Why should you replace your iPhone's default keyboard with Gboard?

While the stock iOS keyboard has improved over the years, it's still not perfect, especially when compared to some third-party options. That's why many people are replacing it with Gboard on their iPhones!

1. Integrated Google Services

Gboard's favorite feature—which will probably never be available on the built-in iPhone keyboard—is its built-in Google services. Simply put, it gives you access to a variety of Google services, like Search, YouTube, Maps, Translate, and Contacts, right from the typing interface, so you don't have to switch apps while texting.

For example, you can use Gboard's Search option to quickly look up and share something while in a conversation. Similarly, you can use Translate to easily translate phrases between languages, or use Maps to find and share the distance or route to a location.

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However, the Contacts feature makes it easy to find and share contacts. However, you need to set up contact search first. To do this, open the Gboard app, tap Search settings , and turn on Contacts search .

2. Quick access to punctuation

Unlike Apple's keyboard, Gboard offers a period (.) key in default view for quickly ending sentences. But that's not all; it also gives you quick access to other punctuation and symbols, saving you the trouble of switching to the symbols keyboard every time you want to use it.

Just press and hold the period (.) key in Gboard and you'll see all the available punctuation and symbols in a pop-up menu. Then, slide your finger across the options to select and insert the punctuation or symbol you want into the text field.

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3. Easy access to stickers and GIFs

Using stickers and GIFs in your text is a great way to convey reactions and emotions. If you're a heavy GIF user, you'll love Gboard's GIF integration because it lets you find and insert them without leaving the keyboard in any app.

To find and use a GIF or sticker, tap the smiley face key to the left of the spacebar. Then, go to the GIF or sticker tab, find the GIF or sticker you want, and tap to copy it. Then, tap and hold in the text field, select Paste from the context menu, and tap Send to send the GIF or sticker.

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4. Customization options

Last but not least, Gboard offers a lot of customization options so you can personalize the look of your keyboard to your liking. For starters, you have a variety of themes to choose from, along with the ability to create custom themes with your own backgrounds.

You then have options to personalize other aspects of the keyboard. For example, you can change the color of the key pop-up window or remove the border around the keys for a cleaner look. Similarly, you can change the color of the stroke when you type by hovering, or enable backgrounds on non-text keys to distinguish them from other keys, etc.

To customize Gboard, open the app and select Themes . From here, you can tap the plus (+) button under Custom to create a custom theme or select an existing theme. Once you're done, tap the pencil icon in the bottom right corner to see all of your customization options.

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Switching to Gboard (or any other keyboard) on your iPhone is easy, and you should definitely consider doing so if you find the features we've mentioned above appealing. But feel free to try other third-party iPhone keyboard apps if Gboard isn't your thing.

It's important to note that sometimes your iPhone will default to the stock iOS keyboard. This typically happens when Gboard fails to load while using an app, entering a password in certain apps, or replying to a message on the lock screen.

Marvin Fry

Update 09 December 2024