Google’s smart keyboard for iPhone, GBoard, just got some serious upgrades.
The keyboard app launched back in May with a bunch of cool features including GIF support, emoji, built-in Google Search, and Glide Typing.
Now, Google is adding even more features to GBoard that whill help you send messages faster without ever having to leave the app.
The latest GBoard update adds Google Maps and YouTube searching capabilities to the keyboard itself. Now when you press the “G Button” located in the left-hand corner of the keyboard, you’ll have the option to access both Maps and YouTube. The feature makes it easier to share a location or videos with people in your contacts list. In short, you won’t have to waste time jumping between apps to grab a link anymore.
These two integrations add to the growing list of tasks you can complete using GBoard. Some of the things you could do prior to the latest update include checking sports scores, searching news articles, and more.
And if all of this wasn’t spectacular enough, Google decided to go a step further, giving people the ability to draw within their text messages.
The new drawing feature is called “Ink” and lets you draw essentially whatever your heart desires, so long as it can be drawn in primary colors. To access the new feature, click the emoji button in the bottom left corner of your keyboard, then the pen icon. The feature works similarly to the drawing pad available in Apple iMessages.
GBoard is also adding three new languages — Arabic, Hebrew, and Farsi — indicating that the company is serious about supporting this app in diverse markets across the world.
So, if you find yourself getting tired of the standard iOS keyboard, maybe it’s time to try GBoard for iOS. These new features are actually pretty awesome and might actually save you some precious time.
