Android users usually rely on keyboard apps pre-installed on the device, in this article we want to broaden the horizons by telling you about the best Android keyboard apps. However, there are countless third-party Android keyboard apps on the Google Play Store.
These alternative Android keyboards have been released with fun themes, new features, advanced swiping options, and highly customizable layouts. When it comes to choosing the best Android keyboard, there is always a risk of getting infected with malware.
But as the Android keyboard range is constantly evolving, the need for an efficient keyboard seems like a necessity to stay up to date on the latest features. We have curated a list with the most reliable and secure third-party best free Android keyboards that you can use as an alternative to your default keyboard.
You can install them all on your phone no matter if it is Pixel, Samsung, OnePlus, Xiaomi, Huawei, LG, Sony or any other brand.
The best free Android keyboard apps
- SwiftKey
- Flexi Fast + GIF Keyboard
- Gboard
- Chrooma Keyboard
- Grammarly
- Go Keyboard
- Touchpal Keyboard
- Facemoji Emoji Keyboard
- AnySoft Keyboard
- Simple Keyboard
- Google Handwriting Input
1. The best keyboard for Android - SwiftKey
There is no doubt that SwiftKey is one of the best keyboard apps for Android to replace the native keyboard app. In 2016, SwiftKey was acquired by Microsoft for an impressive amount which further increased its reliability.
This free Swiftkey keyboard uses artificial intelligence which allows it to automatically learn and predict the next word the user intends to type. Swiftkey offers autocorrect and gesture typing for faster input. It intelligently learns your typing pattern and adapts to it.
This keyboard app for Android is also a spectacular emoji keyboard that brings tons of emojis, GIFs, and more. Under keyboard customization, you can not only choose from hundreds of themes, but also create your own theme.
Overall, SwiftKey can greatly improve virtual typing. As this free keyboard app for phone comes bundled with a lot of features, you may see some lags from time to time.
2. Flexi Fast + GIF Keyboard
Fleksy Keyboard is known to be the fastest keyboard app for Android. He holds the world record for his typing speed twice. Fleksy uses next-generation automatic correction and gesture control so you can type accurately in less time.
Swipe gestures are used to control standard functions, such as quick addition of punctuation, space, deletion, and word corrections.
Fleksy is also highly customizable. It covers over 50 varieties of colorful themes, three separate customizable keyboard sizes, and over 800 emojis and GIFs. Additionally, users can create keyboard shortcuts, access navigation apps directly from the keyboard, copy / paste, and even easily access a row of numbers. It also supports over 40 different languages.
Furthermore, this third party Android keyboard app follows a strict privacy policy. It does not collect any personal data without your permission. Overall, Fleksy is a great Android keyboard app and turns out to be a great alternative to Gboard.
3. Gboard: the Google keyboard
Gboard has everything you love about the Google Keyboard app - speed and reliability, gesture typing, voice typing, etc. In fact, it's one of the fastest Android keyboard apps on the Google Play Store. You'll find it preloaded on the Pixel series and many Android One devices.
The Android app is integrated with Google search; suggests GIFs and emojis as you type. It also allows you to send stickers. You can also make your own sticker if you wish. People who use a lot of Google services will get a real benefit from its text prediction.
Gboard features a minimalist design that fits perfectly with the design of the material. Additional features include more themes, adding a personal image as a keyboard background, voice dictation, sentence prediction, and hand drawn emoji recognition.
The default keyboard app for Android is also extremely good with multilingual typing and supports over 100 different languages. In my opinion, Gboard is undefeated the best keyboard app for Android in 2020.
4. Chrome Keyboard
Chrooma is quite similar to the Google keyboard, except it provides much more customizable options than the Google keyboard. You'll find all the essential features like swipe typing, keyboard scaling, predictive typing, and auto-correct.
Chrooma has a neural action row that helps you with emojis, numbers, and punctuation hints. She has also added a night mode feature that can change the keypad color tone when enabled. You can also set the timer and program the night mode.
This free keyboard app for Android is powered by intelligent artificial intelligence that offers greater accuracy and better contextual prediction as you type.
The fun thing about the Chrooma keyboard app is the color adaptive mode, that is, it can automatically adapt to the color of the app you are using and make the keyboard appear as if it were a part of the app. However, it tends to have bugs and glitches, especially in the emoji and GIF sections.
