Gboard switching to its floating keyboard when landscape

Abner Li | Nov 10 2023 - 11:09 am PT

Given the tall aspect ratios of today’s phones, Gboard in landscape orientation often takes up most of the display (and leaves only a few lines of text visible), but Google now has a floating alternative.

With the current beta release (version 13.6, via Android Police), Gboard will automatically launch its floating keyboard when you start typing.

The keyboard, by default, opens in the center, but you can drag it anywhere, and Gboard will remember the location the next time you use it. There’s also the ability to adjust the size of the window from the corners.

To go back to the regular/docked keyboard, you can tap the “Floating” shortcut or drag the keyboard (using the handle) to the bottom edge of the screen. Once you do this, Gboard will no longer open its floating mode when in landscape.

This solution to landscape keyboards taking up the entire screen is fine but inherently means you have to pick the left or right edge for one-handed thumb typing. I’d argue that a better solution is bringing the split-screen keyboard from tablets to phones but updating it so that the center is transparent. As such, your thumb does not have to stretch over to access keys at the center. This could be done by making both halves float above the screen.