The best third-party keyboards for iOS. Swype - gesture-based keyboard for iPhone

Apple opened up the ability to install custom keyboards two years ago. After which the official catalog of applications for iOS was replenished with a large number of third-party keyboards. Most of which did not stand up to any criticism. But there were also some that are still popular. They will be discussed in this article.

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Swipe

The most popular keyboard for iPhone and iPad from third-party developers is Swype. This keyboard is great for both two-handed and one-finger use. This means you can use it even on the go. A predictive word entry option is available. Moreover, the application can predict not only what word you started writing, but even what emoji you want to insert into your text.

Initially, the keyboard did not support the Russian language, but today it is supported. When installing the Swype keyboard on your Apple device, the user can choose a convenient layout:

• QWERTY
• QWERTZ
• AZERTY

If you use an iPad, then when you install this keyboard on your tablet, you will have the ability to simplify input in landscape and portrait mode. In general, the developer tried to make sure that more iPad users install this keyboard. They, unlike iPhone owners, have access to 5 free themes.

The cost of the Swype keyboard is 33 rubles. But, from time to time the developer makes it free. Do not miss your chance.

You can download the Swype keyboard from developer home page or with iTunes Store. There is also a version for Android.

Translator Keyboard

As the name suggests, this keyboard allows you to quickly translate text. To do this, you need to select the main language and the language from which you want to translate. The application currently supports 44 languages.

This keyboard can be an excellent assistant when communicating over the Internet with foreigners if your knowledge of their language is not at a very good level. Using Translator Keyboard, you can send messages via instant messengers, communicate in online chats, write emails, etc.
Since this keyboard uses the Microsoft Translate API to perform translation, it requires an Internet connection to work.

Swiftkey Note

Another custom keyboard that can be configured to suit the needs of each user. Android users have already appreciated the capabilities of this keyboard. The possibility of installation in Apple gadgets appeared relatively recently. In Swiftkey, you can enter letters in the usual way or without interruption.

As you use the Swiftkey keyboard, it learns itself. After which the prediction of the words you enter with its help becomes better. Moreover, she can search for the right words from your notebook or social networks. At the same time, the user can transfer the “dictionary” of this application to another device.

The Swiftkey keyboard supports the Russian language and is distributed free of charge. If you get tired of its appearance, then you can download and install an alternative theme for this keyboard. For the best of them, unfortunately, you have to pay.

At the time of writing, it was not possible to find the application on the official Apple catalog.

Flexy Keyboard

This keyboard makes it to this list not only because of its beautiful design, but also because of its functionality. Control of this application is based on gestures. Like Swiftkey Note, this keyboard can learn on its own. It is possible to connect to mail and social networks to analyze the style of the entered text. The more words you enter using Fleksy Keyboard, the easier and faster you will be able to work with it.

When using this keyboard, it would be advisable to install several extensions supported by it. For example:

• animated gif memes
• separate numeric string
• cursor navigation
• setting for one-handed dialing (right-handed/left-handed)

This keyboard is so popular among Apple supporters that its developer managed to raise $4 million from investors for its development. Users can choose from six colors. And if there are not enough of them, you can buy six more. It is also possible to change the keyboard size.

You can download the Fleksy Keyboard from official Apple application catalog .

Gboard

The developer of this keyboard is Google. And the main feature of this application is the ability to use the search for this service directly from the keyboard. To do this, you need to click on the button located above the keys and enter the desired word or expression in the search bar that appears.

Of course, the Gboard keyboard is famous not only for its search capabilities. The developer has implemented in it the ability to change the design using user photos. As for the “standard” design, it is minimalist and looks similar to the standard iOS keyboard.

Like most of the keyboards mentioned in this review, Gboard offers one-finger continuous typing. This is possible thanks to the Glyde function. Unfortunately, this keyboard does not yet support the Russian language and the ability to install it is available only to US residents. Let's hope that support for the Russian language will appear soon and this alternative keyboard will become available to residents of other regions.

Touchpal Keyboard

The main advantage of this keyboard is its huge set of stickers and emojis. In addition to the standard ones, there are text emoticons and Emoji combinations from which you can make entire images. If you need it of course.