5. Grammarly
Grammarly is mainly known for its grammar checking extensions for desktop web browsers. Thankfully, they have created an Android keyboard app that can also be used as a grammar checker
While we may not be very concerned about the grammar aspect of the English language while texting our friends, it becomes very important when it comes to professional conversations and emails on your smartphone.
In addition to the well-known spell and grammar check feature, I also like its pleasing visual design, especially the mint green color theme. There is also a dark theme option if you like the darker interface. Overall, it's a basic texting app for Android that won't let you down if you find yourself engaging in tons of professional communication while using your smartphone.
However, Grammarly compromises many other common features in other best keyboard apps for Android.
6. Go Keyboard keyboard
Go Keyboard is another great choice when looking for the best Android keyboard apps. The keyboard has a simple and minimalist design which is quite useful. It can improve and facilitate your typing habits.
Among its many features, the Go keyboard supports a variety of languages, even those that don't use a Roman script. It also includes built-in dictionaries that can tell you the meaning of any word in any language.
Go Keyboard packs over 1000 different themes, emojis, GIFs, fonts, etc. Also, it includes a swipe lock screen to unlock and a unique charging mode for the app. Go Keyboard is free but contains ads and some in-app purchases.
7. Touchpal Keyboard
TouchPal is an impressive award-winning keyboard app for Android that has over 500 million users worldwide. The app has been around for a long time. It is available for free and is compatible with most Android phones.
TouchPal is a feature rich keyboard for your phone and packs all the necessary features like GIF, emoticon and emoji support, voice typing, swipe typing, gesture typing, T + and T9 keyboard, autocorrect, predictive text, number line, multi-language support, etc.
The extra features of this third party android keyboard app include voice recognition, stickers, one-touch writing and other useful tricks. Furthermore, this Android keyboard app has integrated a small internal store to manage add-ons and advertisements.
8. Facemoji Emoji Keyboard, la tastiera emoji per Android
If you want to send cool emojis, Facemoji could be the perfect emoji keyboard app for your android phone. Over 3600 emojis, emoticons, GIFs, symbols, Emoji stickers and more are available.
Since the app is all about virtual expressions, it has all the emoji-related features you want in the latest keyboard app for Android in 2020. For example, there is an Emoji combo to combine multiple emojis in one tap; Emoji prediction that works like a charm; all the trending gifs and other trending stuff are added frequently.
As the name suggests, the best feature of this keyboard app is Facemoji where you can create your own emoji by capturing your own image. While the Gboard app has more quality in creating face stickers, this Android app excels in quantity.
9. AnySoft Keyboard
AnySoft is an open source keyboard for Android that is extremely transparent in data collection. The privacy-friendly Android keyboard app even suggests users to look at their source code on the welcome page.
But privacy isn't the only strong point - the Android keyboard app also offers great keyboard app tees, multi-touch support, power saving mode, gesture typing, and much more. AnySoft can also change the keyboard theme according to the app used.
Thankfully, the app doesn't use a lot of RAM given its small size. It features text prediction, however, it's not the best around. I believe it is a reasonable compromise to safeguard the user's private data.
10. Simple Keyboard
Simple Keyboard is another open source lightweight Android keyboard app known for its minimalist design and simplicity. Users not troubled by the lack of functionality of the contemporary keyboard app, Simple Keyboard is for you.
The most you will find are the options to change the theme and color of the onscreen keyboard. Other than that, it's pretty straightforward - you have support for multiple languages, changing the keyboard height, separate row of numbers, and a few more.
Note that there are no emojis, gifs, spellcheckers, or even scrolling ligatures.
11. Google Handwriting Input
The last entry on this list of the best Android keyboard apps is not a traditional keyboard app that allows you to press simple buttons and you will be able to type whatever you want. For a change, you can also consider Google Handwriting Input as an add-on to the regular Google keyboard app (Gboard).
Activating it, you will get a blank area instead of the buttons that allow you to write using your fingers or a stylus. Keyboard text recognition is pretty fast. If you are using an Android tablet, you should definitely try it out on the big screen.
Are keyboard apps safe?
Now, it is essential to know that many keyboard apps, including those pre-installed on the device, collect typing data to provide customized services such as text prediction, etc.
Of course, this is a privacy concern for many Android users. All keyboard apps list privacy policies on their data collection, so it's best to check them out. Google doesn't like Play Store apps that pull data, so you can give these keyboard apps the benefit of the doubt
Anyway, did you find this list of the best Android keyboard apps useful? Share your reviews in the comments.
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