I switched to an iPhone only to realize that Gboard runs terribly on Android

I currently use three smartphones, two of which run Android, and the other is an iPhone.

The one that I like using the least is my iPhone 16e because of its limitations in almost every aspect, especially software.

I say almost because Apple really nails some of the key software parts in iOS, looking down on its Android rivals and showing them how it's done.

I am glad that Android has learned some lessons from it, but I'm hugely disappointed that the typing experience on Gboard on my Android phone isn't nearly as good as the Apple keyboard on my iPhone 16e.

While the Gboard keyboard app is way ahead of the Apple keyboard in feature count, the latter does a better job at getting the basics right.

After using my iPhone as my primary handset for a month and then coming back to Android, I could clearly see the difference.

Gboard on Android felt so much less polished and responsive that I started believing it runs poorly on Android.

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By  Andy Boxall

My iPhone's virtual trackpad offers more freedom than Gboard's cursor gesture

I use my phone a lot to edit the articles I write for Android Police, so the freedom to move the cursor in all four directions is more of a necessity than a luxury.

In my one-month experiment, I used the virtual trackpad features at least a couple of times each time I edited something on my iPhone.

It quickly became deeply ingrained into my typing habit, so much so that I instinctively tried to pull off the same trick on Gboard.

However, it was never going to work on Gboard, as it lacks support for a virtual trackpad. I still make the same mistake sometimes, as I use both Android and iOS daily.

My iPhone keyboard does it with great ease. All I have to do is long-press the space button, and it'll quickly launch the virtual trackpad.

I can then move the cursor up or down to jump between paragraphs, as well as move the pointer along the lines by swiping left or right.

Gboard, on the other hand, allows no such freedom. It limits cursor movement only to the left and right. It feels frustrating, especially after you get used to a virtual trackpad.

Its excellent cursor movement complements the virtual trackpad perfectly

After I long press the space bar and slide my finger left or right across the space bar, the cursor moves accordingly.

The Gboard keyboard app does it slightly differently. You only need to slide your finger across the space bar to move your cursor to the left or right.

Still, the experience is far superior on the iPhone.

Apple's virtual trackpad moves the cursor exactly where I want it on my first attempt. That's how well it is in sync with my finger movements.

I didn't notice this even once during my one-month experiment with the iPhone as my primary handset.

But soon after I switched to Android again and started editing, I could clearly see the difference in speed.

The cursor movement in Gboard on Android feels sluggish, almost as if the pointer is dragging its feet. It's never in sync with my finger movement for this reason.

Initially, I thought my Android handset had become slower, so I tested it on multiple Android devices, only to get the same disappointing results.

I much prefer Apple's approach to language switching

I'm not fluent in five languages like many of my colleagues at Android Police, but I can speak, write, and understand English, Bengali, and Hindi.

Although I type a lot more in English every day, I chat with many of my friends in Bengali and Hindi.

The suggestion bar on the iOS keyboard features shortcuts to the keyboards of the other two languages. So, I can quickly switch between English, Bengali, and Hindi with a tap.

Since I know only these three languages, Apple's approach to language switching on its keyboard fits perfectly with how I type.

Switching to another keyboard on Gboard isn't painful, but it's not as seamless as the iOS keyboard, either. You need to long press the space bar for Gboard to show and allow you to select which keyboard you want to type on.

There is no way of quickly switching between different keyboards in Gboard.

My iPhone keyboard has completely changed my expectations

I don't mind fancy features, but those shouldn't come at the expense of basic functionalities.

This is not to say that Gboard lacks basic typing features — the keyboard app from Google certainly doesn't.

Gboard has plenty of them, but the real problem lies in their implementations. What once felt like a joy to type on now feels slow because the keyboard on the iPhone has raised my expectations.