The Ability to Add Custom Keyboards to Your iPhone: A Comprehensive Guide

One of my favorite features that was introduced to the iPhone in iOS 8 is the ability to add custom keyboards. This feature has made a huge change in the way we type on our phones, and it's definitely worth trying out. However, with so many custom keyboards available in the App Store, it can be hard to figure out which ones are worth your time.

Before we dive into the best custom keyboards for your iPhone, let's take a look at how to install one on your device. Installing a custom keyboard is not difficult, but just to make sure you understand the ins and outs of it, please click the link below to be taken to my video on exactly that.

Now, let's get started with our list of the best iOS custom keyboards. Our first recommendation is SwiftKey. Being one of the most popular third-party keyboards for Android, it's no surprise that SwiftKey is just as good on iOS. One of its standout features is the ability to swipe across keys to form words, which you may have seen Android users do before. Additionally, SwiftKey allows you to sign into it across multiple devices, so it can learn your typing habits and become better at predicting the words and sentences you're trying to say. This feature alone makes SwiftKey worth trying out.

Another keyboard that's similar to SwiftKey but with some key differences is Swipe. Similar to the battle between Nova Launcher and Apex Launcher on Android, there's a bit of a rivalry between Swipe and SwiftKey. Both keyboards offer swipe-to-draw-words-on-the-keyboard features, but most users say that SwiftKey is actually faster to use. One thing that sets Swipe apart is the emoji button being directly visible in the SwiftKey keyboard, which takes an extra tap on the Swipe keyboard. Little things like this make a difference when it comes to user experience.

Next up is Fleksy, which claims to have set the world record for the fastest typing thanks to its auto-correct system. This keyboard can even learn where you usually smack your fingers down on the keyboard to predict words, even if you're not typing the right letters. Additionally, Fleksy has themes that allow users to customize their experience and gestures that enable features like swipe-on-the-keyboard-to-move-the-cursor, which is seriously useful but not something you realize until you use it.

On top of all these features, Fleksy also comes with a fun little feature that allows you to tap the icon at the top right to send your friends GIFs to spice up the conversation. Exclusive to the US at the moment, this keyboard has made its way onto the App Store. Another keyboard worth mentioning is Microsoft Word Flow, which boasts an exclusive feature that can crunch all keys into a semi-circle pattern to make typing with one thumb much easier. Additionally, it comes with a few themes and allows users to grab a photo from their camera roll to use as the background for the keyboard.

Microsoft Word Flow has some decent ratings and when used, it's actually pretty responsive and not terrible at all. Oddly enough, one of the top six finalists at TechCrunch Disrupt is TouchPal, a keyboard that brings just a bunch of smaller features into one. One of these features is the ability to autosuggest emojis in a world where emojis are becoming more and more apart of our written language.

In addition to its emoji suggestions, TouchPal also has gestures like swiping upon the keyboard for numbers, down on it for punctuation, etc. This keyboard works with an odd way of typing that might seem weird at first but actually does work. Now since it's free, it's probably worth just trying out. Even if it doesn't work for you, it's something you can play around with and share with your friends.

That concludes our list of the best iOS custom keyboards that you should probably go test out. I did a lot of research on these keyboards and mentioned just a few more in my written article on this topic, where all download links and everything are listed as well. If you want to check out all the other great options, please click the link below.