Otherwise, it's a standard keyboard with a slightly improved design. The ability to continuously enter the test is present. Russian language support too.

To enable an alternative keyboard after downloading it, you need to go to

“Settings” – “General” – “Keyboard” – “Keyboards” – “New Keyboards”

and select the installed keyboard. Then open its settings and allow full access. Do you use third-party keyboards? If so, which ones?

Video. Swype or Swift? Alternative iOS 8 keyboard

Why type text if you have swipe input? Sliding your finger across the keyboard is more of a cutesy activity than a real productivity benefit. Nevertheless, many people like this method of entering text. Android-users. Starting with this opportunity, every owner of a mobile device from Apple.

In contact with

Swipe and swipe

First, let's look at the technology itself. It was invented and brought to life by Cliff Kushler, who also created another cool thing - the legendary dictionary T9. To s wipe translated from English means “to carry without lifting, to slide.” And here Swipe- this is already a trademark. Under this name, the technology of “seamless” input on a touch screen has gained universal recognition. The idea is simple - the user moves his finger across the screen from one desired letter to another. The finger leaves the screen when you need to make a space between words. Using a linguistic model of the language and an error-correction algorithm, Swype guesses the word being typed and then suggests an option to the user.

Swype in iOS 8 - impressions

Externally, the Swype keyboard resembles a standard Apple keyboard. There is still the same QWERTY layout, island-type keys and three windows for “predicting” words. This is the basic design theme; if you don’t change it, you won’t notice any external difference from the default keyboard.

What makes this keyboard different from Apple's solution is swipe input. Just touch the first letter of your word with your finger, and then move your finger without lifting it to the next one, and so on, until you have typed the entire word. If you have no experience working with such keyboards (not only Swype has been on the market for a long time), it will be difficult at first; muscle memory will force you to act out of habit. But over time, the skill will come, and you, most likely, will not want to return to the traditional method of typing.

The Swype dictionary can be updated with new words. To do this, type a word and tap it in the window. A dialog like “Add [new word] to dictionary?” will appear. Click on the plus sign - you're done! Next time the system will not correct the word, but will display the variant from the dictionary. Neologisms are stored on your device.

Nice feature Swipe— the program does not need to be given full access to the system. Of course, the App Store only allows high-quality applications from well-known manufacturers, but “full access” is somehow strange. In the case of Swipe You just need to add the keyboard to the list of active ones.

There are two ways to get to the numbers. The first is traditional, by clicking on a special icon. The second one is more convenient, here the QWERTY keys correspond to the numbers 1 2 3 4 5 6. To enter a number, you need to hold down one of the letter keys. For example, when you press “W” for a long time, a two is displayed (and another W with a “lid”). The only inconvenience is that some keys are clearly mixed up, for example, the question mark “floated” all the way to the letter “M”. This will probably be fixed over time.

Another annoying point is that gesture control is not used to its full potential. For example, text cannot be deleted by swiping. This very convenient “trick” is on the new BlackBerry Passport smartphone, you can check it out in the video below:

For iPhone creators Swipe We have prepared five different themes, for the iPad - only two (dark or light). To select the appropriate one, hold down the Swype icon on your keyboard and select the gear from the menu that appears, then “Themes”.

Perhaps the key advantage of Swype is predictive input complete with auto-correction. Everything works great - the engine recognizes errors and corrects them almost perfectly.

Let us remind you that text on the keyboard is entered both by swiping and using traditional typing “like on a typewriter”. So, if you get tired of swipe or have difficulties, you can always type the text the old fashioned way. Well, with a little desire, you can easily become a real pro in the swipe set.

The Swype keyboard is available for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch running iOS 8. The application is paid, for the ability to type text in an unusual way you will have to pay a mere trifle - only 33 rubles. Unfortunately, the application does not yet support the Russian language.

Support for third-party keyboards was perhaps the most pleasant surprise for me. After all, no matter how good, convenient and easy to use the iOS keyboard has been, unchanged since the days of the first iPhone, it is morally outdated. The input method used is great for searching queries or writing short posts, but when you write long texts, you want to have access to more advanced technologies. Like Swype's gesture input or Fleksy's word prediction.

