this post was submitted on 01 Feb 2025
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EDIT: Thanks, guys! I ended up downloading Heliboard from f-droid :)

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[–] Eyedust@sh.itjust.works 37 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (3 children)

I've been down this rabbit hole and here's the haul from Wonderland:

Conventional:

  • Heliboard - Has glide typing, but the available library is unstable and old. The most polished.
  • Florisboard - Currently under heavy development, but what's there is more than usable and very well done.
  • Unexpected Keyboard - I actually love this one, but as a Fold user I need some auto correct. Uses swipe motions on each key for symbols and punctuation.

Unconventional:

  • Thumbkey - A 3x3 grid using taps and swipes to type. I flip flop between this and Heliboard atm. Has circular motions to input caps or numbers. MASSIVE amount of layouts, including language, programmer, writer and more. Easy layout switch key on the fly.
  • Flickboard - Same setup as Thumbkey. This would be my go to ever since they added a landscape layout that smart switches on inner Fold screen, but there's no separate key height for it, so you have to deal with non-uniform on one screen which isn't easy to type on. Also has circular motion for caps. No numeric, but there's the option of having a small number column.
  • 8vim - The only one of it's kind since 8pen died. I'm learning this one and it's great, but wonky on inner Fold screen. Its hard to explain, but you use circular motions around on X wheel to input whole words at a time letter by letter. Start center, drag out into a quadrant, rotate to get your letter, go back to center, without lifting go to your next quadrant for the next letter. When you're done and back on center, let go to insert space, or you can move out into a quadrant then lift to end without a space. Takes a lot of getting used to.
[–] beyond@linkage.ds8.zone 4 points 2 days ago (1 children)

It should be noted that Heliboard does not "have glide typing" but rather it supports loading the proprietary Google swype library.

[–] Eyedust@sh.itjust.works 2 points 2 days ago

One that's two years old at that. Its not the best solution, but it's the only one we have if you absolutely need glide typing.

It hitches up sometimes and I find myself getting the wrong words more than other glide typing solutions from closed source keyboards, but it's not horrible.

Sorry I wasn't more clear on this in my original post.

[–] HotCoffee@lemm.ee 5 points 2 days ago (1 children)

U have nerfed my typing speed by 99% with thumb key. Its fun tho

[–] Eyedust@sh.itjust.works 4 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Lol I know the pain. It takes a few days to get to acceptable typing speed, but you can get pretty fast (some report 56 wpm which is pretty good for a virtual keyboard).

Just make sure you know what you want between Thumbkey or Messagease layouts. I started with Messagease layout and it was all good until I spotted some really nice Thumbkey programmer layouts and switched.

[–] HotCoffee@lemm.ee 3 points 2 days ago

Gonna stick with it for a bit, and check the other one out. Some words are already coming out quicker. Thanks for the tips

[–] qaz@lemmy.world 4 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Do you also know if any of them support multi language spell checking?

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[–] Daeraxa@lemmy.ml 82 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Heliboard which is an active fork of OpenBoard.

[–] irotsoma@lemmy.blahaj.zone 15 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

I've been using Heliboard for a while. It does most that gboard does, but the predictions aren't as good of course.

[–] Static_Rocket@lemmy.world 9 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Yeah, I've been using it for about a year now. It's a little frustrating that it will learn my misspellings before it suggests a proper replacement, but otherwise I have no complaints. Direct upgrade over the stock AOSP keyboard.

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[–] MrSilkworm@lemmy.ml 4 points 2 days ago (1 children)
[–] abobla@lemm.ee 2 points 2 days ago

thanks, a lot of people talked about it, I downloaded it yesterday.

Dammit people stop asking this question I have 5 different keyboards now

[–] randint@lemmy.frozeninferno.xyz 10 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Fcitx5 for Chinese, and Flickboard for English. Honestly sad that there isn't a decent open-source keyboard for Japanese though.

[–] nasi_goreng@lemmy.zip 3 points 2 days ago (1 children)

There's Mozc, but it's oudated and no one maintain it anymore.

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[–] crmsnbleyd@sopuli.xyz 6 points 2 days ago

I've been using heliboard for more than a year without any issues. Only think I don't like is the lack of emoji search(?)

[–] giacomo@lemm.ee 25 points 3 days ago

ive been using heliboard for a while now. no complaints.

[–] BlastboomStrice@mander.xyz 21 points 3 days ago (5 children)

Florisboard beta is what I use. Extremely customisable. I think the biggest things that lacks are custom background photo and text-gliding (I ~dont use any of these though).

I made it almost identical to the gboard theme I was using previously and it's so cool.

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[–] daggermoon@lemmy.world 9 points 3 days ago

FlorisBoard

[–] DragonsInARoom@lemmy.world 5 points 2 days ago

Openboard (fdroid)

[–] davel@lemmy.ml 16 points 3 days ago (1 children)

I don’t know, but Thumb-Key is written to by a core Lemmy developer, dessalines.

[–] technotion@slrpnk.net 7 points 3 days ago

what a fantastic way to indicate my turbo nerd status to my friends and family!

[–] jeena@piefed.jeena.net 14 points 3 days ago (8 children)

I like HeliBoard. It automatically switches between the languages I write in.

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[–] Ludrol@szmer.info 5 points 3 days ago

After trying couple of keybords (mostly AnySoftKeyboard and TypeWise [proprietary]) I have settled on Unexpected Keyboard due to easy switch of keybords to get to japanese keyboard and tts button.

[–] AbsolutelyNotAVelociraptor@sh.itjust.works 12 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Thumb-key.

It takes a bit to adapt and create muscle memory but I can't change it now that I am used to it.

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[–] ravshaul@discuss.tchncs.de 7 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Preference for AnySoftKeyboard.

Why is there so many censored posts about keyboard apps?

[–] cypherpunks@lemmy.ml 2 points 2 days ago

there is a thread about the moderation of this thread here.

[–] rosco385@lemm.ee 6 points 3 days ago (2 children)

I use Fcitx5 for its Chinese language support.

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[–] 0xb@lemm.ee 1 points 2 days ago

I just wish languagetool made an android keyboard, all the open source options require some compromise with the autocorrect in my native language

[–] pedroapero@lemmy.ml 3 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

Could you specify wether these support physical keyboards? (showing only a toolbar when one is detected). I'm using the default proprietary Kika-keyboard on my device and it's not great. Microsoft Swiftkey works but is not perfect and not FLOSS.

[–] Xeroxchasechase@lemmy.world 9 points 3 days ago

I've actually tried everything that was recommended here, but AnySoftKeyboard still fits me the best.

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