I used to hate touchscreen keyboards, but then I learned about swipe-to-text. Now I can swipe words on a digital keyboard faster than I can type them on a physical keyboard. I can’t go back to pressing individual keys now unless it’s on a desktop computer keyboard.
I use swiping with Finnish/English/Swedish and it mostly works well enough, usually only very short words cause issues, but those I can just manually type anyway.
In Apple-land there’s bizarre quirks that are in the swipe-typing function too. Try swiping out “white woman” or “black woman” for example and it “corrects” it to the same incorrect phrase (“whites woman” or “black roman”) every time despite getting it right originally.
It’s a huge shame that (in my humble opinion) peak touchscreen typing was a decade ago when I used Windows Phone 8.1. It’s been a slow decline since that only became apparent in the past couple (maybe few) years to me.
I mentioned in another comment that I’m using Gboard, which is Google’s POS keyboard. It’s not great (and I’m looking for better replacements currently), but it does learn words if you swipe them 3 or more times in a short time.
I have a unique first and last name that never pop up in dictionary words or common name lists, and Gboard swipes them for me now, because I’ve used them enough times in typing and fixed their attempt at autocorrecting it. Or if it mis-reads my swiped name, it’s usually one of the suggested corrections across the top of the keyboard.
I really don’t like Gboard, but it’s been the best I’ve found lately, so I always install it on new phones and tablets as soon as I get them. I’m getting suggestions in another comment thread here for viable FOSS replacements, so I’ll need to test those out.
I like heliboard. The swipe feature does require a proprietary blob, and it’s not perfect, but it works decently well and they stent collecting my data.
Pretty sure Gboard purposely disables the superior replacements/suggestions if you do not agree with sharing data aka your keystrokes. Speaks a lot about it.
I’ve been using Gboard, Google’s keyboard. I don’t like it and am currently trying to de-Google my life, but I haven’t found a better swipe-to-text keyboard yet.
You’d think it would be easy to replace Gboard. Ever since Google started inserting AI into everything, half my words don’t swipe correctly, or they’ll give corrective suggestions on the top bar that are way off the mark. It was way better about 5 years ago. But it seems most keyboards are also using AI to predict swiping, so I can’t find any that work better at the moment.
Swiping with Heliboard is very frustrating. In my native language, I have to rewrite 50% of the words. I’ve never managed to make it write “c’est” for example.
I found that I was able to purposefully train my heliboard. type the word you want it to learn, and try to swipe it right afterwards. Keep tapping the word you want in the suggested words at the top while you do this. Do that a few times and it should learn the word. I made mine type c’est in like 2 minutes, and my heliboard is configured to english and german
A good FOSS one is FUTO, which works better than Gboard I think for swipe texting. You can also do it with Heliboard (truly FOSS) if you import a library for it, which is also what I use. Let me know if you need help!
Yes, I’m aware of their weird licensing but didn’t want to go down a rabbit hole on what they claim vs what the consensus is. I did try to squeeze in that heliboard was “truly FOSS” to help specify in a minor manner what solution is best.
I’ve been trying to degoogle and this exact reason had become an obstacle.
No other keyboard I’ve tried is as accurate at swipe typing as gboard. And I’ve been swiping since the feature was new, so now I’m awfully slow at key typing.
Have a look at Heliboard. It’s open source. To get swipe you have to import a component that is extracted from GBoard that doesn’t come with the app, but it can be acquired from… places.
I can’t figure swip texting lol. The perk of physical keys is I don’t have to even look at the phone to type. I can turn text-speech on use the bumps on the keyboard
I used to hate touchscreen keyboards, but then I learned about swipe-to-text. Now I can swipe words on a digital keyboard faster than I can type them on a physical keyboard. I can’t go back to pressing individual keys now unless it’s on a desktop computer keyboard.
I switch between three languages. Swiping is ass in my case.
I use swiping with Finnish/English/Swedish and it mostly works well enough, usually only very short words cause issues, but those I can just manually type anyway.
Same here, all nice and good when it’s English, but then switch to Hungarian or Slovak and shit breaks fast
Weird, works great for Polish.
I use swipe too, but it often gives me the wrong words, and I have to manually type what I want. Also, it only works for dictionary words.
In Apple-land there’s bizarre quirks that are in the swipe-typing function too. Try swiping out “white woman” or “black woman” for example and it “corrects” it to the same incorrect phrase (“whites woman” or “black roman”) every time despite getting it right originally.
