configure the program. You can teach it a standard keyboard shortcut for a computer running the Windows operating system. There is also a function for adding multiple lines and assigning different functions to keys.
The application has Tab, Ctrl and Esc, which are almost impossible to find in the smartphone environment. It is impossible not to note the special layout, reminiscent of the buttons of an engineering calculator. This feature will appeal to people who deal with technical documentation and editing it using tablets and smartphones.
Hackers Keyboard is best suited for a tablet or smartphone with large screens. You can fully use keyboard shortcuts and special commands on them.
The auto-correction and prediction functions that have already become familiar on many keyboards for mobile devices are not here. There are no additional skins, so if you choose HackersKeyboard, you will always have to be content with the classic design and gray colors.
There is very little chance that HackersKeyboard will reach the masses - the requirements for entering information on a computer and a smartphone are developing too differently. It will appeal to people who deal with technical documentation or are accustomed to various key combinations.
Pros:
- completely matches the keyboard on the computer;
- setting up keyboard shortcuts;
- presence of additional buttons.
Minuses:
- no shells;
- no input prediction function;
- gray interface.
A.I.type Keyboard Plus
For a long time, A.I.type Keyboard Plus was among the leaders - many skins, useful and common functions, an abundance of different settings. The application is paid and costs an order of magnitude more than other analogues.
Externally, the main keyboard is no different from the standard one - the same set of keys, the same methods for switching layouts and languages. Additional shells change the style and may add keys or features. The standard set includes a keyboard with a transparent background.
In A.I.type Keyboard Plus you can create your own themes - there is a special mode for this. It looks very unusual and beautiful. The interface looks great on a tablet. This is where the A.I.type Keyboard Plus reveals its full potential. The small screen of the smartphone greatly covers the working surface of the keyboard, so it is difficult to read the typed text.
The main feature is intelligent text prediction. This technology is truly top notch. Thanks to it, you can type information much faster. The program remembers frequently used words and suggests them for writing based on the first letter. This way you can write an entire message in just a few seconds. There is an additional emoticon panel.
There are a lot of settings. The menu may seem confusing at first glance, but the main functions are easy to find. A.I.type Keyboard Plus works great and has many features.
Pros:
- well-thought-out prediction system;
- many shells and their creation;
- nice design.
Minuses:
- high price;
- On smartphones it takes up too much screen space.
Swift Key
SwiftKey is a direct competitor to AIType and Swipe combined. It has both a prediction system and input using swipes.
Recognition of sliding on the screen occurs without problems and delays. Typing in standard mode is convenient thanks to large keys. Word prediction works very well, on par with more expensive AI. There is a memory of frequently used words that are suggested immediately after you start typing.
SwiftKey looks fresh with bright color accents for the Shift functions and layout switching keys. You can install additional shells to transform your smartphone.
When typing on smartphones with weak processors, there may be slowdowns, especially after an update. Modern devices operate smoothly, without any glitches. Regardless of the input modes, the program does not require an Internet connection.
The settings are simple, most of them are made directly after installing the application. In the future, you will practically not have to open the menu.
SwiftKey combines the useful features of several keyboards and thus stands out from them. Of course, the latest version of SlideIT also introduced intelligent prediction, but at the moment it has not reached that level. This is a kind of golden mean with an optimal price-functionality ratio.
Pros:
- availability of various text input modes;
- ease of input;
- nice design;
- a large number of shells.
Fleksy is officially the fastest keyboard in the world. There is nothing superfluous here: the user is greeted by a minimalistic design with large letters. I've personally been using Fleksy for over two years now and couldn't be happier. Friends, in turn, refuse to compete with me in typing speed, because “you have Fleksy, there’s no point.”
However, you will have to get used to the keyboard. Where else have you seen a comma placed with a swipe down, and the entire word erased with a swipe to the left? However, once you get used to it, it will be difficult for you to use anything else.
In addition to speed, the keyboard has the widest range of customization: letter size, layout, keyboard color, themes - absolutely everything can be customized. Moreover, Fleksy can be invisible! Yes, yes, your friends will be surprised, but for such a trick you will have to practice touch typing.
Another “feature” is extensions. You can add various additional functions to the keyboard: from the ability to select and send GIFs and Emoji to an additional panel with text editing functions (cut, copy, paste). You can even make hearts appear when you press the buttons. Cute. With auto-corrections, everything here is also a solid “A”. And developers often delight users with achievements. For example, for the distance traveled by swiping - where else have you seen this?
Pros:
- The fastest keyboard in the world
- Wide range of possibilities and customization
- Minimalist design.
- One of the best autocorrection systems
- Free
- Synchronization with the cloud
Minuses:
- No Swype support
- It takes some getting used to
2. Swype: like walking on ice
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The world's first keyboard with a sliding input method. There is no need to take your finger off the screen: just move it over the letters, and they turn into words, and then into entire sentences.
Swype is the main feature of Swype. Everything is thought out and works very quickly. And the dictionary is synchronized with the cloud, so there is no need to worry when buying a new device. All previously saved words will return on their own. There are no problems with customization: here you can customize almost everything: change the size of icons, remove unnecessary keys, choose a suitable theme.
