SwiftKey has been one of the best, if not the best, third party keyboard in the Android ecosystem for a while now. A few years ago Microsoft purchased it and everyone was concerned that it would be ruined, but like many things Microsoft does on Android, it has continued to flourish.
Today along with adding some new features to the keyboard they have renamed it to Microsoft SwiftKey — possibly in anticipation of the Android-toting Surface Duo arriving sometime later this year.
At this stage the branding is already extensive in the beta version of the app and is showing in your phone’s launcher, the input method picker and on the space bar on the keyboard itself. The keyboard still works the same as always, there is just a very very small “Microsoft SwiftKey” located on the space bar.
Along with the name change Microsoft have added support for Emoji 12.0 which arrived with Android 10 so if you use the beta version of Microsoft SwiftKey you’ll be able to message all the flamingos, otters, sloths and gender-inclusive couples your white heart desires.
At this stage it is unclear when this change will make it into the stable version of the app — it is possible that Microsoft are testing out the new name locations before rolling it out more widely. To be honest I hate the new squashed up name on the space bar and hope they decide to kill off that change. Sometimes less is more.
If you haven’t tried SwiftKey (or Microsoft SwiftKey) it is worth the time to check it out — it, along with Gboard, is my go-to keyboard on all devices.
I’m still using a version from before SwiftKey sold out to MS, v5.2.3.144
congratulations
Don’t forget swype was the first. Not SwiftKey. Swype was the original one with innovation neither is MS or SwiftKey
Even Google copied it that says something on their gboard