Your default Android keyboard is quite reliable and can get the job done without clenching your teeth. You can easily text, chat or type emails, but things could be better, or look more stylish.
Even if you just explore the default Android keyboard a bit, you should be able to find different ways to increase your productivity and type faster. If you want to go beyond that, there are hundreds of Third-party keyboards that many people claim are much better than the default keyboard. Options are there, all you have to do is jump in.
If you are ready to change your keyboard and then hop along, let’s help you get the perfect keyboard according to your need.
Note: This tutorial is created using Samsung Galaxy core 2 running Android 4.4.2. For other Android devices, the process and settings should be similar with slight differences.
You should also read our Best Android Keyboards article once you know how to change it.
Change android’s built-in keyboard
Let’s start from the basics, you need to know how to set your default keyboard in order to make sure you always type using that specific keyboard. To change your default keyboard, go to:
Settings and tap on Language and input under the heading PERSONAL.
From there, tap on Default and choose the keyboard which you would like to use.
Change keyboard settings
Now, it’s time to make some changes to fit your needs. For every keyboard (default and third-party) there are specific settings that you can change according to your need to get best results. It should be noted that every keyboard will have different settings according to the features they are providing, so don’t confuse yourself and dig a little.
To change keyboard settings, go to:
Settings and there tap on Language and input.
There you will see all the available keyboards, just tap on the gear icon next to each keyboard to access its settings.
You will see many different options there, like you can turn Predictive text on or off, change swipe keyboard settings and much more. There are many other options that you can get with different keyboards like changing keyboard themes, Access to different languages, adding a dedicated row of numbers, or customize prediction option.
Change keyboard from notification bar
So you have set the desired keyboard and tweaked all the settings, but what if you like more than one keyboard? You wish to use both keyboards while typing, without going through the process of setting the default keyboard from the Settings. The solution to this is actually quite simple, all you have to do is select keyboard from the notification bar while typing.
To change the keyboard while typing, just slide out the Notifications bar from the top of the screen and tap on Choose input method. This option will only be available when you are typing, while doing other things it will not be visible. To confirm that the option is available, a tiny keyboard icon will show up at the top left corner of the screen.
From the options, just choose the keyboard which you would like to use and you can use it right away. Keep in mind that the selected keyboard will be set as default keyboard, if you would like to change the default keyboard, either change from settings as mentioned above or just change from the notification bar when you are done typing.
It should be noted that the keyboards which you would like to use while typing must be selected in the Settings.
Just go to Settings, and tap on Language and input.
There you will see all the available keyboards, just make sure all the keyboards which you would like to use are checked or not.
Third party keyboards
If you are not satisfied will all the customization the default Android keyboard provides, then it is time to go further. Just head to Google Play Store and you will see hundreds of keyboards with different features to please everyone.
Currently, SwiftKey is considered as number one keyboard due to its productivity along with unique themes, there is one for everyone. With SwiftKey you can add a separate row of numbers for fast access or add arrows right on the keyboard to easily move between text. The themes it offers are free along with some premium ones for a price starting from $0.99 to $4.99 each. Unlike many keyboard apps the themes are quite exclusive with different colors and designs.
Swype is also a good option, which actually started the whole concept of “swipe to type” which everyone then adopted, including Google Keyboard and SwiftKey. The concept is simple, you just swipe around on letters to write a word. It also comes with different gestures to make everything easy, you just need to get a hang of it.
If you like challenges or just want a beautiful keyboard, then there are other good options too, such as Go Keyboard, KeyZag, MessageEase Keyboard or Minuum Keyboard.