APPS
Mini meme
● Gboard
The basics are solid in Google’s keyboard: swipe typing, voice input, a number row, custom shortcuts. On iOS, though, it’s all about deep hooks into Google services like maps, YouTube and search. On both platforms the big prize is multiple language support, whether using built-in translation or setting the keyboard up to work smartly and seamlessly with up to three languages at once. Free / Android, iOS
● ai.type Plus
Feel like other keyboards don’t let you express your true self? With ai.type you get a dizzying array of themes and can adjust the appearance of almost every keyboard component. It’s more than just a pretty face, though: you get snippets collections, a conversion utility and even a calculator. Want to try before you buy? The free version generously has many of these features unlocked. R50 / Android 32
KEYS RELEASE ME
If you don’t think your device’s default keyboard has what it takes to satisfy your full range of typing needs, replace it with a feature-packed alternative
● Grammarly
A serious keyboard for serious types, Grammarly is very grey, bar a green button that acts like a teacher looking over your shoulder and pointing out when you mix up ‘effect’ and ‘affect’. With longer messages it’ll attempt to detect tone, and there’s a premium tier with wallet-smacking pricing that’ll check your words for clarity, engagement, delivery and even plagiarism. from Free / Android, iOS
● Type Nine
Remember the days when you tapped out messages using the nine number keys? Type Nine steals that concept from an old Nokia and squirts it into your iPhone. But this isn’t mere nostalgia: you get swipe-typing, gestures and resizable keys. And although there is an optional retro theme, the modern ones look far more attractive. This is a curious and surprisingly effective mash-up of old and new. R80 / iOS
● Fleksy
A one-time Guinness World Record holder (‘fastest texting’), Fleksy prioritises usability and efficiency. The default theme offers clarity, you can tap-hold to access extra characters, and the size of the keyboard can be squished – or enlarged to ‘visible from across the street’ scale. Mini-apps let you quickly grab info to paste, and it’s private: whatever you type stays on your phone until you share it. Free / Android, iOS
● Giphy
Some of the other apps on this page integrate gif searches. But if you want to stick with your stock keyboard and still get your gif on, try Giphy. On Android it’s restrained – a thin strip above a nondescript set of keys – but on iOS it takes over the entire keyboard, thereby providing a terrifying glimpse of a future where the human race only communicates using short animated video loops. Free / Android, iOS
