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this post was submitted on 10 Aug 2023
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What's the deal with Android "keyboards"? Why is it just an app that you can install? And why can it have more functionality/permissions from the OS beyond just being a local keyboard? As an iOS user this is very bizarre and foreign to me.
I feel like every time the topic of Android keyboards (again, why is this a thing?) comes up it's some kind of big spyware thing. Seems like most every app on Android and iOS is spyware anyway, of course.
3rd party keyboards exist for iOS - I used to use them too. Keyboards can access every app that you use a keyboard in, so basically everything from your passwords to credit card can be logged. There'd be a popup warning about it on installation that everyone ignores.
But the native keyboard does adopt parts of other good apps + lack of substantial development in said apps (looking at you, Swiftkey iOS). Once the native keyboard added slide to type + spacebar navigation years back, third party keyboards lost their lustre for me lol.
Technically Apple could log all our keypresses too. It's just a matter of whether that sort of data is worth it for them to collect, or are they prioritising security with their current focuses on privacy features in newer updates.
I want exactly the iOS keyboard layout except larger letter keys, and a dedicated number line on top on ALL my devices
Unfortunately no easy way about it :(
You can sorta increase keyboard size by going into accessibility settings > display to increase text size as a whole.
As for additional number line on iPhones, not possible without third party keyboard afaik, but there's a couple tricks (link to reddit comment) to speed up typing numbers. iPad has the number line in their keyboard.
I'm just used to not having these features in exchange for generally much better integration of autofill passwords etc. I have an android tablet to compare with & it's a pain to have to switch over to a dedicated keyboard to access my passwords & back because swiftkey borks it most of the time (I use keepass as a password manager). The keyboard also auto-detects those pesky SMS OTPs, which is a small convenience but surprisingly satisfying to not have to flip apps/squint at the number in my notifs to slowly input it. Pros & cons I guess.
My iPad Pro has a persistent number line. iPad Air does not. It’s maddening. I tried swiftkey and hated it. iOS also constantly botches my typing and it’s infuriating. That said, Android is not preferable IMO.