I used to hate touchscreen keyboards, but then I learned about swipe-to-text. Now I can swipe words on a digital keyboard faster than I can type them on a physical keyboard. I can’t go back to pressing individual keys now unless it’s on a desktop computer keyboard.
I’ve been trying to degoogle and this exact reason had become an obstacle.
No other keyboard I’ve tried is as accurate at swipe typing as gboard. And I’ve been swiping since the feature was new, so now I’m awfully slow at key typing.
Have a look at Heliboard. It’s open source. To get swipe you have to import a component that is extracted from GBoard that doesn’t come with the app, but it can be acquired from… places.
I mentioned in another comment that I’m using Gboard, which is Google’s POS keyboard. It’s not great (and I’m looking for better replacements currently), but it does learn words if you swipe them 3 or more times in a short time.
I have a unique first and last name that never pop up in dictionary words or common name lists, and Gboard swipes them for me now, because I’ve used them enough times in typing and fixed their attempt at autocorrecting it. Or if it mis-reads my swiped name, it’s usually one of the suggested corrections across the top of the keyboard.
I really don’t like Gboard, but it’s been the best I’ve found lately, so I always install it on new phones and tablets as soon as I get them. I’m getting suggestions in another comment thread here for viable FOSS replacements, so I’ll need to test those out.
Pretty sure Gboard purposely disables the superior replacements/suggestions if you do not agree with sharing data aka your keystrokes. Speaks a lot about it.
I’ve been using Gboard, Google’s keyboard. I don’t like it and am currently trying to de-Google my life, but I haven’t found a better swipe-to-text keyboard yet.
You’d think it would be easy to replace Gboard. Ever since Google started inserting AI into everything, half my words don’t swipe correctly, or they’ll give corrective suggestions on the top bar that are way off the mark. It was way better about 5 years ago. But it seems most keyboards are also using AI to predict swiping, so I can’t find any that work better at the moment.
Swiping with Heliboard is very frustrating. In my native language, I have to rewrite 50% of the words. I’ve never managed to make it write “c’est” for example.
I found that I was able to purposefully train my heliboard. type the word you want it to learn, and try to swipe it right afterwards. Keep tapping the word you want in the suggested words at the top while you do this. Do that a few times and it should learn the word. I made mine type c’est in like 2 minutes, and my heliboard is configured to english and german
A good FOSS one is FUTO, which works better than Gboard I think for swipe texting. You can also do it with Heliboard (truly FOSS) if you import a library for it, which is also what I use. Let me know if you need help!
Yes, I’m aware of their weird licensing but didn’t want to go down a rabbit hole on what they claim vs what the consensus is. I did try to squeeze in that heliboard was “truly FOSS” to help specify in a minor manner what solution is best.
I can’t figure swip texting lol. The perk of physical keys is I don’t have to even look at the phone to type. I can turn text-speech on use the bumps on the keyboard
ThumbKey made the difference for me. Completely new way to define touchscreen keyboards, but after some months now, I can type blindly on a touchscreen 👍. Caveat: in the beginning typing will be very, very slow.
Exectly my thoughts recently! My smartphone is starting to show some problems with its screen and it’s a Xiaomi device which makes it very hard/unpleasant to get root access to reinstall the OS (you have to download a windows app and use it to share your data and reasons for voiding your contract by asking to get root access) so I thought maybe there are non-touchscreen smartphones and when I tried looking for one I only got dumb phone suggestions and I realized that such a phone would have to have a specific version of Android that is not designed around touchscreen technology. I’m not sure what I want, but the options seem to be polar extremes without a middle ground option, something between a smartphone and a dumbphone that will be helpful in detoxifying from doom scrolling and yet still usable for productive activities.
I really hope that in the near future we’ll see some change in the direction towards smartphones that are not made only for watching videos, playing games, but to some combinations of useful ideas from both dumb and smartphones, like having a decent screen to be able to use maps and with also a “mechanical” keyboard or smth. But then again physical keys will have problems like if they would be made from cheap plastic, there always will be downsides…
Yes BB seems to be the closest option but in order to unlock it’s bootloader you also need to authorize on some manufacturer’s site which is (to my understanding) a concern in the “consumer’s right to repair” way - if I can’t upgrade a system after its support ends the phone becomes e-waste, and giving your phone number, name, email address to the Chinese government is at least questionable from privacy standpoint. I could be exaggerating though
I wish physical keyboards would come back. I suck at touchscreen ones
I used to hate touchscreen keyboards, but then I learned about swipe-to-text. Now I can swipe words on a digital keyboard faster than I can type them on a physical keyboard. I can’t go back to pressing individual keys now unless it’s on a desktop computer keyboard.
I switch between three languages. Swiping is ass in my case.
Same here, all nice and good when it’s English, but then switch to Hungarian or Slovak and shit breaks fast
Only if you suck at typing I guess. I make use of swiping keyboards as well for the past… 12+ years I think.
I’ve been trying to degoogle and this exact reason had become an obstacle. No other keyboard I’ve tried is as accurate at swipe typing as gboard. And I’ve been swiping since the feature was new, so now I’m awfully slow at key typing.
Have a look at Heliboard. It’s open source. To get swipe you have to import a component that is extracted from GBoard that doesn’t come with the app, but it can be acquired from… places.
