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How to Use Google's Gboard Keyboard on iOS and Android

Lance Whitney
 & Lance Whitney Contributor

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Are you unhappy with the onscreen keyboards that come with your iOS or Android devices? You can swap them out in favor of Google's Gboard.

Gboard offers a full lineup of benefits over the standard, default onscreen keyboards. You can search for and share anything from Google, including links to news reports, weather forecasts, and sports scores. Hunt down and insert emoji and GIFs into your text messages. Type quicker by sliding your finger from one character to the next. And use a translation feature to translate the text you type into a different language.

Snag Gboard for iOS via Apple's App Store or for an Android device from Google Play. The two flavors share several core features in common, but the Android version boasts a few surprises not found on iOS. Here's how to set up and use the Gboard keyboard.

This article originally appeared on PCMag.com.

Gboard on iOS

To set up Gboard on iOS, open the app. A Get Started intro screen appears. Tap on the Get Started button to set up your new keyboard. Go to Settings > General > Keyboards. Tap on the entry to Add New Keyboard.

Add New Keyboard

At the Add New Keyboard window, tap on Gboard from the list of third-party keyboards.

Allow Full Access

Tap on the entry for Gboard and then turn on the button to Allow Full Access. A message pops up asking if you want to allow full access for Gboard. Tap Allow.

Gboard on Android

Setting up Gboard on an Android device differs depending on your device and version of Android. In some cases, the app automatically is set up; no action required on your part. In other cases, you have to enable the keyboard. To do this, open the app and tap on the button to "Enable in Settings."

Enable the App

At the Settings screen, turn on the Gboard keyboard. Google flashes a message telling you that the app can collect all the text you enter. If you still wish to enable it, tap OK.

Select Input Method

Then tap on the button to Select Input Method.

Select Keyboard

At the screen to Select keyboard, tap on the entry for Gboard.

Finalize

Then tap Done to complete the process.

Test the App

On iOS or Android, open an app that requires typing, such as email.

Activate Keyboard

On an Android device, Gboard should automatically become active. On an iOS device, you need to switch to the Gboard keyboard. Tap and hold down the globe () icon and tap the entry for Gboard. Your default keyboard segues to Gboard.

Set Up Message

Fill in the fields for recipient and subject and then tap in the body of the message. Now let's check out some of the cool tools in Gboard.

Search URL

Tap on the Google icon (yep, the one with the big letter G). Let's say you want to include a URL to a webpage on a particular topic. You can now kick off a search right from the keyboard. Type a search term in the search field and tap on the Search button.

Paste Link

The results appear on the bottom half of the screen. Tap on a particular result to paste the link in your email.

Search Images

You can search for other items, such as videos via YouTube or directions via Maps. You can also search for local restaurants, weather forecasts, news stories, and other items of interest. You can even switch the search to images or GIFs. Tap on the Image icon at the bottom of the screen to view images related to your search term.

Search GIF

Tap on the GIF icon, and animated GIFs related to your search term appear. Tap on an image or GIF to insert it into your text.

Search Emoji

Want to spruce up your message with the perfect emoji? Tap on the Emoji button on the keyboard. You can browse through the full lineup of available emoji, tap on the various emoji categories at the bottom, or search for a particular type of emoji. When you find it, tap on it to insert it in your text.

Glide Typing

Tired of the hunt and peck method of typing on your keyboard? You can instead use a feature in Gboard called glide typing. Instead of lifting your finger off each key and then tapping another one, simply move your finger from one key to another. For example, to type out the word "Hello," hold down the H key, then move to the e key, then the l key and again to the l key and finally to the o key. As you move your finger you'll see a blue line appear on the keyboard tracing your path from one key to another.

Keyboard Toolbar for iOS

The iOS edition of Gboard displays a handy toolbar just above the keyboard with buttons to cut, copy, and paste as well as format text with bold, italics, or an underline.

Keyboard Toolbar for Android

The Android version offers the same formatting options but with a different look. Select a piece of text, and a menu bar opens at the top with options to format, cut, copy, paste, or select all.

Voice Typing With iOS

Feel like talking instead of typing? You can do just that in both the iOS and Android versions of the app, though the task is easier via the Android edition. In the iOS version, hold down the space key to activate the microphone. Gboard calls up a separate Google app that listens to your speech. When done, you're returned to Gboard where your spoken text appears.

Voice Typing With Android

In the Android version, tap the microphone icon and dictate your text, and it appears as you speak it.

Translations

The Android edition also offers built-in translation. Tap on the Google icon to display the toolbar and tap on the center icon. Choose your target language. Any text you type on the translation field is translated into the language of your choice.

Customize the Toolbar

The Android version even lets you modify the toolbar. Tap on the Google icon to display the toolbar. Then tap on the three-dot icon (). You can now add icons to or remove icons from the toolbar.

Move Text

An especially handy icon is the one for selecting text. Using arrow keys, you can move the selection left, right, up, or down, a more precise method than using your finger. You can then cut or copy your selected text.

Whether you use an iOS device or Android device, Gboard is an effective and feature-packed alternative to the built-in keyboard, though it's a bit more effective and feature-packed on the Android side.

About Our Expert

Lance Whitney

Lance Whitney

Contributor

My Experience

I've been working for PCMag since early 2016 writing tutorials, how-to pieces, and other articles on consumer technology. Beyond PCMag, I've written news stories and tutorials for a variety of other websites and publications, including CNET, ZDNet, TechRepublic, Macworld, PC World, Time, US News & World Report, and AARP Magazine. I spent seven years writing breaking news for CNET as one of the site’s East Coast reporters. I've also written two books for Wiley & Sons—Windows 8: Five Minutes at a Time and Teach Yourself Visually LinkedIn.

My Areas of Expertise

I've used Windows, Office, and other Microsoft products for years so I'm well versed in that world. I also know the Mac quite well. I'm always working with iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, and Android on my various mobile devices. And these days, I write a lot about AI, so that's become another key area for me.

The Tech I Use

My wife always jokes about all the tech products we have around the house, but I manage to put them to good use for my articles. I like Lenovo computers, so I own a couple of Lenovo desktops and several laptops. I have three MacBooks and a Mac mini. For my mobile life and work, I use an iPhone 16 Pro, iPad Pro, and iPad mini as well as an Apple Watch. But since I write about Android, I own several Android phones and tablets. Like any tech person, I have a cabinet full of cables, wires, and assorted mysterious gadgets. And when it's time to take a break from writing, I have an old Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii, both of which I use for exercise and fitness games.

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