Google released an iOS-only app today called Gboard, a keyboard replacement that does one thing no other keyboard currently does – put the power of Google Search inside of every single app. To say that we are a bit jealous of iOS users right now would probably be an understatement, because this idea of having Google inside of a keyboard is brilliant. Sure, the app or feature will more than likely come to Android at some point, but we don’t know when. For now, this is another case of iOS users having all the fun.
Since I still happen to have an iPhone 6 lying around these parts, I decided to take Gboard for a spin and share with you the beauty of such a feature. Not to put an additional downer on your day, but yeah, it’s pretty awesome.
In the video below, you’ll see how easily you can share restaurant info, sports scores, funny new YouTube videos, definitions of words, and of course, all the fire emoji one can handle.
Check it out.
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It’s cool, but as with all other iOS third party keyboards, there’s no voice-input. Have to switch back to the terrible stock keyboard for that. Would it kill Apple to add swipe input?
Google is trying real hard to stop people from buying Android phones.
Using a third party keyboard on iOS is still a terrible experience in my opinion
Isn’t this the same concept as Google Now On-Tap, just in the keyboard instead?
F**k you Google.
Is this not basically the same function as Now on Tap?
I have both iOS and android and i have to say i love both Google and Apple dearly. Today when the keyboard was released i took off all other Keyboard from my iPhone 6s plus , i don’t need any other keyboard . Hope it comes to Android soon because as a longtime android user i know you guys take your google stuff seriously. I know i will rocking on my Nexus 6P soon.
Downloaded for my iPhone. It’s pretty awesome
I can’t bring myself to look up/remember what Microsoft’s “new” Hub Keyboard does, so…how do they compare?
Better, Microsofts other keyboard WordFlow is probably the best one handed keyboard on the iPhone though
This is how Now on Tap should work
Just sold my ip6s+ after trying for few days, it’s a torture to navigate that dumb iOS, what a relief to come back to my beloved N6
Yea I feel the same way… The UI isn’t fun
It isn’t fun. At all.
And having no back key is ridiculous.The thumb stretch to the upper left corner to go back – about as far away from the home key as possible – is also nuts.
As long as the app implements it (most do), you just slide from the left to go back. There is no need for the back button when you have that. Very little do I ever find I miss it, only at first when I switched.
That doesn’t work in all apps, that makes it even more obnoxious.
No joke, I literally said that above. There are so few apps that do not utilize it as it has been a feature in iOS for years. In fact I cannot think of a single app I use which does not utilize that feature. Perhaps use better apps .. plenty of them.
I recently switched to iOS for work reasons and while there are things I love ( Touch ID omg) it is a boring UI
Hoping Android N Beta 3 has this 😀
Can everyone relax? It will come to Android, Google has clearly been pushing their “search” apps on iOS first because they don’t have a strong hold on them. Android is completely integrated with Google, so they don’t see a need to push this on to Android as bad. They want to have more of a search presence on iOS, especially since iOS has phased them out for Bing.
Or it’s because with Apple they only have to make it compatible with a couple devices while the android version has to work with 10,000 skins for every phone OEM on the planet. I imagine the development and testing takes 10 times as long on Android. I’ve always heard that’s why android takes longer from most every multi-platform app developer.
Yep. It’s been one of the main reasons why Apple still has an edge over Android in terms of developer support. It’s an absolute pain to develop a large scale app for Android, and it’s not just the skins or platform versions. Depending on the type of app, you have to account for different types of internals (SoC, RAM, NAND), different types of display resolutions, and other things that differ from device to device (e.g. encryption). It’s one of the reasons Google is so desperate to try to unify the Android ecosystem, because failure to do so could lead to disastrous results in terms of developer support.
Looks like Google is abandoning Android. Oh no, the sky is falling now…
This feature looks even more awesome after seeing it in action. Come on Google, give Android this feature.
I really hope they bring it to Android as it is awesome on iOS. After only using it a few times it is my keyboard of choice now. Having search features right there in the app you’re already in is great. This is a complete thumbs up.
Meh… let me take the work iPhone 6 out of the underwear drawer and check this out when I get home
Google’s a busta for that.
from Google, and exclusive to iOS? really google? -_-
Couldn’t have said it better myself. “Everyone, see how easy our platform is to program for? Of course we put up apps for our platform first. Well, except, not this one.”
They dont have to worry about fragmentation with iOS, and obviously iOS is still king when it comes to getting your name out for a new product. Just the facts. Sucks but that’s what it is. Google knows what they’re doing.
Please they could easily solve this with their APIs. I’m sure they are going this route with iPhone first for search because iOS is and has been phasing out Google search. By pushing this on iOS first it then opens up the opportunity to bring back users to Google search. Let’s face it, Android already is integrated with Google search, so there is no need to force the issue there. Might as well focus on iOS first then bring it over to Android.
Except google owns waze and apple gets the newer version 6 months earlier than android there too. The list goes on and on with nearly every major app on the market. Your theory sounds great and it may play a role but that would only explain this one app this one time.
That would be true except this is not the first (or tenth) time they’ve done this. Even while Search was the primary on iOS, they were releasing apps for iOS first.
I know it sucks, but it’s the truth. All the other conspiracy theories don’t hold weight.
They’ve done this plenty of times before. Remember when they did a complete overhaul of Google Maps from the old look to a newer (and still current) look? Yeah, that started on iOS, and it took months before Android users got the updated look. The same could be said for when Google Voice Search went from the old, pre-Jelly Bean style, to the newer, more polished style. And let’s not forget about Hangouts, which constantly receives major updates on iOS before they come to Android.
I don’t like the practice any more than you do, but it’s not like they haven’t been down this road before.
Phasing Google out? Obviously, you haven’t heard of the billion dollars that Apple paid Google for search on iOS.
That makes no sense. Google is that one that wants to be the default search engine for Safari on both iOS and OS X. It’s not Apple that pays Google but the other way around for the tune of a billion dollars:
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-01-22/google-paid-apple-1-billion-to-keep-search-bar-on-iphone
Google really needs to get their name out. The biggest company in the world needs to get their name out. Good try buddy.
Easy, fanboy. I’d love to hear your theory on why Google continues to release apps/app updates to iOS first.
Installed this morning. It’s lovely!
At first I was thinking “just another keyboard” but the little video Google put together for it made me see the light. Also, I had no clue you could remove the stock keyboard (for 99% of things) in settings. GBoard is my new favorite.
I’m really liking it also on my 6s +.