keyboard design app for android

Joe Hindy / Android Authority

For many people, the default keyboard that comes on their devices is passable. It is usually either the stock Android keyboard or the OEM keyboard from Samsung, LG, etc. However, those are not your only options. There are a variety of third party keyboard apps for Android that have all sorts of features.

Some focus more on fun and customization. Others focus on better typing. Some even do both. These days, Microsoft's SwiftKey and Google's Gboard kind of dominate the market and most people use one of those. This part of the Play Store has stagnated a little bit so we don't see many new entrants these days. Luckily, there are still some good options. Let's take a look at the best Android keyboards.

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AI Type Keyboard

Price: Free / $3.99

AI Type Keyboard Pro has been around for a long time and it's a solid keyboard option. It comes with a lot of the standard features, including prediction, auto-complete, emoji, and keyboard customization. There is also over a thousand themes to add to your customization. The free version is a trial that lasts for 18 days and then you have to fork out the $3.99. You can stay on the free version, but some features will disappear. It's also one of the few Android keyboards with a number row. The app did have a minor security issue toward the end of 2017, but it has since been rectified.

AnySoftKeyboard

Price: Free

AnySoftKeyboard is a simple keyboard with a surprising number of customization options. Its biggest feature is multiple language support and the developer has a ton of add-ons for various languages. Additionally, the keyboard comes with various themes, adaptive themes, and some unusual stuff like arrows, undo and redo, and some other stuff. This one uses separate packages for themes so you can find them on the Play Store as well as in the app. There are some omissions here and there, but it's a decent free option and it's not too over the top.

Fleksy

Price: Free / Up to $2.99

Fleksy is one of the most popular Android keyboards. It features all of the basics, including swipe and gesture controls, web search, GIF and meme support, themes, extensions, and more. Some of the themes are free. However, several cost money as well. Thankfully, they're not too expensive. Pinterest bought the company and took the developers. However, another startup began development on the app again. The keyboard is totally free and most of the in-app purchases are just themes.

Joe Hindy / Android Authority

Gboard is Google's official stock keyboard. It comes with a lot of the basic features such as auto-correction, multi-lingual typing, and various customization features. Its claim to fame, though, is that Google Search is built-in. That means you can conduct searches without leaving the keyboard space. There is also a GIF search, voice typing, and Google Translate. Google adds features to this keyboard on a fairly frequent basis. Thus, it isn't quite the minimal, simple keyboard it used to be. However, it's still decent.

Grammarly is one of the newer Android keyboards. It started life as a Chrome extension and it corrected your grammar as you typed. The Android keyboard version aims to do the same thing. It checks your grammar and spelling as well as punctuation. It's newer, so it's very much still in development. We expect more features to come with future updates. You still get a very clean looking keyboard that helps correct grammar mistakes in the meantime. We also like how it explains your corrections if you want it to so that you learn from it as well. The keyboard is entirely free as far as we can tell.

Joe Hindy / Android Authority

You're halfway done! Here are some more awesome apps and customizations!

Google Play Store front page - best Android apps

You're halfway done! Here are some more awesome apps and customizations!

Hacker's Keyboard

Price: Free

Hacker's Keyboard is a decent keyboard. It doesn't have a lot of the AI auto-correct features of other keyboards like SwiftKey or Gboard. However, it does have a full, PC-style keyboard layout. It supports multiple languages via plugin packs you can download separately on the Google Play Store. Otherwise, it's a fairly simple application. You get the keyboard in the old Gingerbread style with a CTRL key, escape, ALT, Fn, and an arrow row. Some of those keys may only be available in the landscape version. In any case, it's a free keyboard and it's decent, even if it's a little older.

Microsoft SwiftKey

Price: Free

SwiftKey is definitely among the best Android keyboards ever. It has top of the line prediction and auto-correction along with gesture typing, cloud syncing so all of your devices can stay up to date, themes, keyboard customization, a number row, and more. It also has above average language support with over 100 languages supported. The keyboard and all of its features are free but you'll have to pay for most of the themes. The keyboard was purchased by Microsoft a couple of years ago, but it still works as it did. The app is also completely free.

Multiling O Keyboard

Price: Free

Multiling O Keyboard is the one stop shop if you need multiple languages. In fact, this keyboard app supports over 200 languages at the time of this writing which is more than pretty much every other Android keyboard. On top of superior language support, you'll get gesture typing, the ability to set up a PC-style keyboard layout, keyboard resizing and re-positioning, themes, emoji, various layouts, and the all-important number row. It's a powerful option for you multi-linguists out there. More and more keyboards support more and more languages. However, nobody does it quite as well as Multiling.

Simple Keyboard

Price: Free

Simple Keyboard is the most minimal Android keyboard on the list. It only comes with the basics. That includes the keyboard, a few customization settings, and a few themes. The only permission it has is vibration and that's for haptic feedback while typing. This is the one you want if you just want a basic, bare-bones keyboard. It also has no ads, no premium version, no in-app purchases, and it's open source. It requires only the bare minimum in terms of permissions as well. Just make sure you're okay with not having a spell checker or anything super fancy like that. It's great for old devices, devices with very little storage, and those who are super concerned about security.

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Typewise Custom Keyboard

Price: Free / $1.99-$24.99

Typewise Custom Keyboard is a relatively decent keyboard. It omits the classic QWERTY style in favor of a honeycomb-shaped patterned keyboard. The developer says the keyboard was designed for thumb typing and includes larger than average keys for easier hits. The keyboard also works 100% offline with no suspicious permissions. The big story here, though, is the keyboard layout. You either get used to it and really enjoy it or you don't and hate it. There doesn't seem to be anything between that. There is an optional QWERTY mode if you would prefer something a bit more traditional. It's a good keybaord overall and it's something a bit different.

Joe Hindy / Android Authority

Thank you for reading! Here are a couple final, shamelessly promoted app lists!

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Thank you for reading! Here are a couple final, shamelessly promoted app lists!

If we missed any of the best Android keyboards, tell us about them in the comments! You can also click here to check out our latest Android app and game lists.