Since its acquisition by Microsoft in 2016, popular third-party keyboard app SwiftKey has yet to release any new noteworthy features to its app. With SwiftKey 7.0, the company launched its most feature-packed update in two years — users now have access to a new toolbar, stickers, and more.
The SwiftKey keyboard is a smart keyboard that adapts to the way you type and then provides personalized predictions. It also includes a variety of features from multilingual typing to support for more than 800 emojis. With SwiftKey Flow, you can type one-handed by swiping across the keys to complete messages even faster.
Within the update, the existing Hub on SwiftKey is now replaced with Toolbar — which is an expandable menu that allows users to quickly access new and frequently used features. By tapping on the new plus sign icon which lives on the left of the prediction bar, you see the different apps you have used represented by its respective icon that you can tap on to access.
In addition to already being able to add emojis and GIFs, you now have the option of using animated stickers. Select sticker packs can be edited before sending them within messages. In the future, Microsoft will also release exclusive sticker packs to use within SwiftKey.
You can then save and access your favorite and personalized stickers through Collections — which is specifically where you can store other media such as edited photos. You’re able to access the content within Collections by tapping on the pin icon located in the Toolbar.
The new Toolbar is where all of the existing features will live as well. Rather than separating settings, themes, and clipboard, you can now easily access them in the same place you would the GIFs and Stickers.
SwiftKey does have a few other features in the works that will be available exclusively for Android soon, such as location sharing. Users in the U.S. and India will have the ability to insert the address of their current location. There will also be calendar sharing, where you will be able to easily insert an upcoming event through the app.
The new SwiftKey update is currently available for both iOS and Android. You can download the app from the App Store and Google Play Store.
