Microsoft Brings Back SwiftKey for iOS, Teases New Features Coming Soon

[MacRumors]

Microsoft's popular third-party keyboard for iOS, SwiftKey, is back on the App Store just weeks after the company announced it would be shutting down the app and delisting it from the platform.

In September, Microsoft said SwiftKey for iOS was being shut down and removed from the App Store for no clear reason. SwiftKey has been a popular alternative for iPhone users to Apple's default iOS keyboard, leaving many disappointed by the decision. Now, a few weeks later, Microsoft says due to customer feedback, it is bringing the app back to the App Store.

"Based on customer feedback, SwiftKey iOS has been relisted on the Apple App Store," said Microsoft spokesperson Caitlin Roulston to The Verge. The news was also shared on Twitter, with a Microsoft employee teasing for users to "stay tuned" to what's in store for the app.

Article Link: Microsoft Brings Back SwiftKey for iOS, Teases New Features Coming Soon

 

[rain111]

Ohh very nice! it's back!

 

[silentdevotion]

When switching back and forth from IOS to Android Swiftkey is a life saver.

 

[Shanghaichica]

I didn’t even know it was gone. The third party keyboards were a mess on iOS. Also the stock keyboard is really good so I don’t bother with third party keyboards.

 

[ian87w]

Meh. I stopped using Swiftkey years ago even on Android. Microsoft didn't seem to do anything with it. Its auto-correct got worse and worse that I simply moved to GBoard and haven't looked back.
Not sure how many people on iOS actually use 3rd party keyboards. Unlike Android, iOS put some restrictions on 3rd party keyboards (for good reasons) that they have certain limitations. I think most people would just stick with the default keyboard.

 

[ponzicoinbro]

That's nothing. I just released MindKey. It uses advanced deep learning machine learning artificially intelligent mind bending future reading lip reading privacy evasion data collection techniques to type what you are about to think and even knows you are about to change your mind before you change your mind about what you are going to type.

Sequoia and Andressen Horowitz just gave me $500 million seed funding and I'm changing my name, taking the money and hiding in the Bahamas. My app was fake.

 

[Mity]

If iOS had a decent keyboard, this wouldn't even be an issue. I would rather have an iOS keyboard with an optional number row and multi-punctuation key than a "dynamic island." That and USB-C. Sadly, that would've been progress.

iOS...............................................Gboard on Pixel...........................Gboard - hold period for punctuation

 

[prwnr]

I didn’t even know it was gone. The third party keyboards were a mess on iOS. Also the stock keyboard is really good so I don’t bother with third party keyboards.

worth to mention that the stock keyboard is good but only for limited amount of languages. for a lot of languages it does not have a predictions, not to even mention a duo-language option - gotta switch between the two if there is a need. swift key offers that for such ones.

 

[tnbt]

Can’t authenticate to any account when I try to login. Anyone else facing this issue?

 

[rp100]

The default keyboard on iPhone already does swipe-words and suggestions. I was a Swiftkey advocate when I had an Android phone, but (as of 3 months ago) I did not see any functional benefit to using it on an iPhone.

 

[philcourage]

Ok, thanks.

 

[Roberto1234]

I love you guys from Microsoft. You saved my life by making Swiftkey alive.

 

[hagar]

Is it me or is the default autocorrect on iOS broken?

Compared to Google we’re in the dark ages.

Besides it being extremely limited there are some strange things going on: I have to constantly switch between multiple languages and obviously I forget to manually do this. And then words from different languages get mixed up as it’s “autolearning”. But I also see strange words (from other people?) appearing.

Still, I never use third party keyboards because the iOS implementation also leaves a lot to be desired in terms or reliability.

 

[Yeetus]

I didn’t even know it was gone. The third party keyboards were a mess on iOS. Also the stock keyboard is really good so I don’t bother with third party keyboards.

The stock keyboard is horrible for bilingual people who frequently switch languages on the fly. Unfortunately, third-party keyboard integration is bad enough for most of us to stick to the stock one.

 

[borntrouble]

This is really awesome news for me. Thanks!

 

[chenks]

The default keyboard on iPhone already does swipe-words and suggestions. I was a Swiftkey advocate when I had an Android phone, but (as of 3 months ago) I did not see any functional benefit to using it on an iPhone.

the stock iOS keyboard does it very poorly though IMO.
i used "swipe" typing 100% of the time when i was using android (pixel phone using stock google keyboard), and after i moved over to iOS i found the experience much worse when using the iOS stock keyboard.

a large majority of the time it selects the wrong word when swiping and the auto-complete suggestions are often down right bizarre.

third party keyboard integration is also quite poor so you often have to end up just putting up with the piss poor iOS stock keyboard.

 

[firewire9000]

Best news of the year. This is the only keyboard that has the predictive keyboard in my language and it works very well.

 

[Wildkraut]

Hallelujah, because the iOS keyboard sucks.

 

[Kottu]

I was using SwiftKey mainly when I had android. Unfortunately restrictions in IOS doesn't give same user experience. Many people says that GBoard is the best in IOS but I never felt so. Especially when I use both Swedish and English in daily basis. SwiftKey gives me better suggestions than GBoard. Glad to hear that they won't kill SwiftKey.

 

[H2SO4]

Meh. I stopped using Swiftkey years ago even on Android. Microsoft didn't seem to do anything with it. Its auto-correct got worse and worse that I simply moved to GBoard and haven't looked back.
Not sure how many people on iOS actually use 3rd party keyboards. Unlike Android, iOS put some restrictions on 3rd party keyboards (for good reasons) that they have certain limitations. I think most people would just stick with the default keyboard.

How did it get worse and worse?

 

[Wildkraut]

Is it me or is the default autocorrect on iOS broken?

Compared to Google we’re in the dark ages.

Besides it being extremely limited there are some strange things going on: I have to constantly switch between multiple languages and obviously I forget to manually do this. And then words from different languages get mixed up as it’s “autolearning”. But I also see strange words (from other people?) appearing.

Still, I never use third party keyboards because the iOS implementation also leaves a lot to be desired in terms or reliability.

iOS sucks at multi-language, so does Siri, and Maps with foreign street names.
The iOS keyboard is a catastrophe, specially for writers.

It’s a must to disable it directly after setting up iOS.
Just works, must be Apples awkward AI learning from my typos and making things worse, instead of correcting it.

 

[orbital~debris]

"Wheee! It must be part of Elon's masterplan!!!" 🤪

 

[tenlow]

I've been switching over from SwiftKey to the iOS stock keyboard a couple of months ago and am not missing much, honestly. The numbers row on top is probably the only important thing. That and customizability maybe. That said, the iOS keyboard works well for me, has been learning better than expected and even switching between German and English works well. I won't be going back now even though I've been using SwiftKey for many years in the past. It was really great on Android especially. I guess it is good that it is back in the App Store but as long as it won't receive regular updates again it will not become what it once used to be.

 

[philcourage]

Who says they won’t take the app off the App Store again in a few months?

 

[winxmac]

That was Swift...