How to change the keyboard and set the layout on your Android phone.
A mobile phone is not just a work tool that has to be unoriginal, gray and austere. It’s a gadget that can easily be styled like anything else, like your favorite mug. But with a mug, it’s easy, just print your favorite image or stick a simple sticker on it, and there’s nothing else to do. And for the phone, there are many ways to redesign it, one of them is to update the keyboard. Here’s how to change the keyboard on your Android.
What is the default keyboard
Therefore, selecting an installed “keyboard” and then configuring it is an important step in greatly improving the phone experience, speeding up typing time, and improving the functionality of the input device itself. However, as practice shows, most users do not even think about it and use the built-in keyboard without configuring it at all.
Normally, each manufacturer chooses their own application to control the virtual input device, and each one has a different one. For example, the most used app on new phones today is by far Gboard. It is a Google application, the company behind the development of new versions of Android. It supports translator, word memory, clipboard history and much more.
Google’s own program is easy to change, allowing for flexible customization. There’s even support for selecting a default QWERTY layout.
Can it be uninstalled?
Suppose that despite the abundance of functionality of the built-in solution, you decide to remove and replace it. Well, it can be replaced, but removing it permanently is not recommended. Otherwise, it may cause system malfunction as some system programs and services will be accessing the non-existent keyboard. As a result, constant errors and malfunctions will occur. Also, even Android’s security system won’t let you remove the built-in “keyboard,” unless you temporarily disable it.
How to change the virtual keyboard
So, you have not put up with the built-in installations and decide to diversify the interface with a custom keyboard. Fortunately, you don’t need to have any advanced knowledge of the device or flash the phone. You just have to follow the following steps.
Installation of the application
The first thing to do is decide what functionality you want, and then find a suitable app on the Play Market.
If you haven’t made up your mind yet, we recommend trying the following solutions:
- Microsoft SwiftKey;
- FaceMoji;
- Go to the keyboard.
Let’s take SwiftKey as an example. Follow this link and install the app. Luckily, it only weighs 9.4 MB.
keyboard activation
After installing the application, a new icon will appear on the desktop. To activate it, simply click on it and then successively press the three buttons in the window that opens. However, not all apps offer this functionality, and sometimes you have to manually go into settings and change the installed “keyboard”. Algorithm of actions:
- Open the settings. To do this, tap the gear icon on the home screen or in the notification bar.
- Go to the “Language and input” section.
- In the menu that opens, find the “Current Keyboard” option.
- Click on it and select the installed program from the dropdown list.
Done. Clicking on any input field will open the new keyboard. The only thing left to do afterwards is to configure it through the built-in tools.
Posible problems
Unfortunately, things don’t always go according to plan, especially when it comes to programs that need to be integrated into the system. Keyboards are one of them. If for some reason the new app does not activate, try the following steps:
- Find the installed program in the list and give it full rights.
- Look for another alternative in Play Market.
Thank you for reading.