But the reality turned out to be not as rosy as thought. Firstly, support for third-party keyboards is not at all ideal in iOS 8; they crash every now and then, appear with delays and generally feel like alien elements. Secondly, at the time of release, most solutions (including Swype) did not support the Russian language, and therefore were not suitable for daily use. I, this keyboard was an exception in terms of localization, and returned to the archaic Apple Keyboard.

And the other day Swype was updated and, among other innovations, support for the Russian language was discovered. Hooray! I download and take the test!

The first impression of using Swype in iOS 8 is bleak - the keyboard lacks some of the gestures available to its Android counterpart. It is impossible to switch the layout language or call up the number keyboard in a split second; a long press does not open the “lower level” symbols. There are few settings. Okay, I appreciate what I have.

To enable the keyboard, you need to download the program from the App Store, then go to Settings → General → Keyboard → Keyboards → Add a new keyboard and select Swype from the list. Before leaving the menu, you need to go to the Swype Keyboard - Swype section and allow “full access”, otherwise switching languages ​​will not be available.

But then a surprise awaits the user - there are no program settings in the program itself, only the user manual and information about the current status (must be Activate). To customize the keyboard for yourself, you need to open any program with an input field, call Swype and use the function button to go to settings.

The keyboard has five themes: dark, light, Earth, Sand and Sun. I noticed that the inclusion of a colorful theme significantly reduces the convenience of typing, so I settled on the classic light one. Basic settings include auto-correction, auto-space, typing, and a prompt to add a new word. Also, through this menu, new language packs are downloaded and the personal dictionary is adjusted (you can delete words, but not add them). At the moment, Swype supports 21 languages, Russian is on the list.

In use, Swype performs well - it clearly recognizes literary speech and quickly learns your usual speech (it is advisable to enable automatic memorization of new words in the settings). The usual function keys plus a comma are available on the letter panel - a nice bonus. Numbers and symbols are hidden in the second and third panels, plus you can call up the number keypad through the quick menu.

You can judge the real speed of typing with Swype after a week or two of use - when the database of “your” words is complete enough so that you don’t have to switch from swiping to tapping and back again. But I didn’t notice any obvious loss in comparison with the Android version. It seems that on the iPhone 5s there is somehow not enough space for the Swype keyboard, although the native Apple one fits perfectly.

Demonstration of how Swype works:

Quite some time has passed since it became possible to change the standard keyboard in iOS to a third-party application. In today's episode, we'll look at what keyboards have appeared during this time and how well they work.

Swipe

I'm a big fan of the Swype keyboard on Android, using it on every smartphone I've tested, and for the most part I had no complaints about it. When Apple announced support for third-party keyboards, the first thing I thought was “finally you can use Swype!” For those who don't know: the main feature of Swype is entering text using strokes, you move your finger from one letter to another, and the keyboard itself understands what word you entered. This input method, in my opinion, is much more convenient and faster than traditional taps.

Swype on Android has many other advantages: support for various themes, saving a dictionary, detailed settings for appearance and behavior (for example, reducing the time you hold a button to call up additional characters). What of all this was transferred to iOS? Almost nothing. The keyboard does not have dictionary synchronization, additional symbols are not visible on the keyboard itself (they are available with a long press, but they are not visible on the buttons themselves), the prediction work leaves much to be desired. I don’t know what the developers of the iOS version were doing, but in the three months since the release of iOS 9, almost nothing has changed in the keyboard, except for the appearance of paid themes.

• App Store Link

Yandex.Keyboard

I once complained on Twitter that the standard iOS keyboard has very inconvenient access to emojis; they are a separate layout, so if emojis are turned on, then when you change the language you will periodically “stumble” on them. Readers recommended paying attention to Yandex.Keyboard, which has a separate layout for emoji.

Yandex itself positions its keyboard as a convenient solution with the ability to add any attachments, be it your location, a funny GIF or a photo from an iPhone. The keyboard also provides quick translation from one language to another. The company has a good official video demonstrating the keyboard capabilities described above.

