iPhone Best Keyboard?

[Dino F]

I have tried swiftkey, swipe and fleksy.

Between Swiftkey and Swype, Swiftkey somehow feels a bit smoother when swiping, though both still lag horribly when I am trying to bring them up. Overall, the experience of swiping feels smoother than pecking at individual letters, but I don't feel like I am typing any faster (most notably because I still need to manually process the direction to swipe even before I swipe, so it's far from intuitive). Maybe it will get better with practice?

...I have to 100% agree with you here!

I tried Swftkey for a while however, I often found that it was counter-productive and made me actually type slower

Reason being, is mainly the fact that when the keyboard is up and you are just about to start using it, instead of just normally tapping the letters individually to make up the word (like you would do on Apple's default keyboard), you have to stop and actually think about the direction in which you need your finger to swipe in and I have to do this before EVERY word!!!

So on goes your finger, then you stop, figure out which direction/pattern you need to swipe in order to hit the correct letters, and then you actually do the swipe - for one word. Then you stop, think about the second word, think about the direction/pattern for the second word and the off you go again - the whole process just takes forever, its very stop start!!! You think about the first word, think about the pattern then swipe, then stop. Think about the second word, think about the pattern, then swipe, then stop - and rinse and repeat for EVERY word!!!

Imagine if you were writing a long text, several lines long - it would take FAR longer than if you were using a standard predictive text keyboard

Not one for me I'm afraid!

 

[HankHowdy]

I have a gripe with SwiftKey. When I slide to reply the message doesn't show, you have to scroll up to see it. This doesn't happen with the stock keyboard. There is also some lag when it need to pop up for use.

 

[Dmaynard83]

I have a gripe with SwiftKey. When I slide to reply the message doesn't show, you have to scroll up to see it. This doesn't happen with the stock keyboard. There is also some lag when it need to pop up for use.

This is a system wide issue with all third party keyboards

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Looks like there was just an update with swiftkey.

 

[HankHowdy]

This is a system wide issue with all third party keyboards

Aww that's too bad. Are they working on a solution?

I'm going going to have to back to the iOS 8 keyboard then.

 

[Dmaynard83]

Aww that's too bad. Are they working on a solution?

I'm going going to have to back to the iOS 8 keyboard then.

Yes I think we will just have to hope they fix it in iOS 8.1.

I think right now as of the beta for 8.1 the scrolling issue in messages is still a problem. Also we can't access 3rd party keyboards on the lock screen.

 

[Antoni Nygaard]

I'm disappointed in how slow bigger keyboard company's are to deliver more languages. I have seen smaller ones that I didn't expect have that many languages but actually do have so many languages to choose from. (Danish is my native) so for know I'm using the stock keyboard for both English and Danish.

 

[MacTCE]

I honestly am not 100% satisfied with any of the 3rd party keyboards. All of them seem to have their quirks and I know some of the issues are iOS related, but I keep going back to the stock one after trying each one.

 

[Agent-P]

...I have to 100% agree with you here!

I tried Swftkey for a while however, I often found that it was counter-productive and made me actually type slower

Reason being, is mainly the fact that when the keyboard is up and you are just about to start using it, instead of just normally tapping the letters individually to make up the word (like you would do on Apple's default keyboard), you have to stop and actually think about the direction in which you need your finger to swipe in and I have to do this before EVERY word!!!

So on goes your finger, then you stop, figure out which direction/pattern you need to swipe in order to hit the correct letters, and then you actually do the swipe - for one word. Then you stop, think about the second word, think about the direction/pattern for the second word and the off you go again - the whole process just takes forever, its very stop start!!! You think about the first word, think about the pattern then swipe, then stop. Think about the second word, think about the pattern, then swipe, then stop - and rinse and repeat for EVERY word!!!

Imagine if you were writing a long text, several lines long - it would take FAR longer than if you were using a standard predictive text keyboard

Not one for me I'm afraid!

I experienced that too when I first started using swiping keyboards. With some practice you get used to it and don't even have to think about which direction(s) to slide unless you're typing an unusual word. So you'll definitely be slower at first, but if you stick with it you may end up being quicker than peck typing. (though I know a few people that can peck type so fast it looks impossible)

 

[Stuntman06]

why use swiftkey when swype is functional WITHOUT full access?

If you use multiple devices, the cloud feature of SwiftKey is nice in that it already knows your typing style and words you added to the dictionary. I have already been using SwiftKey on my Android phone for almost two years and I find the cloud feature is nice for syncing the info on my typing style and personal dictionary across multiple devices. Unfortunately, I will need to wait for SwiftKey to fix their landscape issue before I use it again.

