Most Android smartphone users stick to Gboard despite knowing how much of a privacy concern it is. One reason for this behavior is the idea that other Android keyboards, especially privacy-friendly ones, don’t offer great features. Well, that’s not true!
As it happens, you can choose between quite a few privacy-friendly Android keyboards, and many of them are feature-rich. Sometimes, these keyboards offer features that Gboard hasn’t made available on most Android devices.
Here are four such keyboard apps that outperform Gboard in terms of features.
Turns out my keyboard can out-write me now
LeanType is one of the most privacy-friendly Android keyboards out there, and it excels in a couple of areas where Gboard doesn’t quite deliver. Most importantly, this keyboard app packs a local AI that lets you proofread your writing. Compared to a typical workflow where you copy and paste content between other AI chatbots, this feature is an ultimate time-saver. The best part? LeanType’s privacy-friendly version uses a local GGUF model through llama.cpp to do it.
It’s also impressive that LeanType lets you download two versions: Standard (cloud + plugins) and Offline (OS-level internet blocking, local AI only). For instance, if you don’t mind using a third-party AI provider like Claude, you can choose the Standard Full version. This version also lets you connect to one of the free AI providers and get AI-powered proofreading for free.
This HeliBoard fork doesn’t stop there, though. You get a wider variety of features, including offline voice typing, translation, built-in OCR and text extraction, and another set of plugins that you can experiment with. I’ve found LeanType to be the perfect response to everyone who argues they can’t leave Gboard because of its features.
- OS
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Android
- Developer
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LeanBitLab
- Price model
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Free
FUTO Keyboard feels like Gboard without spying
My thumbs stopped double-checking themselves
Full disclosure, FUTO Keyboard is not open source, but the source is available. It means people cannot fork the code, but the underlying code is publicly available. If you’re okay with this option, FUTO Keyboard is one of the best Android keyboard apps, and it really beats Gboard in terms of features. What I consider the best among these features is its offline voice typing, which, unlike other voice typing keyboards, uses a local model to process everything on your device.
It’s also the best option for those switching from Gboard because the essential UI is so similar. You don’t have to create an account or go through an onboarding process. Instead, you can enjoy the basic features from the get-go and set up other features like gestures and on-device transcription as you wish. Yet, you get room for customization.
For instance, I love how customizable the smart auto-correct and options are, and the editing UI built into the keyboard is also pretty great. The configurable aspects of FUTO Keyboard are great, as you can create a keyboard experience that just works for you. It might just be choosing a theme or finding a transcription model that your device supports.
FlorisBoard skips autocorrect to win everything else
It also offers advanced customization options
FlorisBoard, despite being in beta state, is another feature-rich Android keyboard that can easily replace Gboard for most people. It may appeal to you further if you prioritize configurability and hate how annoying autocorrect is. The keyboard application does not offer word suggestions or autocorrect and instead focuses on advanced customization options. You also get additional features like an integrated clipboard manager, emoji keyboard, history, and suggestions.
But theming support is where FlorisBoard beats Gboard and many other options on this list. You can choose from a wider variety of themes and customize each of them to what you find better. The Addon Store lets you choose between official and community themes, and none of these contain any ads — unlike those shady keyboard apps you find on the Play Store.
Another feature that I love about FlorisBoard is a customizable smart bar, which is great when you have a specific workflow for editing and managing text. It’s also worth noting that FlorisBoard is in active development, and the developers plan on bringing new features to the keyboard experience.
- OS
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Android
- Price model
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Free
FlorisBoard is a privacy-focused, open-source keyboard app for Android, featuring modular layouts, rich customization, multilingual support, clipboard management, and gesture controls, prioritizing user data security without ads or trackers.
There’s still friction with these options
As someone who used to stick to Gboard for most of my typing needs, I’ve found that these privacy-centric keyboards have changed the way I type. It’s also nice to know that whatever I type isn’t being tracked by a third-party server. But I cannot pretend everything is smooth.
Both LeanType and FlorisBoard are superb options, but you cannot download them from the Google Play Store, so a bit of sideloading is required. Given how the current Android ecosystem is becoming more restrictive, this may cause some friction, especially since you have to keep accessibility services open for certain features.
Fortunately, you’re still at a point where you can enjoy a privacy-friendly typing experience, and you get to do that without saying goodbye to features!
