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These Keyboard Apps Make Typing More Fun

Looking for something a little different in a keyboard like swiping, customizing, or translating? These keyboard apps make texting, emailing, and overall typing fun and efficient at the same time.

Keyboards For Swipers

These keyboards support swipe typing, letting you glide your finger across the keys and then automatically determining what you are typing. It's almost magical to watch. And, glide or swipe typing is an efficient way to compose messages, emails, or other documents faster than you could ever imagine.

Microsoft SwiftKey AI Keyboard

Microsoft SwiftKey AI Keyboard

SwiftKey

For those who want a swiping keyboard with themes and multi-language support.

SwiftKey Keyboard for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch helps you swipe your way through typing with ease. The app offers various themes, lets you type in two languages at the same time, and offers over 800 emojis. As you use SwiftKey, it learns your writing style to predict and offer autocorrect options over time.

Why we love it

If you are looking for a top-notch swiping keyword, then SwiftKey Keyboard is the one for you.

Gboard – the Google Keyboard

The keyboard with Google built in

Gboard – the Google Keyboard

Glide typing in Gboard

It has everything you could ask a keyboard to do, plus a bit extra

When you first download Google's Gboard, you might not realize how much you're getting. Sure, you have to go through all the setup steps of allowing it full system access and then adding it to your keyboard lists. Still, you might not know how much is packed into the keyboard, and how solidly Google is supporting it. The search engine giant keeps coming up with new features to add to the keyboard. Right off the bat, we got glide-based typing, but that was only the beginning. Voice dictation came later, and a new update has added even more functionality.

Why we love it

If words simply won't do, you don't like any of the emojis available, and nothing else seems to fit, just draw your own picture. The latest update to Gboard lets you do that. All you have to do is tap the Emoji icon, then find the marker at the bottom of the screen. Just like that, you'll be able to doodle your own picture to send to your contact. You can choose from nine different colors of markers, and can even adjust the width of the line you draw. The doodling feature even supports undo, so you can express yourself artistically with confidence in being able to erase a mistake quickly and easily. Google might not have come up with the idea of handwritten drawings on iOS, especially in messages. However, the way it works is far superior to what you can do with Digital Touch if you want to actually draw something and know what it's going to look like.

Emoji-Rich Keyboards

Some people are addicted to emojis and these keyboards will help them get that fix. From emojis to symbols, these keyboard alternatives will help you better express yourself through cute or gorgeous pictures.

Emoji Keyboard by LINE

Access stickers, emojis, and Apple emojis all in one place.

Emoji Keyboard by LINE

Friends stick together

For anyone who wants to spice up their emoji life, but also have quick access to the basics.

Since Apple added support for third-party keyboards in iOS 8, a solid variety of options have been available, including those that can insert stickers, emojis, and GIF images. However, switching between keyboards is kind of finicky. It only becomes more annoying when having separate keyboards for text, emojis, stickers, and GIFs. This app makes things a bit easier by combining stickers and emojis in one.

Why we love it

Emoji Keyboard by LINE offers some quality stickers, emojis, and quick access to Apple's emoji's all in one keyboard, which is super convenient.

Keymoji Premium Emoji Keyboard

The keyboard that turns emoji into an artform

Keymoji Premium Emoji Keyboard

Emoji and even emoji art

For people who want to take their emoji to the next level

Yes, it's an autocomplete emoji keyboard for your iPhone. It detects what you're typing, and translates it into great emojis. The keyboard includes a crowdsourced dictionary, so you don't have to think up phrases to find the right pictures. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then what might a picture made with pictures be worth? Find out by exploring the growing collection of emoji artwork.

Why we love it

This app is unique because of its autocomplete feature, as well as the emoji art included. This collection of artwork drawn from emoji and keyboard characters is growing every day, so it's exciting to see what might come next. It's easy to use, and fun to send new and interesting emoji.

Customize Your Keyboard

Sometimes, all you want to do is decorate your keyboard. These apps will help you do just that, offering you the ability to do things like add a splash of color to your keyboard, change the typography on your keys, or even add animations to your keyboard.

Keeboard Keyboard

Full keyboard customization

Keeboard Keyboard

Customize Your Keyboard From the Ground up

For anybody who wants to take control over what their keyboard looks and sounds like

Keeboard has a ton of options to choose from. You can set key colors, text color, fonts, and even animations. With in-app purchase, you can unlock lots of other customization options and themes, but even the free version of the app gives you plenty of choices. You're able to change everything from the keyboard background to the sounds keys make when you tap on them.

Why we love it

Keeboard gives you control over the keyboard that was once only possible on Android. You can set animations, background images, and much more. Even custom sounds are possible in Keeboard.

Video Keyboards - Video Animated Keyboard and Keys

The keyboard app that animates your keys

Video Keyboards - Video Animated Keyboard and Keys

An Animated Keyboard Like no Other

For users who want more spice in their typing experience

Video Keyboards allows you to animate your iOS keyboard, from the background to the key animations themselves. Customize just about every aspect of your iOS keyboard, combining button effects with background animations. There's a quick emoji bar, click sounds, and very quick reaction. You can use your custom keyboard in any app that supports keyboard input.

Why we love it

It gives amazing animations, and terrific button effects. This is one of the best apps for creating a fully customized keyboard, and is sure to please. The inclusion of a quick emoji bar along with a button to access the rest of the emoji is a very nice touch.

Translating Keyboards

If you communicate with others around the world, whether for business or pleasure, a translating keyboard can make it much easier. Say what you need to say quickly without opening a separate translation app.

TransKey - Chat Translator App

TransKey - Chat Translator App

Aleksander Skjoelsvik

For those who want a translating keyboard with over 100 languages.

TransKey lets you communicate in over 100 languages all in one app. Type your message, tap the TransKey, and then translate your text into your language of choice. The app offers two different translation sources, automatic detection of your language, and easy copying to your clipboard to use the text anywhere.

Why we love it

For an easy-to-use translation keyboard, TransKey is a terrific tool.

PolySpeak

PolySpeak

Nikhil Tibrewal

PolySpeak

For those who want a translating keyboard with an easy-to-use interface.

With PolySpeak, you just type the text in your language and press Translate. The app provides features for undo and redo, a swap button for To and From languages, emoji translations from English, and over 85 languages.

Why we love it

PolySpeak gives you a fast and simple way to translate your communications.