I was very pleased with the ability to enter in two languages at once. In order to insert a word in English, you do not need to switch keyboard layout. Why not Punto Switcher? Another big plus for Swype is voice input. “It is everywhere,” you will say, and you will be right. However, Swype's speech recognition is an order of magnitude higher than its competitors thanks to its proprietary “engine” – Dragon Dictation.
The full version of the keyboard costs 64 rubles. But before you buy it, I advise you to try the free version, since not everyone likes the fingertip input method.
Pros:
- Better speech recognition
- Best implementation of the Swype method
- Synchronization with the cloud
- Wide range of customization
Minuses:
- Full version is paid
- It takes some getting used to
- The traditional input method is inconvenient
3. Swiftkey: if you want to press, if you want to slide
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Swiftkey is one of the most downloaded keyboards on Google Play. As with the Smart Keyboard, Swiftkey can predict words, and it does it quite well. Fans of Swype will be just as pleased as adherents of classic input. Swiftkey is one of the rare examples where both of these options work equally well. And this is Swiftkey's biggest advantage over its competitors.
The keyboard is free, but some themes are paid. Everything is exactly the same as in the case of Fleksy. Nice. Cloud synchronization is here to stay. I installed Swiftkey on a new smartphone, and it feels like I’m typing on an old one.
Pros:
- Free
- Both input methods work flawlessly
- Excellent text prediction
- Synchronization with the cloud
Minuses:
- The standard theme looks controversial, while others are paid
- Few branded features
4. Google Keyboard: simple and concise
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Google's keyboard is perhaps the simplest. There are no frills like custom themes or extensions, but there are emoticons. Not bad already. So why is this keyboard so popular? The answer is simple: everything works fine, both the traditional input method and Swype.
Google Keyboard is the choice of those who recently switched to Andorid from iOS. Everything is simple and easy, and most importantly, it works. Why invent anything else?
Pros:
- Free
- Copes with tasks with a bang
- Google support
- No need to get used to it
From my experience, I have noticed that many people prefer to use a third-party keyboard. Sooner or later, almost everyone comes to this, because the standard one has little functionality. There are a huge number of similar applications on the market: good and not so good.
To save your time, I have prepared a rating of the TOP 5 most useful keyboards that will perfectly replace the standard one.
GO Keyboard
GO Keyboard- is a very popular alternative to a standard keyboard. I learned about this application back in 2011, when I got my first Android phone. Even then, I noticed that using Go Keyboard, you type text much faster.
The advantages include removable themes (there are a huge number of them on the market), support for a large number of languages, a rich dictionary, and the ability to choose the keyboard size, including T9 input.
Since I actively use the tablet to write articles, it is very important for me to have a navigation function and a text editor. It allows you to move the cursor using the arrows on the screen, as well as text selection functions (copy-paste). It is for these qualities that I am attracted to this keyboard for Android.
An additional bonus is a large, simply gigantic number of different Emoji emoticons and flexible settings (vibration power, pressing sound, etc.)
The disadvantages include the presence of advertising. It periodically appears on the screen, and in order to completely get rid of it, the developers offer to buy the full version of GO Keyboard for 300 rubles. Also, the PRO version will open up a bunch of different bonuses and themes. For those who don’t want to pay and don’t like advertising, I advise you to familiarize yourself with the simple method, ?
Price: Free
Google Keyboard
Have you noticed that starting with Android 5, this keyboard is installed from the factory on almost every device? Yes, the application is worthwhile, it is actively developing. It's great that you can use the keyboard for free and without advertising. This is the first and biggest advantage of this application.
Among the functionality, we can highlight swipe (entering text with one stroke) and a built-in dictionary. By the way, he has a very impressive vocabulary, which can be easily expanded.
The disadvantages include the paucity of fine settings. Also, the application supports only four themes - dark and light.
Based on download results, the Google Keyboard application is confidently in the top of the most popular keyboards on Google Play.
Price: Free
Kika Emoji Keyboard
Relatively young guys from Kika Emoji Keyboard Team presented their keyboard called keyboard for Android Kika Emoji Keyboard. Please note that the application is not advertised at all. However, the application is quite functional. The presence of functions such as swipe, dictionaries, themes and text navigation allows us to include the TOP 5 useful keyboards. One of the distinctive features is the presence of plugins. For the first time I saw how this was implemented: all the necessary additions, such as emoticons, can be displayed on the control panel, while all unnecessary things can be removed. By the way, for lovers of emoticons there is a large set of various large-sized stickers.
This keyboard takes some getting used to; letters are entered with minimal delay. This is probably due to the installation of additional click sounds.
Price: Free
SwiftKey Keyboard
Very good keyboard for android SwiftKey Keyboard. Basic options, such as the ability to change the theme, edit the keyboard layout and enter text with a stroke, are already included in the basic functionality. It is worth paying special attention to the dictionary’s ability to memorize new words automatically (you must enable this function in the settings). SwiftKey can work with accounts of popular social networks. networks. This will give you the opportunity to replenish your vocabulary with new words that you often use.
To do this, you need to provide access to your data on Google Plus, Facebook and Twitter.
Yes, I almost forgot, the application is free and without advertising. But, for relatively little money, the user can purchase a set of additional themes. Of course, I recommend this keyboard as a good replacement for the standard one.
