Google’s Gboard is the default keyboard on lots of the best Android phones, and the baked-in app is getting a much-needed refresh within the coming weeks.
Particularly, the Gboard toolbar – that’s the listing of icons above the quantity keys – is being up to date (H/T Android Police (opens in new tab)), with beta testers reporting that you just’ll quickly be capable of customise this row of icons with greater than 4 choices.
In its present guise, the Gboard toolbar plonks an immovable ellipses menu icon between the settings and voice search buttons. In its up to date kind, this ellipses turns into a button displaying 4 squares with rounded corners, and is moved to the left-hand facet of the toolbar.
That redesigned menu homes all of the shortcuts that are not at the moment within the toolbar, so you possibly can drag and drop them to interchange toolbar shortcuts. That is lengthy been the case, however now, reasonably than being restricted to 4 toolbar shortcuts, you’ll be capable of add as many shortcuts as you want – together with new emoji and language switcher choices – and the voice search button will not be locked in place. See the redesigned toolbar in motion by evaluating the images beneath.
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Along with these beauty enhancements, Google can also be engaged on including a Privateness menu to Gboard’s settings. Basically, it’ll function many of the settings that had been as soon as housed within the Superior menu, nevertheless it’s good to see Google introducing a devoted house for keyboard-related knowledge assortment.
These Gboard updates at the moment are accessible to anybody on Google’s Beta program – the brand new model is 12.6.06.491625702 – however these not already enrolled can get entangled by tapping the Be a part of button on Gboard’s Play Retailer web page.
Alternatively, we’d anticipate to see Google rolling out the updates as a part of its subsequent Android software program replace (which may come anytime within the subsequent few weeks).
For more information on getting the very best out of your Android cellphone, learn our guides on how to make custom emojis on Android, how to screenshot on Android and how to record your screen on Android for free (all three guides apply to the best Android tablets, too).