 

[pacorob]

I experienced that too when I first started using swiping keyboards. With some practice you get used to it and don't even have to think about which direction(s) to slide unless you're typing an unusual word. So you'll definitely be slower at first, but if you stick with it you may end up being quicker than peck typing. (though I know a few people that can peck type so fast it looks impossible)

I agree. It has a short learning curve. It's a mind switch but you will start swiping faster then typing after a short time. If not then go back to the 'old' way of typing with the Apple keyboard.

 

[Sodner]

Swype was the one thing I missed when I left Android all those years ago, and now I just cannot get used it again. For now I'm using the stock keyboard.

 

[ElectronGuru]

New player for one-handed typing on 6/Plus:

http://9to5mac.com/2014/10/14/one-handed-typing-iphone-6/

 

[jr866gooner]

Best Keyboard?

hello all,

i downloaded fleksy keyboard and wondered if anyome else noticed the following?

basically a lot if not all email fields caused the text to auto correct leaving no option but to switch to default keyboard.

also why would i allow tge keyboard this access? ridiculous!!

the last two i don't mind but the first I don't like the sound of!

 

[tosbsas]

Swiftkeys two language at the same feature is just awesome. I need spanish and german all the time. Only thing missing is shortcuts

 

[donelson]

...basically a lot if not all email fields caused the text to auto correct leaving no option but to switch to default keyboard.

Swiping up from the bottom of the keyboard 'undoes" the auto-correction. Swiping down from the top of the keyboard runs through auto-correct alternates.

It's important to read the user tips and documentation.

As to "access", yes, that is optional and only improves the auto-correction etc based on your database in Google etc. I have that turned off.

 

[bushido]

Swiftkeys two language at the same feature is just awesome. I need spanish and german all the time. Only thing missing is shortcuts

that works for you? i am trying spanish and english and i only get spanish suggestions. i assume cuz thats my OS language. i dont see any options to enable the same 3rd party keyboard for different languages at the same time

edit: oh nevermind, I never actually went through the "app" itself. I thought that's just a video lol seems to work now

 

[donelson]

that works for you? i am trying spanish and english and i only get spanish suggestions. i assume cuz thats my OS language. i dont see any options to enable the same 3rd party keyboard for different languages at the same time

edit: oh nevermind, I never actually went through the "app" itself. I thought that's just a video lol seems to work now

Swipe the "space key" left and right to switch languages.

 

[martinocando]

Swiftkeys two language at the same feature is just awesome. I need spanish and german all the time. Only thing missing is shortcuts

Same reason why I've been using swiftkey from day one, and haven't stopped since. Great feature. And I don't use the swipe too much. I simply tap on the keys. Works great.

 

[donelson]

Same reason why I've been using swiftkey from day one, and haven't stopped since. Great feature. And I don't use the swipe too much. I simply tap on the keys. Works great.

Yes, Fleksy is missing Apple Keyboard shortcuts as well. And also when you use Gmail, the TO address does not offer choices of previous addresses with Fleksy, only with Apple's own keyboard.

These things hugely reduce the value of 3rd party keyboards.

 

[GlenK]

Yes, Fleksy is missing Apple Keyboard shortcuts as well. And also when you use Gmail, the TO address does not offer choices of previous addresses with Fleksy, only with Apple's own keyboard.

These things hugely reduce the value of 3rd party keyboards.

Yea, the best keyboard for me is the Apple keyboard and it's not even close. Once I found out no shortcuts I stopped looking at them.. That alone is a deal breaker for me.

 

[darrinS]

Yea, the best keyboard for me is the Apple keyboard and it's not even close. Once I found out no shortcuts I stopped looking at them.. That alone is a deal breaker for me.

TouchPal does keyboard shortcuts even better than the Apple keyboard. It doesn't put in the extra space after the word which makes using it easier to fill in user names and forms.

 

[donelson]

TouchPal does keyboard shortcuts even better than the Apple keyboard. It doesn't put in the extra space after the word which makes using it easier to fill in user names and forms.

Does it use APPLE'S keyboard shortcuts, or only it's own? You can add "shortcuts" to Fleksy as well, but kind of a hack.

I have perhaps 100 Apple keyboard shortcuts, not keen on typing them in again, or maintaining TWO databases of shortcuts.

 

[tosbsas]

touchpal imports shortcuts perfectly -I am pushing swiftkey to do that too. They where saying its impossible

 

[paulking]

SwiftKey outsmarts stock keyboard every time.
I use the stock and misspell a word AND often it can't handle it. Gives an odd choice or no choice.
I take that exact misspelling and type it in SwiftKey and bang, right word comes up.
It's very smart IMO.
But, it doesn't access my Apple shortcuts I've set up and most annoying (for now cause I think in IOS 8.1 Apple enabled this for third party keyboards when they integrate it) is no access to the dictation microphone.