5 best Android keyboard apps for every typing style

The most used app on a phone is the keyboard app. Whether you’re texting friends, sending emails, or searching the web, typing on a large-screen phone is a constant task. While the default keyboard might get the job done, third-party keyboards offer features that make typing fast, accurate, and enjoyable. From customizable themes to predictive text and advanced swipe typing, these apps enhance how you interact with your device. Many of these keyboards have innovative features that improve efficiency, accuracy, and personalization. If you use the default keyboard app on your phone, check out these five keyboard apps that offer a range of customization and unique features.

5

Gboard

The best of Google

Gboard by Google is one of the best options if you are entrenched in Google’s ecosystem. One of its appealing features is its integration with Google services, making tasks like web searching and translation effortless without leaving your conversation.

It supports multilingual typing, allowing you to switch between languages automatically as you type without switching keyboards. This feature is useful for bilingual users or those who communicate in multiple languages.

Gboard excels with its glide typing, a swipe-based method that lets you type words by sliding your finger across the keys, speeding up typing without sacrificing accuracy. Beyond typing, Gboard provides access to emojis, GIFs, and stickers, helping make every message more expressive. The keyboard also integrates Google’s powerful search engine, allowing you to find and share information without leaving your current conversation or app.

4

Microsoft SwiftKey

Smart, adaptive, and built for multilingual use

Microsoft Swiftkey is another top choice for a customizable keyboard. Swiftkey was an early pioneer of predictive text and swipe-type capabilities, and it has become better. SwiftKey stands out for its predictive text capabilities, which learn from your typing habits and suggest words and phrases that are highly relevant. This AI-driven feature ensures that the more you use SwiftKey, the smarter it becomes, making typing faster and reducing the need for corrections.

SwiftKey supports multiple languages simultaneously, so you can switch between languages while typing without missing a beat. The AI integration runs deep with a Copilot button that lets you pull the AI assistant from your keyboard. Elsewhere, Windows users will like the convenience of cloud-based clipboard syncing.

SwiftKey offers a high degree of personalization, allowing you to adjust the layout, choose from various themes, and upload custom pictures for the keyboard’s background. For those who need a keyboard that adapts to their unique style and offers excellent speed, SwiftKey is a solid choice.

3

Fleksy

A keyboard with built-in apps

If you’re a power user, try Fleksy. The keyboard includes the essential features and offers a fast typing experience. It focuses on speed with an advanced autocorrect system that minimizes the need for corrections. However, Fleksy’s true superpower is in its mini-apps. These mini-apps work as extensions that enhance the keyboard with features such as emoji search, GIF search, flight search, and YouTube within the keyboard’s interface.

Using Fleksy’s gesture-based controls, you can swipe left to delete text, swipe up to add punctuation, and use other gestures to perform tasks quickly, while keeping your eyes on the screen. Fleksy emphasizes privacy, making it an appealing option if you are cautious about data security. Unlike other keyboard apps, Fleksy does not collect or store personal typing data, ensuring your conversations remain private.

Its combination of speed, customization, and privacy makes it a great choice for those looking for a keyboard that values performance and user data protection.

2

Grammarly keyboard

Your AI-powered writing assistant

Grammarly is a popular tool for spot-correcting grammar, and the company’s Android keyboard offers that same superpower. The keyboard provides real-time spell check and suggests grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure improvements as you type. This can be a game-changer if you frequently draft professional emails, social media posts, or content where proper language is key.

Grammarly’s tone detection feature ensures your message comes across as intended, offering suggestions on modifying the tone to be more formal, casual, or friendly. Grammarly Keyboard gives you access to personalized writing suggestions tailored to your style as you use the app. Although Grammarly requires an internet connection to provide full functionality, it ensures your data is secure and private. The keyboard is an excellent option for professional users and students to refine writing on-the-go.

1

HeliBoard

A privacy-first typing experience

If you’re looking for a keyboard that puts privacy first without skimping on customization, HeliBoard might be what you need. Built as an open source alternative to mainstream keyboard apps, it ditches internet permissions entirely. Your typing stays private, with no data sent to external servers.

HeliBoard isn’t only about security. It’s packed with personalization options. You can tweak themes, colors, and backgrounds to match your style, and it seamlessly adapts to system-wide day and night modes on Android 10 and up. If you have Android 12 or newer, it supports dynamic colors for a more cohesive look.

Beyond aesthetics, HeliBoard gives you control over how you type. You can customize keyboard layouts, add special symbols or function key rows, and take advantage of its clipboard history feature to make text management easier. Multilingual typing is built in. While it supports glide typing, you must enable it since it relies on an external closed-source library.

If you use a larger device, one-handed mode and a split keyboard option make typing more comfortable. Plus, with the ability to back up and restore your settings and learned words, you won’t start from scratch if you switch devices. Heliboard is not available on the Play Store. Instead, go to F-Droid to grab the APK.

The best keyboard apps to enhance your experience

A good keyboard can change how you interact with your phone, making typing faster, smoother, and more enjoyable. Whether you prioritize smart predictions, customization, or privacy, there’s an option that fits your needs. From AI-driven suggestions to gesture controls and privacy-focused features, these keyboards offer more than letters on a screen. They enhance the way you communicate. If you’ve been using the default keyboard without a second thought, now’s the perfect time to explore alternatives and find one that elevates your typing experience.