As for more traditional functions, among them I would like to note the convenient switching of languages ​​by swiping left and right; you also quickly have access to a layout with numbers (this saves a lot of time!). The “123” button opens additional characters, and “…” makes it possible to quickly send emoji, pictures, your own drawing, location, or translate a piece of text into another language.

Among the disadvantages, I would like to highlight the lack of input using strokes and calling up additional symbols by long pressing. And, of course, I would like to see a period and a comma in the main layouts! But overall, the keyboard left a positive impression and is at least worth a try.

• App Store Link

TouchPal

I start to like Touchpal literally from the first launch. You immediately notice two rows of additional characters available for quick input. By the way, if you swipe vertically on a letter, the second symbol will immediately appear.

Of all the keyboards, TouchPal has the most accurate stroke input, and the app very rarely makes mistakes.

On the top panel there are buttons for quickly accessing settings and switching to the emoji layout. Among the settings, the “night mode” button deserves special attention; when pressed, the brightness of the keyboard block decreases so as not to strain the eyes so much.

In my opinion, TouchPal has the best keyboard of all those presented in today’s selection; it will suit both those who like to “tap” and those who prefer to enter with strokes. It has a good dictionary and predictive input system, quick access to settings and additional characters.

• App Store Link

SwiftKey

Another well-known Android keyboard, which in fact turns out to be one of the best in terms of its combination of functionality and stability. SwiftKey supports stroke input (and it recognizes words perfectly), has large dictionaries and a prediction system, access to additional characters is called by holding a period, while 0.1 seconds is enough to call other punctuation marks. Among the shortcomings, I would highlight only the absence of buttons with numbers that can be called by holding down the keys.

• App Store Link

Go Keyboard

I remember this keyboard very well from the days of Android three years ago, I even wrote about it once, the more interesting it was to see what Go Dev did for iOS.

With the release of iOS 8, users are no longer limited to the built-in keyboard and are free to install any third-party keyboards, of which there are a great many. Any developer can now create his own keyboard, and after approval from Apple censors, anyone can install it on their iPhone or iPad. The holiday has just begun, but we are already bombarded with an avalanche of progressive keyboards waiting in the wings. And this is just the beginning!

Swipe

Swype for Android has been available for about five years now and some OEMs have shipped their devices with the Swype keyboard by default. After announcing support for third-party keyboards at WWDC this year, it came as no surprise that the company confirmed the release of Swype for iOS. Instead of tapping each key to type, in Swype you glide across the keys without lifting your finger from the screen. An algorithm determines the characters you type and they appear in the text input field. Also, the application tries to predict the words you are about to type and displays them in a field above the keyboard. In addition, Swype has a custom dictionary where you can add various words, such as nicknames and some unique names.

PopKey

Do you need a GIF keyboard? Of course, you say, I can’t imagine how I lived without her before! The new product allows you to express your deepest feelings using various animations from popular films, TV series, Internet memes and, of course, cats. Here's a video showing what a chat that uses these animations might look like.

A suitable “GIF” can be found in the animation library directly from the keyboard. In addition to this, you can upload your own animation to the shared library. Access to your favorite and most recently used animations is conveniently organized. PopKey is not currently available in the App Store, but you can register now and the developers will notify you of its release. They will probably send you a “gif”. :)

Flexy

Fleksy was one of the first companies to announce the release of a keyboard for iOS 8 back in June. Since its existence on Android, the San Francisco-based developers have amassed millions of users in just a few years. Fleksy is now also available for all iOS devices.

Fleksy uses so-called “geometric intelligence” to combat typos and misses on the right keys. It predicts the words you are going to type based on your patterns. This should help users type faster and, in fact, it helps - the recently set world record for high-speed typing on smartphones was achieved on Fleksy.

Minuum

If you're going to install a customized keyboard, you can make it a very customized one - that's exactly what Minuum is. The trick of this keyboard is that it shrinks to a very small size, leaving free the space that was occupied by a standard keyboard and as a result, many more messages fit on the screen.

As you type, the app tries to predict the words you type and will automatically correct them if there are any mistakes or typos. Now chats in any application will become much more spacious. If you liked Minuum, hurry up, there is a discount during the initial release, later the price will be increased to $3.99.

SwiftKey

Like Swype, SwiftKey allows you to type text by swiping across the screen without lifting your finger, instead of aiming at the keys. It is also trainable and, having learned your habits, begins to predict the words you are about to type.

SwiftKey also differs from other keyboards in that you can connect your Evernote, Gmail, Facebook, Twitter, and iOS Contacts accounts so that it “remembers” all the unusual names, titles, and other words you use frequently. Additionally, if you've used SwiftKey on Android, you can sync your account and all your settings.

TextExpander

TextExpander works like a regular QWERTY keyboard, supporting auto-correction for lowercase letters and auto-correction for errors. But its key function is the conversion of text abbreviations-snippets into ready-made words and phrases that can be customized in the application. With its help you can insert cool emoticons. Also, with TextExpander you will save your time if you often have to print repeated words and phrases.

Kaomoji

Kaomoji is probably the craziest keyboard out there. She uses kaomoji, small, cute ASCll characters invented in Japan that, like Emoji, consist of plain text and cover a wide range of emotions and situations.

The Kaomoji keyboard displays entire pages of these characters on the screen and you can type them with a simple tap. You can add your favorite kaomoji to your favorites, which will be synced via iCloud across all your devices. You can even create your own monster by adding a face, arms, legs, weapons, etc.

Gifmoji

As the name suggests, Gifmoji is a keyboard for those who love GIFs and emojis. Its interface is divided into three sections. The first contains animated emoticons - the same as emoji, only animated. The next one contains popular kaomoji symbols, and the last one contains gif animations. The GIF section contains many popular Internet memes suitable for different situations. Gifmoji doesn't support inserting GIF animations directly, so you will need to copy it first and then paste it into the input field.

The developer of Gifmoji promises to soon expand the database of available animations, as well as add the ability to upload your own animations. In general, gif keyboards are a great idea and, apparently, there will be considerable competition among them in the future.

Following the official release of the final version of iOS 8.0, several third-party keyboards appeared in the App Store, which, as you know, can now be installed on iPhone and iPad with this firmware.

As previously reported, in the new, final version of which was released to all users this Wednesday, Apple has added a number of changes and improvements. Perhaps one of the expected improvements was support for third-party keyboards, which owners of devices with iOS 8 can now use to replace the standard keyboard.

Just a few hours after the release of the final version of iOS 8, several third-party keyboards from various developers appeared in the Apple app store, which can become a good alternative to the keyboard in iOS that has already become familiar to us. Below is a quick overview of the best (in our opinion) third-party keyboards available for download on the App Store. Instructions for installing third-party keyboards can be found at.

Standard keyboard

The standard iOS 8 keyboard has a QuickType feature that allows you to quickly type messages. At the same time, there is an additional row above the keyboard with several frequently used words or phrases that you can insert into a message, thereby significantly reducing your typing time.

As Apple notes, QuickType is a learning system that will, over time, accurately predict the text you enter. QuickType currently supports English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Japanese Kanji and Thai.

Minuum

This keyboard has long become one of the most popular keyboards for owners of mobile devices running the Android operating system, and now it is finally available on iOS. Unlike other third-party keyboards, Minuum takes into account that fingers come in different sizes, so its developers have reduced the height of the QWERTY keyboard to save space.

To avoid mistakes when typing on such an unusual keyboard, it is proposed to use built-in dictionaries and predictive recognition methods. In addition, Minuum supports various gestures. At the moment, Minuum only supports English, but in the near future the developers promise to add support for some more languages.

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Flexy

Fleksy is perhaps the most popular keyboard among owners of mobile devices running the Android operating system. Fleksy provides many new input features and delivers amazing typing speeds, earning it the title of the world's fastest keyboard. Fleksy uses predictive typing so you can enter text without even looking at the keyboard. All that is required of you is at least a similar arrangement of letters, and also that the number of letters in the word you typed and the required word match.

To save space, you can resize your keyboard, easily add punctuation, spaces, and delete words with a simple swipe, personalize your typing with colorful themes with over 800 emoji and smileys, and more. Fleksy supports 40 languages, including English, French, Spanish, Russian, Arabic, Italian, Portuguese, Turkish, Hebrew, Dutch and more!

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SwiftKey

SwiftKey is another keyboard that was previously only available on Android. This keyboard can adapt to your writing style and guess the word you are typing using the built-in dictionary, thereby significantly reducing your typing time. SwiftKey also includes gesture input - you can place your finger over the display and move it over the characters you want to form words.

According to the developers, the SwiftKey keyboard makes typing faster and easier, and also provides more effective autocorrect and next-word prediction. Currently, SwiftKey supports English, Spanish, Italian, German, Portuguese and French, but with over 60 languages ​​available on Android, it's likely that the list will soon expand to iOS.

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Swipe

The developer of the Swype keyboard is the famous company Nuance. As with SwiftKey, the Swype keyboard allows you to type text, as well as enter symbols and punctuation marks, not only by pressing the keys, but also using gestures, when the user moves his finger from the first letter of a word to all subsequent ones. The Swype keyboard has a built-in dictionary with the ability to add new words to it, so it can predict what word you are typing.

Of course, Nuance has not yet provided SwiftKey for iOS with all the capabilities available to users of Android devices, but the company promises to expand more functionality in the near future. The number of supported languages ​​will also likely increase, because SwiftKey currently only supports text input in English, French, Italian, German, and Spanish.

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Color Keyboards

If you're stuck with the default iOS keyboard color scheme, you can color it in with Color Keyboards. This app allows you to change the keyboard color of your iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch to any of over 20 different colors available. Color Keyboards is very easy to install, but if you don't figure out how to do it, there are step-by-step installation instructions inside the application.

The new eighth version of the Apple operating system has finally given Apple users a free hand, because now they can even change the keyboard on their iPhone. Apple fans didn’t have to wait long for the AppStore to be filled with themed applications – there are already several keyboards that can handle text input better than the standard ones.

Chinese developer CooTek introduced the Touch Pal app immediately after the release of iOS 8 in 2014. Russian users initially ignored the Touch Pal keyboard, because it did not support the Russian language for quite a long time. Since the appearance of the Cyrillic alphabet, there has been no end to enthusiastic comments on thematic forums.

• Design. The keyboard for the iPhone Touch Pal looks very similar to the “native” one, so the user does not feel as if he has switched from the iPhone to another gadget. At the same time, the Touch Pal functionality is much richer.
• Typing using waves and swipes.Touch Pal Curve acts as an analogue of Swype technology and allows you to write words without lifting your finger from the screen. There is also a Wave mode, which is responsible for predictive text input: the keyboard is able to predict not only the ending of the word that the user enters, but also the next word.
• Price. Touch Pal is a completely free product, unlike other virtual keyboards (although their price is usually low).

The Touch Pal has a curious flaw: the user cannot switch to punctuation and numbers. To put any punctuation mark, you have to press the key for a long time - this slows down the process of writing a message.

Minuum

At the moment of entering text, the “useful” screen area is reduced by almost half - this is exactly what the developers of the Minuum application noticed. The problem was solved in a rather original way: the keyboard was simply “flattened” vertically. Minuum is a strip with a minimum number of buttons, each of which contains 3 letters (for example, the first button is Q, A and Z). This keyboard for iOS takes up no more than a quarter of the screen.

An Apple user may have doubts: is it possible to type correctly and quickly with this arrangement of letters? It turned out that the lack of information about the vertical arrangement of letters is easily compensated for by dictionaries and recognition algorithms, the presence of which any gadget can now boast of. If you need precise data input (for example, a URL), it is very easy to change the keys to a standard appearance by swiping your finger from bottom to top. As for the printing speed, it, on the contrary, increases, and quite significantly.

However, Minuum has a couple of disadvantages:

• For users with thick fingers, installing such a keyboard is contraindicated.
• Minuum is quite expensive: you can download the keyboard for 299 rubles.

Flexy

Fleksy is the fastest keyboard in the world, and this is not a subjective assessment, but an experimentally proven fact. A 16-year-old Brazilian boy broke the record by typing a complex 25-word sentence in just 18 seconds. He used Fleksy, which was included in the Guinness Book of Records! In addition, the Fleksy keyboard is interesting because over 4 million dollars of investment were attracted to its development.

The main advantage of Fleksy is that it is not at all necessary to hit the keys when typing - even if in a word of four letters all four are typed incorrectly, the user will get the desired result. It is only important that the number of letters in the word matches and misses on the keys are not very serious.

Fleksy has other advantages:

• More than 40 languages ​​supported(including Russian).
• Application setup is flexible: You can make your iPhone keyboard more beautiful by changing its color, or adjust the size of the keys to increase usable screen real estate.
• Additional extensions are installed, designed to make communication fun. You can express yourself using gifs, emoticons, emoji (of which there are more than 8 hundred).

The only negative is the difficulty of entering punctuation marks. In order to quickly place signs, you will have to set up gesture controls.

How to change the keyboard on an iPhone?

An iPhone or iPad user has the opportunity to download several keyboards from the AppStore at once and change them at least daily. To activate the downloaded keyboard, you need to follow the path “ Settings» - « Basic» - « Keyboard» - « Keyboards» - « New keyboards" A list will appear - the user should check the box next to the virtual keyboard that he wants to use. In the settings of the application itself, you need to activate the toggle switch “ Allow full access».

Conclusion

Choosing a virtual keyboard is an extremely subjective matter, so recommendations on which one is better will be unnecessary. Try as many free options as possible and settle on the one that seems most convenient. Paid keyboards (like Minuum) should be used only in extreme cases - for example, if you have an iPhone 4 in your hands, where the keys cover a good half of the screen.

Eight years ago, Steve Jobs announced Apple's first smartphone. One of the main features of the iPhone was the ability to navigate through menus and conveniently enter text using your fingers. No styluses, no additional accessories to interact with the device screen. The iOS keyboard remained one of the most convenient for a long time, but user demands grew and millions of iPhone owners wanted something new. The release of iOS 8 freed the hands of both developers and users - now every owner of an iPhone, iPod or iPad could install a third-party keyboard. Today we will look at some of the most popular and convenient keyboards for iOS in the App Store with Cyrillic support.

To enable the keyboard after downloading, you will need to go to Settings – General – Keyboard – Keyboards – New Keyboards and select the installed keyboard.

Then open its settings and Allow full access.

The selection will include only keyboards, supporting Russian language. Different input algorithms, different interfaces and different prices.

TouchPal

Genre: Utilities, keyboard
Publisher: CoolTek
Version: 1.3
iPhone + iPad

Pros: fast input, easy access to punctuation marks and emoticons, many themes and fonts, convenient switching of layouts
Minuses: small number of languages

Keyboard TouchPal was presented almost immediately after the official presentation of iOS 8 in September 2014. For a long time, the developers delayed releasing the Russian language, but losing an audience is not in the interests of CooTek and the Chinese company is releasing another update that supports the Cyrillic alphabet.

The main feature of TouchPal is the ability to type using waves and swipes. To enter words, there is no need to separately tap on the letters: just touch the first letter, and then, without lifting your finger, move across the keyboard, selecting the next ones. TouchPal perfectly corrects any errors in the entered text.

To add a new word to the dictionary, just enter it by letter and then tap on the predictive line. To quickly enter punctuation marks, just hold your finger on the letter with the image of a specific sign.

Genre: Utilities, keyboard
Publisher
Version: 5.0.1
iPhone + iPad

Pros: smart input, add-ons, many themes, typing speed
Minuses: Difficulty entering punctuation marks

The Russian language appeared in the keyboard almost immediately after the official announcement. Fleksy allows you to enter words by letter and supports several gestures for quickly inserting a space or punctuation marks.

The Fleksy keyboard recognizes words clearly even if you miss your finger a few times. To select the desired option, just swipe up or down.