I love checking out what you guys put in the comments below and then going to check them out for myself. If you like this video, please thumbs up it or share it. It's greatly appreciated, and if you want more videos like this, please subscribe to the YouTube channel. As always, thanks for watching.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: en- Based on all the peoplethat I've spoken tothere's a good chance that you don't knowabout one of my favoritefeatures that was introducedto the iPhone in iOS8,the ability to add custom keyboards.Adding a custom keyboard toyour iPhone can make a hugechange in the way thatyou type on your phone.You know, that thingyou do every single day.So with that said,it's definitely worth at least trying out.The thing is,even if you knew that youcould change your keyboard,there are so many customkeyboards in the App Storethat it can be kind of hard to figure outwhich ones are worthyour time to test out.Because of that I put this video togetherof the best keyboardsI could possibly findso that you have atleast somewhere to start.Before we get startedplaying with new keyboards,you probably need toknow how to install oneon your iPhone in the first place.It's not difficultbut just so that youmake sure you understandthe in's and out's of it,please click the link below to be taken tothe video I did awhileback on exactly that.So first up we have SwiftKey.Being one of the most popularthird party keyboards for Android,it's no surprise that SwiftKeyis just as good on iOS.With it swipe across keys to form words,something you've probablyseen Android users do before.And the ability to sign intoit across multiple devicesto have it learn your typing habitsand actually become alot better at predictingthe words and sentencesyou're trying to say,it's one worth a try for sure.The former feature beingsomething I desperately misswhen switching from Androidto iOS as I often doand the latter being ableto not just predict wordsbut even save emailsignatures, addresses, and moreonce you type them in once or twice.Helpful, right?The next keyboard youshould probably check outis similar to SwiftKeybut it's called Swipe.Just like the battlebetween the Nova launcherand Apex launcher I mentionedin the video I did onAndroid launchers whichyou can click belowif you're interested in,there's a bit of a rivalrybetween Swipe and SwiftKey.You see both are similarin their features.The big one that drawsmost users is the swipingto draw words on the keyboard.But most users on theweb say that SwiftKeyis actually a bit faster to use.Things like the emoji button is directlyvisible in the SwiftKey keyboardand it takes an extra tapin the Swipe keyboard.And little things like that.Either way, it is a verysimple keyboard for thosethat want to just swipetheir way through sentences.Up next is Fleksy whichis a keyboard that claimsto have set the world recordfor the fastest typingthanks to its auto correct system.It can even learn where youusually smack your fingersdown on the keyboard to predict wordseven if you're nottyping the right letters.It also has themes you can downloadand gestures that allowyou to do things likeswipe on the keyboard to move the cursorwhich is seriously usefuland you don't realize ituntil you actually use it.On top of that,it has a fun littlefeature that allows youto tap the icon at thetop right to be able tosend your friends gifs tospice up the conversation.Exclusive to the US at the moment.There is a keyboard in this that is madeby someone you wouldn't really expectto be making an iOS keyboard, Microsoft.The keyboard is calledMicrosoft Word Flow.And basically it's most unique featureis the fact that it canscrunch all the keysin a semi-circle pattern to make it easierto type with one thumb.It also has a few themesand will actually allow youto grab a photo from your camera rollto use as the backgroundfor the keyboard as well.All in all it actuallyhas some decent ratingsand when I used it'sactually pretty responsiveand not terrible at all.Oddly enough.One of the top six finalistsat TechCrunch Disrupt,TouchPal is a keyboard that bringsjust a bunch of smallerfeatures into one keyboard.One of those features is theability to autosuggest emoji.In a world where emoji are becomingmore and more apart ofour written language,why not have a keyboard that can maybehelp suggest some if itthinks the mood is right.In addition to its emoji suggestionsit also has gestures likethe ability to swipe upon the keyboard for numbers,down on it for symbols,and left to delete.So we're giving out awardsfor the most creative keyboard layout,Minuum probably is going to win.This keybaord tries tokeep everything as smalland minimal as possible, hence the name.To do this it uses heavy auto predictionto only show you eightor so tap-able areaseach with varying letters in it.And as you start to type they changewith the most popular next lettersfor the word it thinks youmight be trying to type.As you continue it changes those lettersuntil you finally form words.Now it is a very odd way to typeand it takes a long time to get used to.But oddly enough it actually does work.Now since it is free it is probably worthjust at least trying out.And even if it doesn't work for you,it's something you canweird out your friends with.There you guys, some of thebest iOS custom keyboardsthat you should probably go test out.Now I actually did alot of research on thisand have a lot morekeyboards than just the onesI mentioned in this video,but I just couldn't fit them all in.So if you want to check all of those out,please click the link belowto be taken to my actualwritten article on thatand all of the downloadlinks and everythingare listed there as well.Now I'm sure I missed somethat you guys think are really cool,so please leave thosein the comments below.I love to check out whatyou guys put in thereand then go check them out for myself.If you like this video,please thumbs up it or share it.It is greatly appreciated.And if you want more videos like thisplease subscribe to the YouTube channel.And as always, thanks for watching.\n"