Stephen Headrick / Android Authority
Android fans have several heated debates going at any given time, and one of them is usually about which Android keyboard is best.
In a recent article, I detailed my experience of switching from Gboard to Microsoft’s SwiftKey. After using it for several days, I discovered that the grass isn’t always greener on Google’s side of the fence. I rather liked the enhanced customization options the keyboard offered me, but I also wanted to gather broader opinions from our community. I conducted a poll asking readers to vote for their preferred Android keyboard app. So, which piece of software won?
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The survey saw just under 2,000 votes, but there is a clear winner. With 54% of the total tally, Gboard is your favorite Android keyboard app. SwiftKey placed second with a 39% share, while 7% of users prefer an entirely different keyboard altogether.
Notably, reader comments suggest that the battle between SwiftKey and Gboard may be far closer than the poll numbers suggest. Several users chimed in with support for the former.
“I’ve been using SwiftKey for 10 years now! Microsoft actually did a good job with it,” writes khoitran00.
“SwiftKey is the best. The arrow keys alone make me always come back to it,” notes Scott Jastrow.
Wes01 added:
SwiftKey is the best keyboard by far. Not 100 perfect, as it often suggests words that you previously marked as “remove prediction”. I also like the customization features for size and looks. Gboard for me does not auto capitalize a new sentence, despite the option being on in the settings, which leads to a terrible experience.
Others offered more measured takes, suggesting that SwiftKey excels in prediction and theme selection, but pales in comparison to features that actually matter, namely swipe accuracy, “magical speech to text,” and the nifty Emoji Kitchen feature.
As for the left field picks, there was plenty of love for a keyboard that’s no longer with us: Swype.
“Nah, Gboard is superior. I can’t stand Swiftkey. But neither are truly good. The forever-best was the defunct Swype. It was better then, and still would be now if it still existed,” reader kelghu.junkmail notes.
Keyboard picks are often deeply personal. We grow so used to the layout and feature set of our daily driver that it’s impossible to imagine using anything else. And to be fair, regularity and reliability are pretty important when it comes to typing on our phones — it’s not always about which app is more feature-rich.
With this in mind, can we really declare a “better” keyboard if typing is such an objective activity? I’m not so sure, but to offer my insight, I’ve since switched back to Gboard after my brief spell with SwiftKey. Better the devil you know, right?
Let me know where your allegiances lie. Do you prefer Gboard, SwiftKey, or something else entirely?
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