Find it tricky to type on your phone and tablet? Jane Hoskyn recommends apps that will make it easier, whether you use Google’s Android or Apple’s iOS
Android users recently woke up to find a brand new default keyboard on their phones and tablets. Though the thought of Google tinkering with your phone when you’re not looking is perturbing, we think Gboard is one new feature that’s well worth taking the time to get used to. And here we’ll show you how to get the very most from it.
Gboard is far from the end of the mobile-typing story though, because there are plenty of new tools that make typing on a tiny screen a pleasure (yes, really). Here we reveal the best of the bunch.
Get instant web links while you text
Finding a web link to include in a text message (or note, tweet or anything else you type using your mobile keyboard) used to be a cumbersome process. You had to switch to your browser app or home screen, search for a link, copy it to your clipboard, go back to the messaging app and then paste it in. Now, Gboard - free for iOS (www.snipca.com/22915) and installed automatically on Android - has Google search built in.
To use it, tap the colourful G above the keyboard then enter your search. You’ll be offered web links, photos, videos (including YouTube links), weather forecasts, travel directions, sports scores and more (depending on your search term). Tap one to add it to your message or post, then continue typing. You can also search by selecting a word or phrase in the text you’re writing. Long- tap to select it, press the dots in the Cut/Copy/Paste box that appears, then tap Web Search.
Gboard also lies in wait while you type, instantly offering a search shortcut if you type a name it recognises, be it Andy Murray, Victoria Wood or HRH The Queen. We can almost hear Gboard saying “oh I know this one, Miss!” as it offers a blue shortcut for each person. There are limitations though. At the time of writing it only recognises a name if its followed by a punctuation mark (presumably the full stop or comma indicates to Google that the name is complete). It’s also possible to insert shortcuts to place names in the same way, but right now it only recognises London. This will certainly be expanded in the fullness of time.
Type with a swipe
Swipe typing (or ‘glide typing’ in Gboard’s jargon, which seems to invoke the letter G wherever possible) is the art of typing by stroking your finger from letter to letter. It’s faster than traditional typing on a touchscreen, but only if you’re using a keyboard app that can accurately decipher your swipes - and Gboard is a big improvement on its predecessor.
Microsoft’s SwiftKey (free for Android and iOS, https://swiftkey.com) is even more accurate. Flow (swipe) is enabled by default, but you can tap to type as well – within the same sentence if you want – so there’s no need to switch between modes. There’s also a Gesture option that lets you swipe to delete words. SwiftKey’s creators have now released a parallel beta for Android, SwiftKey Beta (www.snipca.com/22920), which lets you try experimental features such as double-word prediction and an excellent clipboard.
Type with one hand
SwiftKey may not have Gboard’s built-in search, but it’s unbeatable for typing tricks. For example, there’s a floating Dock keyboard you can drag around your screen. You can also split the keyboard in two, and shift the keyboard to one side for typing one-handed using your thumb, perhaps while holding a cup of tea in the other hand. Find these options by tapping SwiftKey’s icon (three horizontal lines – sometimes called the ‘hamburger’ icon). Gboard also has a one-handed option – tap the G, then tap the icon in the middle.
For easier one-handed typing on tablets, try new app Chrooma (free for Android, www.snipca.com/22919). It’s less sophisticated than SwiftKey or Gboard, but its ‘Thumb typing option’ shifts the keyboard further to the side, so you can thumb-type on a larger screen without needing a thumb that’s as long as a dessert spoon. To enable this in Chrooma, long-press the three tiny dots to the left of the space bar, slide your finger on to the Settings cog then tap Left or Right.
Microsoft’s superb new iOS app Word Flow (www.snipca.com/22922) lets you type one-handed using an eye-catching dial – but it’s only available in the US at the time of writing.
Turn off autocorrect
Keyboard apps love to correct you, and frankly it’s infuriating. The best solution is to switch off autocorrect while keeping spelling suggestions. The steps are similar across all apps but we’ll use Gboard as an example. Tap the G, then the cog, and then ‘Text correction’. Scroll down (by swiping up) and then tap ‘Auto-correction’ so that the switch is grey. Leave ‘Show suggestions’ switched on unless they annoy you too.
Keyboard apps ‘learn’ your habits over time, but you can speed up the process. In Gboard, tap Dictionary and then ‘Personal dictionary’, then tap the plus sign to add a word or name you use often, such as ‘Computeractive’. If it’s a word you’ll type often, add a shortcut, such as ‘ca…’, then tap the tick to save.
If you don’t want anyone or anything learning your words, then use SwiftKey’s Incognito mode. Switch it on, and SwiftKey won’t notice a thing you type.
Get a better clipboard
All keyboard apps support basic copying and pasting, but a couple of free new Android apps from Microsoft do it better than most. Hub Keyboard, currently a preview (www.snipca.com/22918), stores a full clipboard history and has Microsoft Translator built in, so you can type in English for automatic translation.
Clip Layer (www.snipca.com/22917) isn’t a keyboard but works alongside your keyboard(s) to make cutting and pasting more powerful and precise. First you need to set it as Android’s default ‘Assist app’ so that it launches over any other app when you long-press the Home key. Then you can easily select text for pasting into a message or saving to your clipboard. Clip Layer lets you copy text from apps that don’t usually support this function – but not from BBC apps, alas.
HACK YOUR IPAD KEYBOARD
Apple blocks certain features in third-party apps, such as voice input, which is part of the native keyboard anyway. On the upside, that native keyboard has some great tricks up its sleeve.
Our favourite is the ‘Etch-A-Sketch’ move. If you make a mistake and want to clear your typed text, shake your iPad or iPhone then tap Undo. Less excitingly, you can type numbers without having to switch to the numerical keypad: longpress the ‘.?123’ key and then slide your finger to a number. If you’ve got an iPad you can split the keyboard in two by long-pressing the keyboard icon then tapping Split.
Officially, the iOS keyboard doesn’t support one-handed typing, but app developer Steve Troughton-Smith discovered a hack for doing this and for adding clipboard buttons (www.snipca.com/22921). Unfortunately, this only works if you jailbreak your device, and that’s too risky for us to recommend.
CHANGE YOUR DEFAULT KEYBOARD
Android has always welcomed third-party keyboards. You can install as many as your storage space will allow, and enable all of them at once. Go to Settings, 'Language & Input'and then tap all the keyboard apps you've installed, along with 'Google voice input' and any languages you want to add to Gboard. To switch between them, tap the keyboard icon that appears while you're typing in any app, then tap a keyboard in the list.
iOS added third-party keyboard support in iOS 8. To enable a newly installed keyboard, go to Settings, General, Keyboard, then Keyboard again. Tap Add New Keyboard and then tap your new app. Tap Allow. From now on, you can switch between keyboards by tapping the globe icon when typing.