Skip to main content

Google’s new iOS keyboard is the only one you’ll ever need to download

Yes, Gboard will eventually come to Android and will have multi-language support

Need to send a link to a website? Share an image or GIF? A lot of the time, people leave their messaging app to share this type of content. Google doesn’t think that’s intuitive.

Google’s solution is Gboard, a keyboard for iOS that lets users search directly through the keyboard. It’s similar to how third-party keyboards like Giphy Keys and Riffsy’s GIF Keyboard work, except rather than solely searching for GIFs, you can run normal Google searches.

Recommended Videos

We learned that Google was building such a tool earlier this year, and now the release comes less than a week before the search giant’s developer conference, Google I/O.

The keyboard almost looks exactly like the iOS 9 keyboard, except you’ll see a colorful G button at the top left. Tapping on it opens up a Google search bar within the keyboard, and results will show up below the search bar. So if you search for a business like The Meatball Shop, as shown in the video, you’ll be able to share the address directly from the search result without ever having to leave your messaging app.

Gboard, which supports Glide Typing, makes sharing YouTube videos, flight details, and more much simpler. According to Bri Connelly, assistant product manager at Google, multi-language support will arrive in a future update. Connelly made the comments on Product Hunt, where she also addressed a question regarding the lack of an Android version of the app.

“Working on the best way to bring the same functionality to Android right now,” Connelly said. It’s unclear if this means the Gboard app will launch on Android in the future, or if the Google search feature is being integrated into the stock Google Keyboard on Android.

gboard_still_emojiGifSearch
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Gboard works in any app, as it replaces your default keyboard. Once you run a search, you can choose whether you want to see web results, images, or GIFs. That’s right — you can easily search for GIFs to quickly share through Gboard, and you can also search through emojis. Voice search isn’t compatible with the keyboard.

If you’re worried about sending the very words you type out to Google, the Mountain View company says 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,” according to Gboard’s support page. “This data can’t be accessed by Google or by any apps other than Gboard.”

So only anything you search goes to Google’s servers, just like a regular Google search.

Gboard for iOS is available to download on iTunes.

Julian Chokkattu
Former Mobile and Wearables Editor
Julian is the mobile and wearables editor at Digital Trends, covering smartphones, fitness trackers, smartwatches, and more…
3 big iOS 19 changes that I hope Apple reveals at WWDC 2025
iOS 19 sample logo.

We’re less than two days away from Apple’s big WWDC 2025 keynote, where the company will reveal new versions of each of its software platforms. One of the biggest changes this year is the expected shift from iOS 19 to iOS 26, with new versions of macOS, iPadOS, tvOS, watchOS, and visionOS also set to follow suit. We're also expecting to see the evolution of Apple Health, including a new AI doctor and Health subscription.

iOS 26, if it is to be named that, is expected to introduce one of the biggest evolutions in design for Apple software since the first iPhone was launched. Inspired by visionOS and the Apple Vision Pro, it’s expected to be a monumental redesign, but I hope that Apple also takes the time to make a few improvements.

Read more
iOS 26 rumored to go back to basics with four intriguing upgrades
An iPhone 15 Pro Max running iOS 18, showing its home screen.

In just two days from now, Apple will take the stage at WWDC 2025 and showcase the big yearly upgrades for its entire software portfolio. I am quite excited about the platform-wide design update and a few functional changes to iPadOS, especially the one targeting a more macOS-like makeover for the iPad’s software. 

Of course, analysts will be keenly watching for Apple’s next moves with AI, but it seems some of the most dramatic features have been pushed into the next year. Apple can afford some of those delays, as long as the company serves enough meaningful updates to its user base. Apple won’t exactly be running dry on AI, though. 

Read more
5 rumored iOS 26 features we could see at WWDC 2025
An iPhone 16 laying on a shelf with its screen on.

Apple’s upcoming WWDC 2025 showcase is going to be a busy one, even though the expected AI-powered software rebirth may not land until next year. In the meantime, reliable sources have spilled the beans on what we might expect for the next major iOS overhaul. 

Starting with the name, Apple could skip iOS 19 and could go straight from v18 to v26. We are also expecting a design overhaul, something that could draw inspiration from Vision OS. On the functional side, an AI health coach would be a huge draw for fitness enthusiasts. 

Read more