It’s a huge shame that (in my humble opinion) peak touchscreen typing was a decade ago when I used Windows Phone 8.1. It’s been a slow decline since that only became apparent in the past couple (maybe few) years to me.
It also works for words you have typed before
That’s ducking ridiculous
I mentioned in another comment that I’m using Gboard, which is Google’s POS keyboard. It’s not great (and I’m looking for better replacements currently), but it does learn words if you swipe them 3 or more times in a short time.
I have a unique first and last name that never pop up in dictionary words or common name lists, and Gboard swipes them for me now, because I’ve used them enough times in typing and fixed their attempt at autocorrecting it. Or if it mis-reads my swiped name, it’s usually one of the suggested corrections across the top of the keyboard.
I really don’t like Gboard, but it’s been the best I’ve found lately, so I always install it on new phones and tablets as soon as I get them. I’m getting suggestions in another comment thread here for viable FOSS replacements, so I’ll need to test those out.
I like heliboard. The swipe feature does require a proprietary blob, and it’s not perfect, but it works decently well and they stent collecting my data.
Pretty sure Gboard purposely disables the superior replacements/suggestions if you do not agree with sharing data aka your keystrokes. Speaks a lot about it.
SwiftKey?
Microsoft
deleted by creator
Started using Swype in 2011 or so. Been using swiping input ever since
Still annoyed that it was discontinued. Its usability, keyboard layout and spelling detection was so much better than what the android keyboard offers
RIP Swype
I’ve been using Gboard, Google’s keyboard. I don’t like it and am currently trying to de-Google my life, but I haven’t found a better swipe-to-text keyboard yet.
You’d think it would be easy to replace Gboard. Ever since Google started inserting AI into everything, half my words don’t swipe correctly, or they’ll give corrective suggestions on the top bar that are way off the mark. It was way better about 5 years ago. But it seems most keyboards are also using AI to predict swiping, so I can’t find any that work better at the moment.
Check out heliboard. Open source, private, and is pottery ready to setup with glide typing using gboard’s module
Swiping with Heliboard is very frustrating. In my native language, I have to rewrite 50% of the words. I’ve never managed to make it write “c’est” for example.
I found that I was able to purposefully train my heliboard. type the word you want it to learn, and try to swipe it right afterwards. Keep tapping the word you want in the suggested words at the top while you do this. Do that a few times and it should learn the word. I made mine type c’est in like 2 minutes, and my heliboard is configured to english and german
Wow, it seems to work, thanks !
No Problem :) cool username BTW, love the Asterix & Obelix Comics!
A good FOSS one is FUTO, which works better than Gboard I think for swipe texting. You can also do it with Heliboard (truly FOSS) if you import a library for it, which is also what I use. Let me know if you need help!
I was gonna say, I love Futo keyboard, and use it quite happily, but it’s worth remembering that it’s source available rather than open source
Still a great project though! I’m typing on it right now :)
Yes, I’m aware of their weird licensing but didn’t want to go down a rabbit hole on what they claim vs what the consensus is. I did try to squeeze in that heliboard was “truly FOSS” to help specify in a minor manner what solution is best.
I’m happy you’re here keeping me honest!
That’s totally valid!
Hope you have a lovely day 😊
You too!
It’s not FOSS https://isitreallyfoss.com/projects/futo-keyboard/ they themselves call it “source first”
Thanks! I made a reply addressing that error as well. Appreciate the source as well.
Swype Gang for life. I remember being so stoked to get in the beta.
Smartphones used to be cool.
I’ve been trying to degoogle and this exact reason had become an obstacle. No other keyboard I’ve tried is as accurate at swipe typing as gboard. And I’ve been swiping since the feature was new, so now I’m awfully slow at key typing.
Have a look at Heliboard. It’s open source. To get swipe you have to import a component that is extracted from GBoard that doesn’t come with the app, but it can be acquired from… places.
I can’t figure swip texting lol. The perk of physical keys is I don’t have to even look at the phone to type. I can turn text-speech on use the bumps on the keyboard
It’s easy.
So if you wanted to write the word sandwich.
You put your finger over s and then drag to a, n, d, w, I, c, h. You can do it quite fast and don’t have to be precise.
And even then i always get frustrated if the full word doesn’t pop up after I’ve typed a few letters.
Only if you suck at typing I guess. I make use of swiping keyboards as well for the past… 12+ years I think.