Keyboard on Steroids. That’s the only phrase I can think up to describe Google’s new keyboard, Gboard. It’s got emojis, GIFs, Glide typing and Google Search baked in, so you don’t have to leave whatever app you’re in to access any of these services.
Let’s backtrack for a bit. Why exactly is this useful again? I’ll tell you. Imagine you’re having a conversation with your friend who’s about to go on a date and they asked you for directions to a restaurant on the other side of town. Imagine you can’t remember where exactly it is, or how to get there, but you know the name.
Right now, you’d open Safari or Chrome or whatever browser you use, and search Google for directions to the place. After finding the address on some obscure food blog, you’d then copy and paste it in the text field for your friend. If you had Gboard installed, the process would be a lot simpler…like this:
Gboard.
You’d tap on the search button, search for directions, flight times, news articles, and tap on the chosen result to insert it in your text field. That’s not all, though. According to Google’s blog, Gboard works for emoji, and GIFs too, and has Glide typing.
If you haven’t used Glide typing or seen it in action, you should. Glide typing lets you enter text by sliding your finger from key to key instead of tapping one letter at a time. The first time I ever saw it was when Seyi Taylor was using it a few months ago, and it felt bit weird at first. But as soon as you get the hang of it, it’s one-hand-typing Nirvana. Take it from me.
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