Popular Android keyboard developer Minuum has finally previewed its keyboard coming to iOS 8 this fall. It’s not like other third-party keyboards we’ve seen thus far, instead, it transforms from a standard full-scale QWERTY keyboard with autocorrect and then fades away to take up only half of your visible screen.
Minuum believes users will use its minimizing keyboard because it allows access to auto-correct at any size. Instead of minimizing the keyboard to completely disappear like with the stock iOS keyboard, they’ll still have quick access to make changes while reading through previous messages or scrolling through a draft of an email.
“Apple’s decision to open up in this direction appears to be an acknowledgement that customization is important to touchscreen phone users, which has historically been a major reason for users to choose Android over iOS,” a Minuum spokesperson wrote in June.
iOS 8 is the first version of Apple’s mobile software that will allow developers to use custom keyboards in lieu of the stock keyboard. We’ve seen several developers over the last week preview their upcoming keyboards, and Minuum, QuickBoard and others, highlight exactly why it was a smart move for Apple to open third-party keyboard support within iOS 8 – a feature Android has had since its inception.
Minuum hasn’t released any details on pricing or a release date, but says we’ll get more information in the coming weeks through a signup page on its website.
[Minuum via TechCrunch]