I've been using this keyboard on and off for a few months and overall really enjoy it, but is not without its downsides.<p>Pros: Glide is really well done if you like it. I'm not a glide person (and haven't taken the time to get used to it), so it's nice you can disable it if you'd like. Emoji auto-suggest is pretty fun, I've been tempted to use it in emails but avoided it for now. :) The dictionary it populates from your commonly used words is fairly aggressive (which I like), so it picks up on unique words quickly (and it is easy to clear/reset this list at any time). Being able to send people animates gifs with ease over txt message or whatever service is pretty fun. Overall it's pretty easy to type on, just takes a little getting used to compared to the default iOS keyboard (finger detection differs slightly), but I'm able to type just as fast on it.<p>Cons: Most of my issues are really due to the API limitations Apple has in place. This keyboard is disabled on password fields (as are all 3rd party keyboards). There is no voice dictation (siri or Google's). You have to paste in images from the search (the keyboard can't auto-insert images for you, but text only search results can be auto-pasted with "share"). Landscape mode on an iPhone 6s takes up lots of screen real estate.<p><i>The opinions stated here are my own, not necessarily those of Google.</i>
The App Store page addresses my immediate concern with giving Google access to every single thing I type on my phone:<p>> What Gboard sends to Google:<p>> When you do a search, Gboard sends your query to Google’s web servers so Google can process your query and send you search results. Gboard also sends anonymous statistics to Google to help us diagnose problems when the app crashes and to let us know which features are used most often.<p>> What Gboard doesn’t send to Google:<p>> Everything else. Gboard will remember words you type to help you with spelling or to predict searches you might be interested in, but this data is stored only on your device. This data is not accessible by Google or by any apps other than Gboard.
This is a fantastic strategic move from Google. At the moment, in the mobile advertising space, Facebook has the upper hand, with much faster growth and way more DAUs and average daily in-app time. Facebook also threatens Google's search ad rev if they can build a Messenger based personal AI assistant that becomes people's go-to for service and product queries.<p>On Google's Q1 2016 earning call, Ruth Porat described how they were seeing lots of growth in mobile, but a compression in net margin. This was because traffic acquisition costs (TAC) on mobile are higher. Gboard could be a really effective measure to reverse that trend.<p>Gboard gets Google onto the iPhone almost at a "hypervisor" level. Every app with text input (especially Facebook, Messenger, WhatsApp, Instagram) will have Google branding when the keyboard is up and all the features that Gboard brings. Google is doing really well in the AI space as well, so expect to see more intelligent features integrated into Gboard as it matures.<p>Great move.
Really great keyboard, but I don't agree with the decision to replace San Fransisco with Roboto. The weight and position of the type is off on the keys, and it makes the keyboard feel less native than it should.
I just installed this. It's a <i>really</i> good keyboard: responsive, and "glide" typing and corrections work implausibly well. I haven't tried the search features yet, but it's winning me over from the stock keyboard.
It's very odd to me that Google would release this on iOS first. I understand the value of iOS market share but when you have your own platform...<p>I think this looks really good, doesn't seem to be in the UK App Store yet or I'd have installed it already.
Wow this is a really interesting way to make inroads into chat apps. Plus since it's at the keyboard level it transcends to all installed apps.<p>Anybody familiar with the iOS APIs for this to know if it's an "always on" type of thing? i.e. can they use this to track everything typed everywhere as long as the keyboard is enabled or does it require the "G" button like in the pic?
Interesting one thing the keyboard is missing is the ability to switch to dark theme for some parts of iOS and some apps. It makes it look out of place an awkward in some contexts. I imagine this is some system level limitation in API. Other then that its quite good! I could really see this as new way for me to use Google more often. And Im loving the swipe to text!
I just gave this a try, and I have to say, I'm impressed. I'm a very good touch typist on a keyboard, but I'm nothing special on a touchscreen. This definitely ups my accuracy, even in quick bursts (I realize it's not in the title, but the overall keyboard is much more responsive, it's not just the added functionality).
When I installed this, it wanted me to "Allow Full Access", which then came up with a pop-up from iOS saying: "Full access allows the developer of this keyboard to transmit anything you type, including things you have previously typed with this keyboard. This could include sensitive information such as your credit card number or street address."<p>This seems pretty sketchy.
>Get it now in the App Store in English in the U.S.<p>What a shame. I know plenty of people here in Poland who have their phone languages set to English for convenience. Let alone the English speakers in other English-speaking lands - I guess I can understand local English variants presenting a few minor issues, at least.
I can't use this yet (because it's region locked to the US grr), but can you turn off the search part? I really miss the android keyboard on iOS and swype/swiftkey are just similar enough that I find their quirks compared to it incredibly annoying.<p>No real interest in the search part, though.
I tried to install it, but it's US only. Any idea why that would be? This seems like something that could easily be rolled out worldwide. Is it a language support issue? (i.e. in Canada, they would have to support the French keyboard).
I wish that Apple would still allow the force-touch trackpad feature on 3rd party keyboards. I've gotten so used to having it that it makes it difficult to consider using any other keyboard other than the stock one.
Very sleek and fast -- loving it! Was on Android for a number of years then went back to an iPhone and this was the #1 thing I missed.<p>For anyone interested, you do NOT need to "Allow full access" to use the general swiping feature of the keyboard. I think that permission is to allow the keyboard to collect data, do searches with it etc...<p>Personally, I don't feel comfortable with that option enabled despite the convenience of virtual keyboard based search. Very smart move by Google, though. Another door opens to get your eyes on those ads.
Surprised that no one has mentioned Slash keyboard which has been out much longer and has more features. They even won Product Hunt product of the year. They also have an Android app. <a href="http://tapslash.com/" rel="nofollow">http://tapslash.com/</a>
I love that you can also slide on the spacebar to move the cursor left or right. I like that feature from Nintype, but Nintype is always not all that stable.<p>If this keyboard proves to be more stable than other slide keyboards (SwiftKey / TouchPal), then it stays!
Here's hoping that Microsoft adds Cortana to SwiftKey, this looks pretty exciting, but I don't own an iPhone...and I don't particularly want to use Google services.