Gboard

The themes in Gboard for Android haven’t changed in quite a bit — save for a splash, but Google is now testing a redesign of the existing Dynamic Color light and dark themes.

A small tweak to Gboard for Android adds a font switcher for some degree of customization.

Google is giving Gboard, its Android keyboard app, a redesigned menu for emoji and stickers that works better on tablets and big-screen devices like foldables.

Assistant voice typing in Gboard was introduced with the Pixel 6 in 2021 as one of Google’s best features. With Google Assistant going out the door on phones, Gboard has been updated accordingly.

If Gboard for Android looks ever so slightly different in recent days, it’s because the button for accessing the various keyboard tools is now themed with Dynamic Color in dark mode.

At I/O 2024, Google’s work on passkeys continues with an even easier sign-in process, as well as platform updates across Android 15 and Wear OS 5.

The latest Gboard 14.2 beta is rolling out with a particularly eye-catching change to the “Fix it” Proofread feature on Pixel.

The keyboard is integral to how you use a smartphone, so when it’s not good, you notice it. Over the past few months, I’ve really been noticing just how much better the keyboard experience on Google Pixel is compared to everywhere else, and it’s a little crazy that no one else seems to measure up.

Google’s proprietary keyboard comes default on many devices, and for most of us, it generally stays active. One odd behavior of the keyboard that often confuses users is how the number pad is triggered. It’s easy to activate it and lose the symbols page you really want. This guide will go over how you can switch to and from the Gboard number pad with ease if you find yourself stuck.

Android 14 QPR3 introduces a system-level “Keyboard vibration” on/off toggle that replaces the equivalent Gboard setting that lets you control keypress strength.

After adding the “Scan Text” OCR tool, Gboard’s latest feature is a “Quality Bug Report” shortcut that opens Google’s standard tool for submitting issues and feedback on Android.

Some Google Pixel owners are having issues with Gboard either being a tiny window or the proper size but with a very small font. 

Gboard for Android is beginning to roll out a rather nifty “Scan Text” optical character recognition (OCR) tool.

Besides Recorder Summarize and Magic Compose in Google Messages, Gboard Smart Reply is the other feature that Gemini Nano powers on the Pixel 8 Pro. After initially just supporting WhatsApp, Google has quietly added support for two more apps.

Instead of having to manually initiate voice typing every time, Gboard is working on a more “seamless” option on Android.

Gboard is following “Write in text fields” and the new physical keyboard UI with an Assistant voice typing toolbar for the Pixel Tablet.

After rolling out the new stylus handwriting capabilities last month, Gboard now offers a physical keyboard toolbar on Android tablets. It provides a much better experience for those that use a Bluetooth (or USB) keyboard as Google continues to optimize apps for large-screen devices.

Swiping left on Gboard’s backspace key lets you quickly delete entire words/phrases, while Google will show what you just removed in the suggestions strip for quick restore. To take things a step further, there is a relatively quick way to access a dedicated “undo” key in Gboard for Android.

The Gboard stylus handwriting support that we first enabled in August is now rolling out on Android tablets that offer the input.

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.