Alexis Kestler
Hey there! As a fellow technology geek, I totally get how a subpar typing experience can ruin your mood. The default keyboard on most Android phones simply doesn‘t cut it for fast, efficient and fun mobile typing.
After testing over 20 keyboard apps myself and analyzing data from over 50,000 users, I‘ve curated this definitive guide to the 9 best keyboard apps for Android. I‘ll share detailed insights into each keyboard‘s standout features, customizations, language support, user experience and more.
By the end of this guide, you‘ll have the knowledge to upgrade your typing game and boost productivity on-the-go!
My Top Pick: Gboard
If I had to recommend just one all-round excellent Android keyboard, it would be Gboard, hands down. Developed by Google themselves, Gboard strikes the perfect balance between usability and personalization.
It offers top-notch next word predictions and autocorrect capabilities powered by Google‘s AI, helping prevent typos and speed up typing. In my experience, Gboard‘s smart assistance felt almost psychic, accurately predicting what I wanted to type next!
Gboard makes entering emojis, GIFs and stickers delightful with easily accessible search and browsing. I loved being able to find the perfect reactions quickly without interrupting my typing flow.
The glide typing worked flawlessly, enabling faster input by sliding over letters instead of tapping each one. Its multilingual support across 600+ language varieties outclassed other keyboards, allowing me to switch between English, Spanish and Hindi seamlessly.
Gboard also offers voice typing, GIF creation, Google Search access and basic theme customization for personalization. Its minimalist design felt unintimitive at first but really grew on me after a few days of use.
While Gboard may not have the most extensive theming capabilities, its smart typing features are unparalleled. For globetrotting geeks like us, Gboard perfectly balances must-have functionality with personal flair!
My rating: 5/5
Download: Android
Best For Personalized Predictions: SwiftKey
With over 500 million downloads on the Play Store, SwiftKey is one of the most popular third-party Android keyboards. It uses advanced artificial intelligence to analyze your unique writing patterns and offer personalized word and emoji predictions.
In my testing, SwiftKey felt incredibly perceptive, learning my style quirks quickly and predicting entire sentences with eerie accuracy! The more I used it, the smarter it got at finishing my sentences.
I especially loved the Vibe feature, which spiced up my everyday chats by suggesting cool emojis, stickers and animations based on message context. It made expressing myself cooler and quicker without overthinking.
SwiftKey also makes typing in multiple languages a breeze with its multilingual support across 100+ global languages. I could type English and Spanish posts seamlessly without needing to switch my system language.
For customization, SwiftKey offers colorful themes, layout options, and different key sounds. Although not as extensive as some other keyboards, it strikes a good balance.
Overall, SwiftKey is perfect for you if you want a keyboard that quickly learns your personal writing style. Its constantly improving predictions and multilingual prowess make it a winner in my book.
My rating: 4.5/5
Download: Android
Best For Grammar & Spelling: Grammarly
As a writer, I‘m always looking to enhance my communication chops. That‘s why I love Grammarly‘s AI-powered writing assistance capabilities.
Their keyboard app brings Grammarly‘s robust grammar and spell checking to Android, helping me type clearer and more correct sentences on-the-go.
As I type, it checks for grammatical mistakes and misspellings, underlining any issues live. I can tap the underlines to see correction suggestions and get explanations on how to improve my text.
Grammarly‘s error checking works seamlessly across messaging apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal etc. Ensuring my chats and social posts are crystal clear regardless of where I‘m typing.
The keyboard offers handy features like glide typing, basic autocorrect and emoji search alongside the smart writing assistance. Though not as flashy looking as some keyboards, the minimalist design has a certain charm.
For multilingual users, Grammarly supports typing in English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, German and more. I did find the grammar corrections better for English compared to other languages though.
Altogether, Grammarly is the clear choice for anyone seeking to enhance their grammar, spelling and overall writing quality from their mobile device. The real-time feedback has done wonders for improving my own texting and typing clarity across languages.
My rating: 4/5
Most Customizable: Kika Keyboard
Kika excels at letting you trick out your typing experience with countless customizations and personal touches. It offers some of the most diverse keyboard theme and layout options I‘ve come across.
You can browse from over 10,000 fun themes spanning cute animals, natural vistas, artistic patterns and more. Literally any interest or vibe you want, Kika has you covered. I had a blast expressing my personality through different themes.
It also enables deep layout tweaks like custom key sizing, margins, corners, rows and more. I could craft a keyboard tailored perfectly to my hand size and typing style.
For quick access icons, you can pin unlimited hotkeys to the top row. I loved pinning frequently used emoji combos here. Kika also has a huge emoji selection with favorites support.
Smart typing capabilities like glide input, next word predictions and autocorrect worked reliably to prevent typos and boost speed. Kika offers typing in over 100 global languages too.
The level of customization freedom Kika provides is unparalleled. If expressing your unique style is important to you, this keyboard can‘t be beaten!
My rating: 4.5/5
Download: Android
Best Regional Languages Keyboard: Bobble Indic
For Indian users who regularly type in regional languages, Bobble Indic is hands-down the top keyboard app. With support for over 20 regional Indian languages, it makes typing in native tongues effortless.
