Ever since Apple finally allowed the use of third-party keyboards on iOS, we’ve seen keyboards by the usual suspects such as SwiftKey, Fleksy, Swype, and etc. In fact last we heard, even Microsoft was considering bringing its famed Word Flow keyboard to iOS, and now according to a report from The Verge, Google is working on a keyboard for iOS devices as well.
Should this be surprising? Given that Google has released multiple apps for iOS devices in the past, like its suite of productivity apps, Google Drive, Photos, Maps, and etc., we suppose releasing a keyboard for iOS isn’t really that much of a stretch. The keyboard is said to have been in development for months and is expected to be similar to what Google offers up on Android.
For starters it will support gesture-based typing, but there are also some convenient features built into the keyboard. Apparently there will be a Google logo on the keyboard which when pressed, will allow user to search the web from the keyboard directly, as opposed to having to launch a separate app and search from there.
Users will also be able to search for images and GIFs, so if whatever app you’re using has no support for GIFs, perhaps this will offer up a solution. The idea behind the keyboard is to help boost the amount of Google searches made on iOS devices. Unfortunately there is no word on when Google plans on releasing this app, but we’ll let you if and when they do.