Google has announced the launch of its rebranded Keyboard application, named "Gboard," for Android users. The new keyboard app sports features like a fully integrated Google Search engine, emoji & GIF search, and more.
Gboard was first launched on iOS about six months ago. Google has included the same set of features in Android as found on the iOS platform.
Using the new app, the user will see a Google logo on the keyboard which can be tapped to directly start a Google search. The benefit of having a built-in search feature like this is that the search results can be easily shared from the keyboard instead of moving out of the app to visit Google (via the app or browser) and then coming back to the app to share the search results.
For instance, when one wants to share a business's address, weather, flight times, news articles, restaurant information and more with a friend, one simply needs to type the colorful "G" button, search from inside the app and share the results with the send button.
The Gboard can also predict possible searches, based on the current chat and chat history. For example, if the user is chatting with a friend about the weather, the app may offer a prediction for weather which the user could then share with a tap.
The app also includes built-in GIF and emoji search just like the iOS version, which is quite a clever trick by Google to find the right emoji quickly. So, instead of scrolling, one can just do a search for the right emoji (e.g. "dancing").
Another new feature in the Android app is an option to show the number row on the screen, which was one of the complaints about the keyboard layout. The app also added support for multiple languages, as well, helping bilingual users with their searches and the app's predictions.
The keyboard also supports Glide Typing, a preferred mode of text entry for many users. The app offers a standard lineup of other keyboard features as well like text predictions, autocorrect, and voice typing.
Gboard will work in over 100 languages, and more will be added in time.