I use swipe too, but it often gives me the wrong words, and I have to manually type what I want. Also, it only works for dictionary words.
I mentioned in another comment that I’m using Gboard, which is Google’s POS keyboard. It’s not great (and I’m looking for better replacements currently), but it does learn words if you swipe them 3 or more times in a short time.
I have a unique first and last name that never pop up in dictionary words or common name lists, and Gboard swipes them for me now, because I’ve used them enough times in typing and fixed their attempt at autocorrecting it. Or if it mis-reads my swiped name, it’s usually one of the suggested corrections across the top of the keyboard.
I really don’t like Gboard, but it’s been the best I’ve found lately, so I always install it on new phones and tablets as soon as I get them. I’m getting suggestions in another comment thread here for viable FOSS replacements, so I’ll need to test those out.
SwiftKey?
Microsoft
Pretty sure Gboard purposely disables the superior replacements/suggestions if you do not agree with sharing data aka your keystrokes. Speaks a lot about it.
And even then i always get frustrated if the full word doesn’t pop up after I’ve typed a few letters.
Started using Swype in 2011 or so. Been using swiping input ever since
Still annoyed that it was discontinued. Its usability, keyboard layout and spelling detection was so much better than what the android keyboard offers
RIP Swype
Swype Gang for life. I remember being so stoked to get in the beta.
Smartphones used to be cool.
I’ve been using Gboard, Google’s keyboard. I don’t like it and am currently trying to de-Google my life, but I haven’t found a better swipe-to-text keyboard yet.
You’d think it would be easy to replace Gboard. Ever since Google started inserting AI into everything, half my words don’t swipe correctly, or they’ll give corrective suggestions on the top bar that are way off the mark. It was way better about 5 years ago. But it seems most keyboards are also using AI to predict swiping, so I can’t find any that work better at the moment.
Check out heliboard. Open source, private, and is pottery ready to setup with glide typing using gboard’s module
Swiping with Heliboard is very frustrating. In my native language, I have to rewrite 50% of the words. I’ve never managed to make it write “c’est” for example.
I found that I was able to purposefully train my heliboard. type the word you want it to learn, and try to swipe it right afterwards. Keep tapping the word you want in the suggested words at the top while you do this. Do that a few times and it should learn the word. I made mine type c’est in like 2 minutes, and my heliboard is configured to english and german
Wow, it seems to work, thanks !
A good FOSS one is FUTO, which works better than Gboard I think for swipe texting. You can also do it with Heliboard (truly FOSS) if you import a library for it, which is also what I use. Let me know if you need help!
It’s not FOSS https://isitreallyfoss.com/projects/futo-keyboard/ they themselves call it “source first”
Thanks! I made a reply addressing that error as well. Appreciate the source as well.
I was gonna say, I love Futo keyboard, and use it quite happily, but it’s worth remembering that it’s source available rather than open source
Still a great project though! I’m typing on it right now :)
Yes, I’m aware of their weird licensing but didn’t want to go down a rabbit hole on what they claim vs what the consensus is. I did try to squeeze in that heliboard was “truly FOSS” to help specify in a minor manner what solution is best.
I’m happy you’re here keeping me honest!
That’s totally valid!
Hope you have a lovely day 😊
I can’t figure swip texting lol. The perk of physical keys is I don’t have to even look at the phone to type. I can turn text-speech on use the bumps on the keyboard
It’s easy.
So if you wanted to write the word sandwich.
You put your finger over s and then drag to a, n, d, w, I, c, h. You can do it quite fast and don’t have to be precise.
I swipe type without looking at the keys.
ThumbKey made the difference for me. Completely new way to define touchscreen keyboards, but after some months now, I can type blindly on a touchscreen 👍. Caveat: in the beginning typing will be very, very slow.
Yess I love thumb-key! Open source, customizable minimal UI, and multiple layouts for many languages.
Exectly my thoughts recently! My smartphone is starting to show some problems with its screen and it’s a Xiaomi device which makes it very hard/unpleasant to get root access to reinstall the OS (you have to download a windows app and use it to share your data and reasons for voiding your contract by asking to get root access) so I thought maybe there are non-touchscreen smartphones and when I tried looking for one I only got dumb phone suggestions and I realized that such a phone would have to have a specific version of Android that is not designed around touchscreen technology. I’m not sure what I want, but the options seem to be polar extremes without a middle ground option, something between a smartphone and a dumbphone that will be helpful in detoxifying from doom scrolling and yet still usable for productive activities.
I really hope that in the near future we’ll see some change in the direction towards smartphones that are not made only for watching videos, playing games, but to some combinations of useful ideas from both dumb and smartphones, like having a decent screen to be able to use maps and with also a “mechanical” keyboard or smth. But then again physical keys will have problems like if they would be made from cheap plastic, there always will be downsides…
So you want a modern Blackberry? With less proprietary requirements attached?
Yes BB seems to be the closest option but in order to unlock it’s bootloader you also need to authorize on some manufacturer’s site which is (to my understanding) a concern in the “consumer’s right to repair” way - if I can’t upgrade a system after its support ends the phone becomes e-waste, and giving your phone number, name, email address to the Chinese government is at least questionable from privacy standpoint. I could be exaggerating though
I e mainly switched to dictation, but I wish there was an elegant solution to add a physical keyboard