The secrets of the Google Keyboard you need to know

On the Google Play Store there are many keyboards for Android, but the one with the best rating is really is: Gboard: The Google keyboard.

For many of us it is one of the indispensable apps to have on board the Android smartphone, and for this reason we have decided to dedicate this study to it: the Gboard or Google keyboard, offers many features and some gems that not everyone knows. If you are ready, let’s find out tips and tricks to use it at its best.

The features to know about the Google Keyboard

How to improve typing

Let’s start with some tricks to improve typing with the Google Keyboard …

• Shortcuts: By going to “settings -> dictionary -> language -> add shortcuts” we can add short words that act as shortcuts for inserting specific text. To delete the suggestions just hold down and move them to the trash;
• Adjust the height of the keyboard: in “settings -> preferences”, we can choose the height, so that it suits our style and habits;
• Swipe to move in the text: by swiping left and right at the space bar we can move in the text;
• Swipe to select and delete the text: with a swipe on the button to delete we can select multiple words for faster removal;
• The fractions: you will surely already know that by keeping the letters pressed the accented ones appear; well, by doing the same thing on numbers we can visualize and type fractions.

Real-time translation and text editing

The Google Keyboard integrates Google Translate. To reach the function just press on the three dots in the bar at the top of the keyboard (press the “G” key to make it appear, if necessary) and select ” Translation “. Once done, a window appears where you can type the words, above which we can select the various languages (supports all those of the Translator app): the translation will automatically appear in the field where we were writing previously. Comfortable, isn’t it?

If you think you need to use this function often, you can move it among those that can be reached quickly: just hold down and move it in the upper bar.

In the same menu, reachable with the three dots, other interesting functions are available:

• Edit text: to move accurately between characters and lines of text, copy and paste;
• Floating: to move the keyboard on the screen;
• Sharing of dictionaries with contacts.

Dialects and morse code

We continue to speak languages with something more particular. Inside the Google Keyboard, we can find a curious function and a little more useless. By going to the settings of the app, under Languages we can set the dialects: you got it right; we find Ligurian, Emilian, Lombard, Neapolitan, Piedmontese, Sardinian, Sicilian and so on.

By entering the section dedicated to the English language, we can activate the morse code writing mode: just scroll to get to the last text entry mode (QWERTY, etc. etc.).

To change the dictionary on the fly, just hold down the space bar and choose the language.

Scroll typing

Many find it more comfortable than traditional typing, especially one-handed: we are talking about writing via swipe, or scrolling if you prefer. Instead of pressing the individual letters, we can scroll with the finger stopping the ones to be entered, and the system is able to put the words together without ever taking our finger off the screen.

To activate it, just go to the settings and select “Scroll typing”.

Clipboard

As we have seen in our study dedicated to notes on Android, the Google Keyboard also includes a function dedicated to the text to be copied and pasted. In the “Notes” section, in fact, we have the history of the text that we previously copied, obviously with a time limit (unless we have “fixed” the word).

Themes and personalization

How to customize the Gboard? In the Google Keyboard settings there is a dedicated “Themes” section, where we can choose colors, manage the edges of the keys and possibly create a custom theme with an image of your choice as a background.

Google search

The Gboard also integrates Google search: simply press on the “G” at the top left and type the words we want to search. It is a convenient function to shorten the times and find information on the Internet while we are writing messages or whatever.

Mini emoji

We close with a very nice Google Keyboard function. By selecting the sticker settings and pressing on “Browse” and “Your mini”, we can go to create our mini emoji : just take a selfie and the application will create a beautiful series of emojis inspired by us.

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