All About the Gboard Keyboard for Android and iOS GA S REGULAR Menu Lifewire Tech for Humans Newsletter! Search Close GO Mobile Phones > Android
All About the Gboard Keyboard for Android and iOS
A look at the keyboard's features, including integrated search
By Molly McLaughlin Molly McLaughlin Senior Editor & Content Strategist Molly K. McLaughlin has been a technology editor and writer for over a dozen years. She runs product reviews for Lifewire, overseeing the process from hands-on testing to publishing. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on September 12, 2021 Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email In This Article
Expand Jump to a Section Gboard for Android Gboard for iOS Changing Your Default Keyboard Make Gboard Your Default in Android Make Gboard Your Default in iOS Gboard is Google's keyboard for mobile devices. It's available for both Android and iPhone. The company released the iOS version months before the Android version. They have similar features, with a few minor differences. Pixabay For Android users, Gboard replaces Google Keyboard. If you have the Google Keyboard on your Android device, update that app to get Gboard. Otherwise, you can download it from the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store. Gboard for Android
Gboard adds some great new features to the best features the Google Keyboard offered, such as one-handed mode and glide typing. Whereas Google Keyboard had only two themes (dark and light), Gboard offers 18 options in several colors. You can also upload your image, choose to have a border around the keys, and display a number row. You can also designate the keyboard height using a slider. For quick access to search, tap the magnifying glass icon in the menu at the top of the keyboard. It enables you to search Google from any app and then paste the results into the text field in a messaging app. For example, you might search for nearby restaurants or movie times and send that information to a friend when you're making plans. Gboard has predictive search, which suggests queries as you type. You can also insert GIFs into your conversations. Other settings include enabling keypress sounds and a popup of the letter you typed after a keypress. The latter can be helpful when you want to confirm you pressed the right key, but it could also present a privacy concern when typing in a password. You can also choose to access the symbol keyboard using a long press and set up a long-press delay, so you don't do it by accident. For glide typing, you can show a gesture trail, which can be helpful or distracting depending on your preference. You can also enable gesture commands, including deleting words by sliding left from the delete key and moving the cursor by sliding across the space bar. One missing Gboard feature: the ability to adjust the width of the keyboard. You can adjust it vertically, but you cannot adjust it horizontally, even in landscape mode on your device. Gboard lets you switch among multiple languages (it supports more than 120) with a key press. Don't need that feature? Use that same key to access emojis instead. There's also an option to show recently used emojis in a suggestion strip. For voice typing, opt to display a voice input key. There are also numerous autocorrect options: Block suggestions of offensive words, suggest names from your contacts, and make personalized suggestions based on your activity in Google apps, for starters. You can also have Gboard automatically capitalize the first word of a sentence and suggest a possible next word. Better yet, you can sync learned words across devices, so you can use your lingo without fear of an awkward autocorrect. You can also disable this feature, given that this convenience means giving up some privacy to Google. Gboard for iOS
The iOS version of Gboard has most of the same features as the Android version, with a few exceptions—namely, voice typing, as it doesn't have Siri support. Otherwise, it includes GIF and emoji support, integrated Google search, and glide typing. Google does not store predictive search or text correction on its servers, only locally on your device. You can also allow the keyboard to view your contacts so it can suggest names as you type. It may not always work correctly, because Apple's third-party keyboard support is less than smooth. According to an editor at BGR.com, third-party keyboards often experience lag and other glitches. Also, your iPhone will sometimes switch back to Apple's default keyboard, and you have to dig into your settings to switch back. How to Change Your Default Keyboard
It's worth trying out Gboard for Android or iOS, especially if you like glide typing, one-handed mode, and integrated search. If you like Gboard, you can make it your default keyboard. You can download multiple keyboards and switch between them at will on both platforms. Make Gboard Your Default in Android
To make Gboard your default virtual keyboard in Android, go to Settings > System > Language and Input > Manage Keyboards. Then, tap the slider next to Gboard to turn it on. If you own an Android device, Gboard is likely already turned on by default. Make Gboard Your Default in iOS
To change your default keyboard in iOS, go to Settings > General > Keyboard, then select Edit and drag Gboard to the top of the list. Tap Done to exit edit mode. You may have to perform the iOS changes more than once, because your device might "forget" that Gboard is the default. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire How to Make a Divide Sign on a Keyboard How to Make a Bullet Point on a Keyboard The 8 Best Speech to Text Software of 2022 How to Use the Clipboard on Android Phones The 10 Best Keyboards for Android in 2022 How to Change the Keyboard on a Fire Tablet How to Use the Emoji Keyboard for Galaxy Phones 5 Things to Consider When Buying a Keyboard The Official Android Versions Guide: Everything You Need to Know How to Change the Keyboard on Android How to Make Your iPhone Keyboard Vibrate How to Flash Custom ROMs on Android With TWRP How to Block Cell Phone Numbers On Android or iPhone (iOS) How to Get iPhone Emojis for Your Android How to Update Instagram How to Fix a Floating Keyboard on an iPad Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies