Your personal text messages, banking info, social media passwords, and search history all have one phone app in common: the keyboard. When so much private data interfaces with a single app, privacy becomes a real concern.
If you already have a favorite keyboard that stays out of your way and gets the job done, the hassle of getting used to a new keyboard might seem pointless. But I might be able to convince you to change your keyboard.
A couple of months back, I replaced my Gboard with Microsoft Swiftkey. And it grew on me, so I stuck with it. At least until recently, when I stumbled upon a toggle in its settings menu. A switch is enabled by default that reads “Share data for ads personalization.” It allows Microsoft to harvest device and keyboard usage data.
It always runs in incognito mode, so you never have to worry about your keyboard tracking what you’re typing. It also has a few nifty little features like it changes its color to match the theme of the app you’re in. It even has a battery-saving mode.
Gesture typing is still in beta, though. So, swipe gestures to type are janky and buggy. The app’s settings are also all over the place. But the keyboard itself is feature-rich.
Openboard is yet another open-source keyboard. But this one is designed to replace Gboard. It has the familiar layout of Gboard but without any Google dependencies. It’s comfortable to use and stays out of your way. It’s not barebones but not too feature-rich. It’s a solid keyboard that you can easily drive daily. I've been using it for a month now.
Other than Gboard’s swipe feature, Openboard has everything. It supports autocorrect, personalized suggestions, incognito mode, a personal dictionary, extensive language support, a clipboard, and emojis.
Openboard lacks theming options though. It only has two themes that are stuck in 2015. It’s not available on Google Play Store. But you can grab it from F-droid or the official GitHub repo.
True to its name, the Simple Keyboard is just a keyboard with no bloat. It’s super lightweight (less than 1 MB) and only requires permission to control the vibration motor. Simple Keyboard is also open source, so you can personally examine its code or compile it from the source.
Surprisingly, it has more themes than Openboard but very minimal features. Autocorrect is enabled by default. There is no swipe feature, but it does have an emoji keyboard. When I tested it, it just felt lightweight. It can be a great option for lower-end phones and tablets.
Once again, we have an open-source keyboard that works offline. But on top of being privacy-friendly, Florisboard is the most modern and the most thoughtfully designed keyboard on this list.
It’s currently in beta but stable enough for daily use. The gestures and gliding work like a charm. It’s still missing a few features like spell check and predictive suggestions, but the developer is actively working on the project. It has some excellent theming and customization options. The clipboard integrates nicely, as does the emoji board.
Other than the features that are missing, the rest of the app is polished. If you want a keyboard that feels fresh and modern while delivering a privacy-friendly experience, you cannot go wrong with Florisboard.
Florisboard isn’t available on the Google Play Store. But you can grab it from F-Droid to get automatic updates. Alternatively, you can sideload it using the APK available in the GitHub repo.
These feature-rich and privacy-friendly keyboards make it easy to ditch the bloated and invasive keyboards that want to track every keystroke.
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