In April of 2016, Microsoft opened up a beta test and then launched its Word Flow Windows Phone keyboard on the iOS App Store in the United States. Over a year later, some users have noticed that Microsoft has now closed down the app and removed it from Apple's App Store (via WindowsCentral).
On Word Flow's Microsoft Garage page, the company notes that "the Word Flow experiment is now complete," and suggests that users download SwiftKey. Microsoft acquired SwiftKey in February of 2016, so it appears that the company has decided to focus solely on one predictive keyboard app on the iOS App Store.
As with all apps removed from Apple's App Store, when attempting to visit old links for Word Flow on iTunes [Direct Link], an error message now reads, "The item you've requested is not currently available in the U.S. store."
Now that it's gone, users won't have access to Arc Mode, but SwiftKey includes many of the same features as Word Flow, including a swipe-to-type ability. The app was updated about two weeks ago with emoji prediction, new themes, upgraded 3D Touch features, and more languages. SwiftKey is available to download from the iOS App Store for free. [Direct Link]
On Word Flow's Microsoft Garage page, the company notes that "the Word Flow experiment is now complete," and suggests that users download SwiftKey. Microsoft acquired SwiftKey in February of 2016, so it appears that the company has decided to focus solely on one predictive keyboard app on the iOS App Store.
As with all apps removed from Apple's App Store, when attempting to visit old links for Word Flow on iTunes [Direct Link], an error message now reads, "The item you've requested is not currently available in the U.S. store."
The Word Flow experiment is now complete! We encourage you to download the SwiftKey Keyboard from the App Store. The SwiftKey product team is frequently building and evaluating new features for SwiftKey and shipping updates.Like many third-party keyboard apps, Word Flow incorporated GIFs, theme customization options, and machine learning for better predictive texts. The app's standout feature was "Arc Mode," which curved the iOS keyboard into a circular shape and hugged the side of the iPhone that a user would type on, allowing for comfortable one-handed typing.
Now that it's gone, users won't have access to Arc Mode, but SwiftKey includes many of the same features as Word Flow, including a swipe-to-type ability. The app was updated about two weeks ago with emoji prediction, new themes, upgraded 3D Touch features, and more languages. SwiftKey is available to download from the iOS App Store for free. [Direct Link]
Tag: Microsoft
8 comments
Apple earlier this month introduced a surprise update to its MacBook Pro line, overhauling the entry-level 13-inch machine to bring it in line with more expensive models that were updated back in...
Apple is now in advanced talks to purchase Intel's smartphone modem chip business, reports The Wall Street Journal, citing people familiar with Apple's plans.
A deal that covers a...
Apple's iPhone XR was the best selling iPhone in the third fiscal quarter of 2019, according to new data shared today by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP).
The iPhone XS, iPhone...
Apple recently hired Steve MacManus, a former Tesla executive in charge of engineering for car exteriors and interiors, reports Bloomberg.
MacManus joined Tesla at 2015 and has also worked at...
Nearly two weeks ago, Apple disabled the Walkie-Talkie app on the Apple Watch after discovering a bug that could allow the feature to be used to eavesdrop on others.
At the time, Apple said that...
Apple will today release iOS 12.4, the fourth major update to the iOS 12 operating system that first launched in September 2018. iOS 12.4 comes more two months after the release of iOS 12.3, another...
Apple today released watchOS 5.3, the seventh update to the watchOS 5 operating system that runs on modern Apple Watch models. watchOS 5.3 comes more than a month after the launch of watchOS 5.2.1, a...
In a profile of Apple's operations chief Jeff Williams, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has revealed some interesting anecdotes about development of the Apple Watch, which Williams has reportedly...
