This morning, Google launched Gboard, an iOS app that lets you use Google search directly from your phone's keyboard. I must say it's pretty fun to use and I've been going out of control with how easy it is to send GIFs.
As you use Gboard, you realize that you've kind of been missing it even though you've never had it. It doesn't take long to drink the Kool Aid. Just by tapping on the Google icon above the keyboard, you're able to search Google without leaving the text.
You can search for a number of things from restaurant locations to flight times and basically anything else you normally search for on Google.
“We wanted to bring the best of Google to Gboard, so you’ll see Maps, Translate, image and video search, News and others,” says Rajan Patel, the head of the product team that developed Gboard. “Initially, Gboard will not surface any information specific to you,” he added, possibly hinting to a personalized keyboard coming soon (we hope).
Google partnered with Riffsy, the GIF keyboard company, to improve their catalog.
Another cool feature is the ability to search for emojis simply by typing a word for what you want. For example, if you type the world "cool", you'll get the emoji with shades.
We can't forget about the swipe-type feature on the Gboard app. It works pretty well but for this feature and this feature alone, I prefer Microsoft's Word Flow. Call me particular or whatever else, but I like the tilt feature on the Word Flow keyboard. I rarely type on my phone with two hands, so I've found that it is actually very convenient having that feature to tilt the keyboard to the left or right.
That being said, the Google search feature tips the scale tremendously in Gboard's favor. If you are one of the very very few out there that doesn't like searching Google, then the Word Flow keyboard is a good option too.
Oh yea, and both are free!