Gboard
Product brand
UnclaimedGboard is Google's virtual keyboard app for mobile devices, known for glide typing, integrated Google Search, and multilingual input.
Last updated October 30, 2026
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Overview
Gboard is a virtual keyboard application developed by Google for Android and iOS devices. It is the default keyboard on many Android phones and is also distributed as a standalone app on Apple's App Store. The product grew out of Google's earlier Android keyboard work and the acquisition of the glide-typing startup BlindType, and it was rebranded and relaunched as Gboard in 2016, initially on iOS before coming to Android. Gboard's core proposition is to bring Google services directly into the keyboard. Users can search Google, share GIFs and emoji, look up and send information, and use multilingual typing without leaving the app they are in. Its signature input method is glide typing — swiping across letters rather than tapping them — alongside predictive suggestions, autocorrect, voice typing, and extensive theme and layout customization. The app is free and monetized indirectly as part of Google's broader mobile ecosystem rather than through direct subscription or purchase. It is one of the most widely installed keyboard apps in the world, particularly on Android, where it is bundled or recommended on many devices. Gboard is a product brand within Google's consumer software portfolio, sitting under Alphabet Inc. Because Gboard is a mass-market utility rather than a retail or enterprise product, its brand identity is tied to reliability, privacy expectations around keystroke data, and continuous feature updates delivered through app stores. Google has periodically faced scrutiny over what keyboard apps collect, and Gboard's data practices are governed by Google's general privacy policies.
History
Gboard's lineage traces to Google's early Android keyboard and to BlindType, a startup working on gesture-based typing that Google acquired around 2010. That technology underpinned the gesture typing later offered in Google Keyboard on Android. Google Keyboard became the standard input app on many Android devices, offering tap typing, gesture typing, and predictive text. In 2016 Google relaunched the product under the Gboard name, first on iOS, with a defining feature: a built-in Google search button that let users find and share information, GIFs, and emoji without switching apps. The Gboard branding subsequently replaced Google Keyboard on Android. Over the following years Gboard added multilingual typing that lets users type in several languages without manually switching, expanded language coverage substantially, introduced themes and customization, improved voice typing, and integrated Google Translate within the keyboard. Google also added features such as a dedicated emoji and GIF search, clipboard tools, and support for various keyboard layouts. Gboard became one of the most widely used keyboard apps globally, especially on Android, and remained a free product distributed through Google Play and the Apple App Store. Its development has continued as part of Google's consumer software lineup, with periodic updates adding new languages, input modes, and privacy controls.
Google acquires gesture-typing startup BlindType, laying groundwork for glide typing.
Gboard brand launched, initially on iOS, with built-in Google search.
Gboard replaces Google Keyboard branding on Android.
Multilingual typing without manual language switching added.
Products and positioning
Free, Google-integrated mobile keyboard focused on glide typing, search-in-keyboard, and multilingual input.
Gboard for Android
Default-style virtual keyboard with glide typing, search, and multilingual input.
Gboard for iOS
Standalone keyboard app for Apple devices with Google search integration.
Controversies
Recent events
- Unconfirmed
Google DeepMind launches SL2T sign-language-to-text model on Pixel 11[1]
Google's DeepMind released SL2T, a multilingual sign-language-to-text model, and integrated it into the Pixel 11 phone system, first bringing sign-language AI to mainstream consumer electronics. The model is initially available in Gboard and Live Transcribe, supporting American Sign Language to English, with plans to expand to more sign languages and Android devices.
Reported
Google launches SL2T sign-language-to-text AI model with Pixel 11 debut[2]
Google DeepMind launched SL2T, a multilingual sign-language-to-text model that initially supports American Sign Language and translates it into English text. The technology makes its consumer debut on the Pixel 11, powering a sign-to-text dictation feature through Gboard and Live Transcribe. Google said the model was trained on more than 100,000 hours of sign-language data covering over 50 languages and achieved a BLEURT score of 70 on the FLEURS-ASL benchmark. Google also established an AI Sign Language Advisory Committee with Deaf organizations and sign-language specialists.
Reported
Gboard introduces Emoji Kitchen[3]
Google introduced Emoji Kitchen, a feature for Gboard on Android that lets users combine supported emoji and use the resulting designs as stickers in messaging apps.
- Unconfirmed
Reported
Gboard bug prevents some users from unlocking phones[4]
Users reported that a major error in Google's Gboard keyboard caused the virtual keyboard to crash, preventing them from entering a password or PIN on the lock screen and leaving them unable to access their phones.
Sources5 sources
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