While our iOS friends will still have to wait until iOS 8 arrives to switch out from the stock keyboard for a more preferable third-party solution, Android users have long since enjoyed the ability to use them.
As the years have passed, the selection has got bigger and the quality of the apps available has continued to improve.
SwiftKey
SwiftKey went free to download on Android, but it's been a favorite for a long old time now. The prediction engine behind it has always been a draw, with it further enhanced by being able to learn how you write from your email and social media.
The new look SwiftKey boasts a multitude of visually appealing themes to choose from, a dedicated number row and SwiftKey Flow, the ability to write out text by dragging your finger across the screen. All while being fast and accurate. And now it's free there's never been a better time to try it out.
- Free - Download Now
Swype
Swype can largely be credited with introducing us to the idea of typing while dragging our finger across the screen. Because that's the signature feature of this keyboard. It's perfectly possible to use it in a regular fashion by tapping away, but it's not quite the same.
Swype has been pre-installed on its fair share of smartphones over time – including most recently the Huawei Ascend P7 – and was in beta for quite some time. Nowadays it's a simple case of downloading from the Google Play Store and Swyping away. Try it free for 30 days
- Free - Download Now
Minuum
Minuum offers something quite different, unique even, among keyboard apps. As hinted at by its name, Minuum is a minimalist keyboard, taking up probably as little screen real estate as is possible for a keyboard and relying upon a strong auto-correction engine to make sure you're not just typing jibberish. As such there's a little bit of a learning curve involved when getting to grips with it for the first time, but once you're past that it's as productive as they come.
And it has a free version to try out for 30 days, too.
- Free - Download Now
Google Keyboard
As with many of its apps, Google decided a while ago to split out its keyboard from the core operating system and offer it up through the Google Play Store. It isn't as full featured as something like SwiftKey, and is much more understated in its appearance.
But, it has decent predictions at its disposal as well as that SwiftKey Flow/Swype style dragging to type. And it looks almost the same as the stock AOSP keyboard too, which adds to its familiarity depending on which phone you picked up.
- Free - Download Now
Fleksy
Flesky's party piece is knowing what you want to type even if you hit all the wrong buttons. It looks at where you tap not just what letter you hit and funnels that into its prediction engine to try and figure out what you want to say.
Add in to that a bunch of gesture support for space, delete and more and you've got a solid and productive Android keyboard. Oh, and it too has a free version to try out first.
- Free - Download Now
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