One of the things that can be really peeving about third-party keyboards in iOS is how you can only jump to the next keyboard instead of actually being able to pick a new keyboard to use immediately after.
iOS developer PoomSmart has the right idea with a new free jailbreak tweak called LetMeSwitch, which makes switching from a third-party keyboard to a different keyboard easier than ever.
Have you ever wanted to use a third-party keyboard with Google Chrome on iOS? On a stock iOS device, you can't use alternate keyboards like Swype with Chrome, but with a jailbroken iPhone, it's possible.
ChromeKeyboardEnabler is a newly released jailbreak tweak by developer snakeninny, and it enables third-party keyboards within Google Chrome. Just install it, and you're ready to go.
In announcing iOS 8 and Yosemite yesterday, Apple dedicated some stage time to highlighting a new system-wide keyboard with context-aware predictive typing suggestions, called QuickType. But Apple also wooed developers by relaxing its rules to permit users to install third-party keyboards distributed through the App Store when iOS 8 officially releases this Fall.
Needless to say, makers of popular Android keyboards jumped with joy. The likes of Swype, Fleksy and SwiftKey have immediately confirmed they will be releasing their software keyboards for iOS 8...
Earlier this month, we told you about a note-taking app called Hipjot that featured a Swype-style keyboard. The app was ok, but the keyboard garnered considerable attention, with many commenting that they wished they could make it their default in iOS.
Well we have some good news this evening. The developer of Hipjot, Yose Widjaja, is working on turning his keyboard into a jailbreak tweak so that it can be used natively. Speaking in a Reddit thread, Widjaja says he's made getting into Cydia a top priority...
Developer Yose Widjaja has created a new Swype-style keyboard, and is demoing it in his note-taking app Hipjot. The keyboard allows you to type and utilize swipe gestures with two hands, enabling you to complete words and sentences very quickly.
While the app looks far too busy for my taste, the keyboard is actually very interesting. It'll obviously take some getting used to, and some practice, but the app promises you'll hit 70-90 words per minute with ease. Widjaja himself is able to reach 120...
Swype virtual keyboard technology is pretty popular on Android devices, and it's easy to see why. With error-correction algorithms and a powerful language model to guess the intended word, Swype lets you enter words by sliding a finger from the first letter of a word to its last letter, lifting only between words.
While Swype's owner Nuance partners with Apple on the voice recognition technology powering Siri, the iPhone maker never implemented the Swype input method on iOS devices, instead choosing to advance its own intelligent virtual keyboard technology. That said, it's interesting that Swype and Apple have had discussions concerning the feature...
TouchPal is a very under the radar jailbreak tweak that allows users to replace their stock iOS keyboards to a new Swype inspired keyboard that's downloadable from the App Store. I know that probably sounds a bit odd, so let me explain a bit.
TouchPal is actually two different things. First, it's a legitimate App Store app that can be downloaded by anyone, whether or not they are on a jailbroken device or not. The standalone app was created as a multi-language keyboard that allows you to have accurate predictive text by means of standard taps on keys, or swipe gestures, which are inspired by Swype.
Unfortunately, by itself, you can only use TouchPal as a standalone app, and then copy that text to other applications, or take advantage of an app's built in URL scheme for inter-app communication. The good news is, that there's a second part to this puzzle piece, and it comes in the form of a jailbreak tweak that's adorned by the same name — TouchPal. This jailbreak tweak allows you to incorporate the keyboards featured in the standalone app, right into stock iOS. This means that you can use the TouchPal keyboard within normal apps like Notes, Mail, Safari, and any other app that you use on your iPhone.
Needless to say, TouchPal is really neat. Take a look inside as I demonstrate how it works in our full video walkthrough.
What do you get when you mix ActionMenu, TextExpander, and Swype? It might end up in a disaster for those unskilled, but when rising jailbreak developer iSam is behind the project, people should take notice.
His latest tweak, dubbed KBShortcuts, is a masterfully skilled mashup of all of those previously mentioned ideas, and it's resulted in an absolute must have tweak — so much so, that It'll leave you wondering how you ever got by without it...
This morning I stumbled upon a tweet from Josh Tucker of ModMyi indicating that Swype has been ported to iOS. I've confirmed it works on all iOS devices, including the iPad 2.
Needless to say, this exciting news piqued my interest immediately, and I just had to try it out for myself.
The purpose of Swype is to allow you to type without lifting your finger off the keyboard. Many claim that this makes the typing experience much better on a handheld device.
If you didn't know, Swype is available on pretty much every other platform sans iOS, and it's loved by its fans.
Note that you will of course need a jailbroken iPhone to try out Swype, and again it is in beta; so don't expect it to work perfectly.
Check out my video walkthrough of the Swype beta in action...