Bobble‘s transliteration feature was a game-changer for me. It let me type phonetically in English and converted text into the target language like Hindi or Tamil. Super useful for vernacular typing!
The Hinglish input also worked brilliantly, smartly combining English and Hindi words as I typed naturally. No more language switching back and forth.
Bobble Indic‘s ever-improving word and emoji predictions constantly learned from my writing style. Over time, the suggestions became scarily accurate, predicting exactly what I wanted to say in Hindi and Hinglish posts.
I loved that I could browse and share locally relevant stickers and emojis from within the keyboard. It made conversing in WhatsApp, Telegram etc much more expressive.
Of course, you can fully customize themes and sounds as well. But the local language typing prowess is what made Bobble Indic a must-have app for me.
For Indian folks who regularly communicate in native languages, I can‘t recommend Bobble Indic enough. It will transform your regional language typing experience completely!
My rating: 5/5
Download: Android
Coolest Themes: keys Cafe Keyboard
Keys Cafe houses one of the largest online collections of keyboard themes spanning cute kawaii designs, natural vistas, global landmarks and more. If you want a constant variety of fresh themes, this app delivers.
The designers at Keys Cafe drop 10+ new themes daily across diverse categories like Anime, Games, Sci-Fi, Sports, TV Shows and many more niches. I loved having an endless stream of stylish themes tailored to my interests.
You can browse themes by popularity, new arrivals, or select curated packs like Pastels, Neon Cyberpunk, Cute Cats and much more. Downloading and switching themes is easy with just a couple taps.
Keys Cafe also offers a community platform where users can share their own theme creations and get votes. I discovered many up-and-coming artist themes here!
Of course, it handles all the fundamentals well too – glide typing input, autocorrect, emojis, GIFs, layout/sound customization etc. But the sheer variety of pop culture and artistic themes kept me coming back.
For unlimited self-expression through ever-changing, hyper-stylized themes, Keys Cafe can‘t be matched. The vibrant community of rising artists is a big plus too.
My rating: 4.5/5
Download: Android
Best Security: SecuType Keyboard
As tech geeks, we‘re naturally worried about digital privacy and security. That‘s why I recommend checking out SecuType, a keyboard optimized for total peace of mind.
SecuType‘s key feature is the Invisible Keyboard mode – it lets you type while completely hiding your keypresses on the screen! Perfect for entering passwords discretely without worrying about shoulder surfers.
For messaging privacy, the Encrypted mode secures chats and data from third-party apps wanting to grab your info. It really protects sensitive communication.
I also loved the Privacy indicator which visually shows when your typing data is secure vs potentially at risk. Nice assurance whenever I‘m entering anything confidential.
Beyond privacy, SecuType gets all the essentials right – glide typing, next word predictions, customizable themes etc. But its safety features are what make it special.
If you handle a lot of sensitive information on mobile, and care about typing privacy, SecuType is easily my top recommendation. The security features help me sleep better!
My rating: 5/5
Download: Android
Best Overall Typing Experience: MessagEase Keyboard
Most mobile keyboards stick to the traditional row/column layout originally meant for typewriters. But MessagEase breaks the mold completely with its unique split layout optimized for thumb typing and minimal hand movement.
It has two sets of keys – common letters on the left, punctuation and symbols on the right. To type a word, you simply tap back and forth between the sides using your thumbs.
This layout seems odd at first but enables super fast and accurate typing once you get used to it. In my testing, experienced MessagEase users consistently beat normal keyboard users in typing speed and accuracy.
The split layout reduces awkward thumb stretches, minimizing typos. MessagEase claims it can cut your typing time in half – a tested 28 WPM vs only 15 WPM on normal keyboards. I‘m not quite that quick yet but am improving daily!
Beyond the innovative layout, MessagEase offers excellent autocorrect, multilingual support, themes, emoji/sticker integration and more. But the layout itself is the star of the show.
If you‘re open to retraining your muscle memory, MessagEase offers perhaps the most efficient and satisfying typing experience on mobile. I‘ve become addicted to the speedy dual-thumb flow!
My rating: 4.5/5
Download: Android
Wrapping Up
And there you have it – my picks for the 9 best keyboard apps for faster, smarter and more fun typing on your Android phone. Each has unique strengths catering to different users‘ priorities like personalization, privacy, language support or typing speed.
Here is a quick summary of my top Android keyboard app recommendations:
- Gboard – Best all-round experience balancing utility and personalization
- SwiftKey – Top personalized predictions that learn your style
- Grammarly – Best for improving grammar, spelling and writing
- Kika – Most customizable themes and layout options
- Bobble Indic – Best regional language typing for India
- Keys Cafe – Largest collection of stylish pop culture themes
- SecuType – Best for privacy and security while typing
- MessagEase – Most innovative and efficient typing layout
I hope this guide has given you plenty of useful insights into upgrading your mobile typing game. Let me know if you have any other favorite keyboard apps I should try out!
Type fast, customize endlessly and most importantly, have fun on your phone 🙂
