Google today announced "Gboard," a new third-party keyboard application for iOS devices that directly integrates the company's search capabilities into an iPhone or iPad's keyboard. With the new Google button in Gboard, users can search for information, send what they find, discover GIFs, emojis, and more, without having to exit a messenger app to visit Safari or Chrome.
In its blog post, the company gives an example of someone needing to look up the address of a restaurant, normally forcing them to leave the app, perform a search in a mobile web browser, copy the address information, return to Messages, paste it, then send it off. With Gboard, Google hopes to streamline that process into a headache-free card system built around the smaller UI space required of third-party keyboards.
With Gboard, you can search and send all kinds of things—restaurant info, flight times, news articles—right from your keyboard. Anything you’d search on Google, you can search with Gboard. Results appear as cards with the key information front and center, such as the phone number, ratings and hours. With one tap, you can send it to your friend and you keep the conversation going.
In addition to the basic search feature, Gboard lets users search for emojis -- unlike Apple's first-party keyboard -- by typing in key words like "dancer" to find the corresponding character. There's also a section that lets users browse and search for GIFs, and even glide typing for those who prefer sliding to text instead of tapping each key.
Google mentioned that Gboard "works in any app" with a keyboard, although it's available only in English within the United States at launch, with more languages planned soon. Those interested can download it from the App Store today for free. [Direct Link]
Top Rated Comments
Don't fire me for being sceptical, but are we sure that google won't be able to log keystrokes and searches and get into our data somehow? The ONLY thing I use Google for now is search. I don't trust Google.
I keep reading your quote trying to make sense of it. You use Google for search. Why would Google need to key log you to find out what you're searching when you're using Google to... search. You don't trust Google, but you use them for the one they want you use.Confusing. What is it you don't trust or are you just parroting the "privacy" meme without actually understanding the issue?
edit: PSA - Gboard. For those concerned about privacy issues, here's the relevant info about what Gboard actually does:
Privacy
We know the things you type on your phone are personal, so we've designed Gboard to keep your private info private.
What Gboard sends to Google:
* Gboard sends your searches to Google's web servers to give you search results.
* Gboard also sends anonymous statistics to Google to help us understand problems when the app crashes and to let us know which features are used most often.
What Gboard doesn't send to Google:
* Other than your searches, Gboard doesn't send anything you type to Google. Gboard will remember words you type to help you with spelling or to predict searches you might be interested in, but this data is stored only on your device. This data can't be accessed by Google or by any apps other than Gboard.
Info is right in the description of the app. I'm pretty sure Apple looked at the app 6 ways to Sunday to verify it.
Just typed this response with the keyboard and it's actually really good.
The paranoid here are hilarious.
I can easily search Google in safari...i don't want this keyboard so it can steal my data....
Please tell me you are trolling and really not this silly?You don't want Google to "steal your data" while you're typing, so .. you use google in Safari and now they can't "steal" what you're typing them?
I do not use Facebook. Waste of time as much as I am concerned. Freemium games, well, only on iOS and well, what data can they collect? I am not aware of the kind of data that those games could mine.
You do play freemium games? Oh dear, I highly suggest you change your ideology and thoughts towards Google then.Freemium game companies 'own you', they sell your data to the highest bidder, its pretty automated now too.
I suggest you read this article from Mac Rumors sister site:
http://toucharcade.com/2015/09/16/we-own-you-confessions-of-a-free-to-play-producer/
GOOGLE AHHHH THEY ARE WATCHING ME AHHHHH NEVER USE THEM....
And we all 'conveniently choose' to ignore every other aspect of our digital lives that are data mined to hell...... Hypocrisy at its finest.