I ditched Gboard for an offline keyboard; I'm shocked by how little I miss it

I've used Gboard for years without stopping to think about what it means for my keyboard to have internet access. I type passwords, private messages, emails, searches, and all kinds of random thoughts into it every day. Somehow, I accepted that it was normal.

FUTO Keyboard made me question that. It works without a network connection, and its voice typing happens on my phone rather than in the cloud.

I didn't expect switching keyboards would make me think twice about something I use constantly, but after using FUTO for a while, I wondered why I assumed my keyboard needed to be online.

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By  Dhruv Bhutani

I didn't realize how much I trusted my keyboard

A keyboard isn't like most apps

If I install a weather app, I expect it to need the internet. Same with YouTube, Google Maps, or most anything that depends on online content. But a keyboard? Its basic job is simple.

Gboard turned that simple job into much more. It can translate text, find GIFs, and support voice typing. But none of that changes what I need a keyboard to do most of the time: let me type.

That's why FUTO Keyboard's approach caught my attention. It doesn't request network permission, yet offers features I'd expect from a modern keyboard, including predictive text, autocorrect, swipe typing, and offline voice input.

When I type something into FUTO, it is clear that the text stays on my phone and is processed there.

After switching from Gboard, I found that reassuring. I like the idea of having a keyboard that doesn't send what I type anywhere.

Privacy isn't the only thing FUTO gets right

There was more to the app than keeping my typing offline

I expected FUTO to feel like one of those privacy-first apps where I would have to accept some compromises. However, the basic typing experience felt closer to Gboard than I expected.

I get swipe typing, autocorrect, predictive text, emoji suggestions, voice input, and themes. FUTO also lets me adjust the keyboard's size, turn on a dedicated number row, and add a row of four arrow keys.

I can decide how long I need to hold a key before it registers as a long press, change the order of characters that appear when I hold a key, and choose whether holding or swiping the backspace key deletes one character or an entire word.

I can also change what swiping or holding the spacebar does, including using it to switch languages.

FUTO gives me more control over autocorrect than I expected. I can adjust how aggressively it corrects my mistakes, turn personalized suggestions on or off, and block words I never want to see suggested again.

There's also a personal dictionary for words I use regularly.

Multilingual typing is another useful touch. Instead of switching between keyboard layouts, I can enable multiple languages and have FUTO predict and autocorrect words from them at the same time.

FUTO isn't a complete Gboard replacement

This is where Gboard still has the edge

FUTO does a good job of getting the basics right, but switching from Gboard also made me notice how many extras I had gotten used to.

Gboard lets me search for a GIF without leaving the keyboard, while FUTO doesn't have that option. My messaging apps have their own GIF pickers, so I use those.

Then there are some things I don't use every day, but still notice are missing. Gboard supports handwriting input, for example, while FUTO doesn't offer the same handwriting keyboard.

Gboard also has built-in translation, so I can translate something as I type instead of copying it into another app. On supported devices, its writing tools can proofread text, rephrase it, shorten it, or add emojis.

I ended up keeping both keyboards

I found myself switching between the two

I didn't completely replace Gboard. I ended up keeping both keyboards on my phone and switching between them depending on what I'm doing.

FUTO is the one I reach for when I want to type my messages, emails, notes, and searches. It provides the typing features I need while keeping the keyboard completely offline, which is the reason I wanted to try it.

However, I still prefer Gboard for more advanced capabilities, such as translating text as I write or accessing Gboard's latest writing tools.

Switching between the two keyboards is simple. After enabling both, I can open any app where I can type and bring up the keyboard I want to use.

I then tap the keyboard icon in the lower-right corner of the screen and select FUTO or Gboard from the input-method menu.

On some phones, the icon may look slightly different or appear in a different spot, but it's generally in that lower-right area.

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By  Andy Boxall

I don't think I'll give up FUTO anytime soon

I started using FUTO because I liked the idea of a keyboard that couldn't send my typing over the internet.

However, it isn't a perfect replacement for Gboard. I still prefer certain Gboard features, and having Google's additional tools integrated into the keyboard can be useful at times.

But for ordinary typing, FUTO does everything I need while keeping the keyboard completely offline.