In addition, Fleksy allows you to install several additional extensions, including:

– animated GIF memes;
– separate digital line;
– cursor navigation;
– setting for one-handed typing (right-handed/left-handed);

The keyboard also provides a change of themes, as well as a choice of keyboard size: large, medium and small.

Swipe

Genre: Utilities, keyboard
Publisher: Nuance Communications
Version: 1.2
iPhone + iPad: 62 RUR [Download from App Store]

Pros: speed, own dictionary, numeric keypad
Minuses: slow input of punctuation marks, lack of synchronization of dictionaries between iOS devices

Keyboard developers Swipe They delayed it a bit with the release of the Russian language, and then added more than 20 layouts from all over the world at once. Input is carried out using swipes (similarly TouchPal).

The word recognition algorithm is considered one of the best among the keyboards presented in the App Store. The dictionary is also clearly implemented, allowing you to independently add words that the application does not understand.

Switching languages ​​is done by holding your finger on the space bar. Swype also provides a separate numeric keypad, which can be accessed through the logo.

Only 5 themes are available to the user, and the rest of the developers offer to purchase for an additional fee.

Minuum

Genre: Utilities, keyboard
Publisher: Whirlscape
Version: 1.3
iPhone + iPad: 62 RUR [Download from App Store]

Pros: takes up minimal space on the screen, good auto-correction
Minuses: owners of thick fingers pass by

Even the large screen of the iPhone 6 Plus is not enough, and when entering text, the “useful” screen size is almost halved. It is for this purpose that the keyboard was developed Minuum.

At first glance, Minuum is no different from a number of third-party keyboards, but once you swipe your finger from top to bottom, Minuum appears as a minimalist keyboard that takes up just over a quarter of the iPhone's screen. To switch languages, hold the globe icon.

13 languages, 15 colorful themes, quick access to emoticons and instant collapse - all this is a keyboard Minuum. As a New Year's gift, the developers have released a separate Christmas Keyboard with several themes, distributed absolutely free [Download Christmas Keyboard].

MyScript Stack

Genre: Utilities, keyboard
Publisher: MyScript
Version: 1.2.0
iPhone + iPad: Free [Download from App Store]

Pros: good recognition algorithm, support for a number of languages
Minuses: slow typing speed, register confusion

The idea of ​​handwriting input on communicators has been known since the advent of the archaic iPad prototype Newton. Keyboard MyScript Stack allows you to enter letter by letter using your finger.

With release last year iOS 7 Apple made a real revolution even for themselves, the changes in the “operating system” were so enormous. Skeuomorphism was anathematized, and was replaced by ease of movement and futuristic interface.

The exit was not without its flaws. Frequent crashes and freezes, the unexpected lack of smoothness usual for iOS 6 led users to indescribable anger. However, in March Apple, presenting an update 7.1 , somewhat smoothed the situation. However, not everyone knows that in addition to its flat appearance, the “seven” also brought many useful functions into our lives, which we will certainly tell you about. Today we will talk about the so-called swipe(Swipe - moving your finger across the screen in one direction, also known as swiping).

If you are a secret admirer of the system MeeGo or Jolla, I can please you that Apple also realized that the idea of ​​“swiping” across the screen has a right to life. Yes, in the updated browser Safari this one has been available for a long time "feature".

Are you looking through, say, the pages of your favorite magazine? Applemix, saw this most useful article from Ivan (by the way, all his materials are required reading: you will learn a lot of interesting things), went in and read it, and then with a simple movement with which you usually brush off specks of dust, run your finger from one edge to the other and the page turns, turns page – attention – back to previous! You can also swipe from right to left to move forward, respectively. Isn't it brilliant? Of course, I’m exaggerating, but you will especially feel the convenience of these gestures on the iPhone. After all, reaching to the lower left corner in order to press the “back” and “forward” buttons is extremely tiring and inconvenient.

Spoilers: Moreover, it will soon be released with a larger screen, and there this function will be extremely popular.

Please note that swipes work not only in the Safari application, but are also available in the App Store, iTunes and Settings.

Those who knew, well done, and for some, perhaps, the material will be akin to revelation. In this simple way we take care of the hands of our readers.