Skip to main content

Google’s Gboard now uses A.I. to recommend GIFs based on your conversation

Users of Google’s Gboard mobile keyboard may soon find it a whole lot easier to find GIFs and stickers related to their conversations. Google is pushing an update to Gboard that will include a feature that contextually suggests GIFs And stickers that it thinks may relate to the conversation at hand.

According to Google, the new feature should make it easier for users to express themselves, but it also understands the privacy implications, too — considering the fact that it means that the keyboard has to have access to the conversation in the first place to recommend related GIFs and stickers. To that end, Google says that everything is processed on-device, helping ensure that it’s private and fast.

There are plenty of advantages to on-device artificial intelligence, as Google highlights. Perhaps the most obvious is that it’s much more secure than cloud-based artificial intelligence. On top of that, it works when you don’t have a cellular connection — so even when you’re on a hike in the middle of nowhere, you should still get access to some of the artificially intelligent features on your phone. In particular, Google has been pushing artificial intelligence on the Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL, and that is likely to continue in future versions of the Pixel.

To access the Gboard-recommended GIFs, simply tap the GIF icon when it appears in the top left-hand corner of the Gboard. Tap it, and you will see a range of GIFs, stickers, and emojis that Gboard things you might want to use.

Of course, this isn’t the first time Google has inserted artificial intelligence into Gboard in an attempt to make it a smoother experience for users. Recently, Google launched a feature to Gboard that allows users to create small emoji stickers of themselves using by taking a photo and then tweaking your facial features — similar to how you would on a Nintendo Wii when creating a Mii.

Gboard has long been hailed as one of the best software keyboards for Android and iOS, and features like this are why. We’ll likely see more artificial intelligence-based features in Gboard as time goes on.

Editors' Recommendations

Christian de Looper
Christian’s interest in technology began as a child in Australia, when he stumbled upon a computer at a garage sale that he…
Google adds a private locked photos folder to iPhones for ‘personal’ photos
Google Photos logo.

Google Photos will soon let iPhone and Android users save their photos behind a biometrically protected locked folder as Google pushes for greater privacy features on mobile. It's a nice way to get some peace of mind and keep sensitive personal photos off the cloud.

Locked Folder is a feature Google introduced for Pixels earlier this year that lets them hide sensitive photos out of view. If a photo is hidden away behind a "locked folder," it won't show up. It's a lot like the hidden album feature on iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, but with the benefit of password or biometric protection.  Images in the locked folder also aren't synced to Google Photos, but restricted to the device used. Locked Folder will come to iPhones early next year, while non-Pixel Android users will have it sometime "soon."

Read more
Google Pixel 6 vs. Apple iPhone 13: Is Google’s new flagship an Apple eater?
iPhone 13 display from the front.

If you're a smartphone lover, Silicon Valley is spoiling you more than a little this year. Not only has Apple recently released the all-around excellent iPhone 13, but Google has just released the Pixel 6, its best phone yet. We dive into how the Pixel 6 vs. iPhone 13 fare against each other in a head-to-head comparison. While Pixels have always been very good Androids, the sixth-generation model finds Google really pushing things to the limit, adding every feature it can to ensure it's capable of competing with the very best flagships. This means it comes with a powerful dual-lens camera array, a big 4,614mAh battery, a speedy Google-made processor, and a gorgeous AMOLED display that supports a 90Hz refresh rate.

Of course, as good as the Pixel 6 is, the iPhone 13 is certainly no slouch. Building on the already impressive specs of the iPhone 12, it adds a longer-life battery, improved camera sensors, the new A15 Bionic chip, and increased internal storage. In other words, it's certainly the best non-Pro (or non-Pro Max) iPhone you can buy today. Does this mean it's better overall than the Pixel 6? Read on to find out.
Specs

Read more
Google Pixel 6 pricing looks set to match Apple’s iPhone 13
Google Pixel 6 Image Composite.

The Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro have been officially revealed by Google, but there are still a few unknowns about them. Namely, when will they launch, how much will they cost, and when we'll we be able to buy them and put them in our pockets. A new report today from tech YouTuber Brandon Lee, which is based on information from a European carrier source, sheds some light on pricing, availability, and color names.

The first major bit of information is the pricing. The Pixel 6 is rumored to cost 649 euros and the Pixel 6 Pro 899 euros. This translates to $760 and $1,050, respectively, if we were to do straight conversions to U.S. dollars. But taking into account taxes mean that the Pixels would more likely than not be priced between $699 to $799 and $999 to $1,099, respectively. By comparison, the iPhone 13 and 13 Pro start at $799 and $999, respectively, and the Pixel 5 started at $699.

Read more