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What are private and open source keyboards on Android? I use [OpenBoard](https://f-droid.org/fr/packages/org.dslul.openboard.inputmethod.latin/ https://f-droid

by rom1v 2y ago

What are private and open source keyboards on Android? I use [OpenBoard](https://f-droid.org/fr/packages/org.dslul.openboard.inputmethod.latin/ https://f-droid.org/fr/packages/org.dslul.openboard.inputmet...), but there is no update since 2022 (it works well though).

skeledrew 2y ago
Heliboard works really great, but for swiping you need to manually add Google's lib (which I did), and support for alternative language layouts is very basic (if that's something you need).
- rom1v 2y ago
  Oh, thank you. https://alternativeto.net/software/heliboard/about/ https://alternativeto.net/software/heliboard/about/ > HeliBoard is a fork of OpenBoard, continuing the project from where it stopped.
- privacyking 2y ago
  Futo keyboard has much better word prediction
  - skeledrew 2y ago
    It's nice, but I've gotten too used to seeing the long-press keys in my previous keyboards, and having a number row. Let's see how the layout for other languages (mainly Japanese) shake out though.
    - privacyking 2y ago
      That was the first thing I enabled. The option to show the symbols isn't the bottom of the theme settings
      - skeledrew 2y ago
        Interesting. Still no number row, but much better. And having voice input integrated means that I can remove the dedicated app. Still really just missing Japanese keyboard layout support.
        privacyking 2y ago
        There's a separate option for the number row but it's on a different page
        skeledrew 2y ago
        Yeah I eventually saw it.
squigz 2y ago
How often does a keyboard need to be updated, really?
- avhon1 2y ago
  At least as often as old Android API versions being dropped. More realistically, as often as bugs are identified and patched.
geokon 2y ago
The whole area is shockingly underdeveloped. For instance there is no open source keyboard that supports pinyin chinese input. Some very low hanging fruit...
- imurray 2y ago
  This open source android keyboard supports pinyin Chinese input: https://github.com/osfans/trime https://github.com/osfans/trime
- realusername 2y ago
  Same for Vietnamese Telex, I think there's only one fork of openboard supporting it...
occluder 2y ago
I'm quite happy with FlorisBoard, though initial configuration was a bit annoying. https://github.com/florisboard/florisboard https://github.com/florisboard/florisboard
SpaghettiCthulu 2y ago
Unexpected keyboard [^1] has been a game changer for me. As far as I know, it's the only full-size keyboard that features swiping towards the corners of keys for numbers and special characters instead of tapping and holding. As a bonus, it weighs in at under a megabyte. Edit: another comment mentioned Thumb-Key [^2], which has a similar swipe feature. [^1]: https://f-droid.org/packages/juloo.keyboard2/ https://f-droid.org/packages/juloo.keyboard2/ [^2]: https://github.com/dessalines/thumb-key https://github.com/dessalines/thumb-key
deleted 2y ago
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by rom1v 2y ago

skeledrew 2y ago

Heliboard works really great, but for swiping you need to manually add Google's lib (which I did), and support for alternative language layouts is very basic (if that's something you need).

rom1v 2y ago
Oh, thank you. https://alternativeto.net/software/heliboard/about/ https://alternativeto.net/software/heliboard/about/ > HeliBoard is a fork of OpenBoard, continuing the project from where it stopped.
privacyking 2y ago
Futo keyboard has much better word prediction
- skeledrew 2y ago
  It's nice, but I've gotten too used to seeing the long-press keys in my previous keyboards, and having a number row. Let's see how the layout for other languages (mainly Japanese) shake out though.
  - privacyking 2y ago
    That was the first thing I enabled. The option to show the symbols isn't the bottom of the theme settings
    - skeledrew 2y ago
      Interesting. Still no number row, but much better. And having voice input integrated means that I can remove the dedicated app. Still really just missing Japanese keyboard layout support.
      - privacyking 2y ago
        There's a separate option for the number row but it's on a different page
        skeledrew 2y ago
        Yeah I eventually saw it.

squigz 2y ago

How often does a keyboard need to be updated, really?

avhon1 2y ago
At least as often as old Android API versions being dropped. More realistically, as often as bugs are identified and patched.

geokon 2y ago

The whole area is shockingly underdeveloped. For instance there is no open source keyboard that supports pinyin chinese input. Some very low hanging fruit...

imurray 2y ago
This open source android keyboard supports pinyin Chinese input: https://github.com/osfans/trime https://github.com/osfans/trime
realusername 2y ago
Same for Vietnamese Telex, I think there's only one fork of openboard supporting it...

occluder 2y ago

I'm quite happy with FlorisBoard, though initial configuration was a bit annoying. https://github.com/florisboard/florisboard https://github.com/florisboard/florisboard

SpaghettiCthulu 2y ago

Unexpected keyboard [^1] has been a game changer for me. As far as I know, it's the only full-size keyboard that features swiping towards the corners of keys for numbers and special characters instead of tapping and holding. As a bonus, it weighs in at under a megabyte. Edit: another comment mentioned Thumb-Key [^2], which has a similar swipe feature. [^1]: https://f-droid.org/packages/juloo.keyboard2/ https://f-droid.org/packages/juloo.keyboard2/ [^2]: https://github.com/dessalines/thumb-key https://github.com/dessalines/thumb-key

deleted 2y ago

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