Swiftkey updates user favorite keyboard software, introduces “layouts for living”
Oh hi new Swiftkey update, the Android keyboard that I love so much I’d download it twice. The developer just alerted customers that a new version of the software is now available on the Play Store and “rethinks how you interact with your keyboard.” The newly update keyboard software introduces “Layouts for living” which allows you to “undock” Swiftkey “from your screen, resize it and present it in a compact, split thumb-typing or regular style.”
The company hopes the new features will allow you to get more from your mobile devices, “regardless of the context you’re typing in.” The new edition is now available to download in Google Play and is a free update for existing users. The new version gives you access to three keyboard layouts, all of which can be resized, and undocked and positioned where you choose on your screen.
The three new keyboard layouts:
- Compact: On many larger phones it can be difficult to enter text and hold the phone with just one hand. This new feature reduces the width of the keyboard and allows for easier typing with one hand or gesture typing using SwiftKey Flow. It also frees up more of the screen estate on tablets. You can switch it from the left or right side of the screen
- Thumb: For those who like typing on tablets in landscape or wide phones, the keyboard can be split into two areas, enabling fast, comfortable typing with both thumbs. Undock it from the base of the screen for even more flexibility
- Full: The traditional full-width keyboard is still available and users with tablets can opt for an extended layout that is similar to the presentation of a physical keyboard. This layout has left and right cursor keys and the backspace is positioned above the enter key, making it easier to type with two hands when not holding your tablet]
As well as the new layouts, SwiftKey 4.3 also includes:
- Choose from 5 sizes to get your keyboard the perfect size for you
- Undock your keyboard and position it where you choose on your screen
- Rearranged and optimized secondary (123) and tertiary (symbols) layout, based on extensive user testing
- A new theme: previously SwiftKey and SwiftKey Tablet had two different themes called “Dark”. Both are now available on phones and tablets, with the tablet “Dark” renamed as “Forest”
- Extended layout for tablets, including left and right cursor keys
- All 4 cursor keys (up, down, left, right) are now available on the secondary (123) layout on tablets – phone users can still choose to have cursor keys on the main layout
- 10-inch tablets can choose to have a central numpad in the thumb layout in landscape
- Combined phone and tablet app to give a seamless experience across all device sizes
