Microsoft SwiftKey is avirtual keyboardapp originally developed by TouchType forAndroid andiOS devices. It was first released for Android in July 2010,[5] followed by an iOS release in September 2014 after Apple's implementation of third-party keyboard support.[6]
In February 2016, SwiftKey was purchased byMicrosoft for USD$250 million (~USD$319 million in 2024).[13][14]
In May 2020, the app was rebranded as Microsoft SwiftKey to reflect its present ownership.[15]
In September 2022, Microsoft announced that they were ending support for theiOS version of SwiftKey. The app was ultimately removed from the App Store on 5 October 2022.[16] However, in November 2022, Microsoft announced that they decided to reverse their decision to discontinue SwiftKey for iOS devices. The app was relisted on 18 November, with Microsoft assuring future updates for the app. The company cited "customer feedback" as a reason for SwiftKey's return.[17]
Microsoft SwiftKey is avirtual keyboard released on theAndroid andiOSoperating systems. The purpose of the app is to increase efficiency while typing on amobile phone. According to the Microsoft SwiftKey website, SwiftKey allows the user to speed up their typing process by "giving them more accurate autocorrect and predictions by learning their writing style".[18]
SwiftKey was firstreleased as abeta in theAndroid Market on 14 July 2010, supporting seven languages. It included a variety of settings to adjust audio feedbackvolume and length ofhaptic feedback vibration. It was announced on SwiftKey's officialwebsite on 15 May 2014 that aJapanese version was available for beta testing.[19]
On 14 July 2011,SwiftKey X was released to the Android Market as anupgrade to SwiftKey. The upgrade brought updated features andSwiftKey X introduced a dedicated app for tablets calledSwiftKey Tablet X. New features included:[20]
Acloud-basedpersonalization service which analyses how the user types in Gmail, Twitter, Facebook, and text messages, with the aim to predict phrases in the user's style.
Technology that continually monitors the user's typing precision and adapts the touch-sensitive area of the touch screen for each key.
Simultaneous use of multiple languages, allowing users to type in up to three languages at once with language-specificauto-correction.
Split key layout onSwiftKey Tablet X to improvethumb typing while using a larger touchscreen.
Flow Through Space, a gesture to input wholesentences by gliding to the space bar.
An updated prediction engine.
Additional language support, raising the total of supported languages to 60.
SwiftKey 4.2 introducedSwiftKey Cloud, allowing users tobackup and sync their language behavior and software settings, plus Trending Phrases – a feature adding the trending phrases taken from Twitter and localizednews sites.
SwiftKey released an iOS application on 30 January 2014, calledSwiftkey Note, which incorporates SwiftKey's predictive typing technology as a customtoolbar attached to the top of the regular iOS keyboard.[22]
Starting withiOS 8, released in the second half of 2014, the operating system enables and supports third-party keyboards use. SwiftKey confirmed that it was working on a keyboard replacement app.[23]
Starting withiOS 13, the system keyboard came with a built in QuickPath mechanism, which works similarly to SwiftKey's swiping feature.[24]
SwiftKey for iOS was announced to be deprecated in September 2022.[25] In November 2022, however, Microsoft reverted this decision.[26]
The app includes the word prediction and auto-correction features, familiar to the Android product, SwiftKey Cloud backup and sync and personalization, and a choice of color themes.
It reached No. 1 in the free US App Store charts and the company confirmed it had been downloaded more than 1 million times on the first day of launch.[28]
In June 2012, SwiftKey released a specialized version of its keyboard calledSwiftKey Healthcare. It is a virtual keyboard for iOS, Android,Windows Phone andBlackBerry devices that offers next-word predictions based on real-world clinical data.[30] In October 2012, SwiftKey Healthcare won the Appsters Award forBest Enterprise App 2012.[31]
In April 2016, SwiftKey released a keyboard that emulatedWilliam Shakespeare's speech calledShakeSpeak in observance of the 400th year of the author's death.[32] The app was co-developed with VisitLondon.com to promote more tourism to the metropolitan area ofLondon.[33]
SwiftKey integration was included with Windows 10 beginning with the October 2018 Update.[34] However, these features were later removed fromWindows 10 beginning with the May 2020 Update.[35]
In 2015,NowSecure reported a vulnerability present in the version of SwiftKey pre-installed onSamsung devices. This would occur when the keyboard attempted to update its language pack. Samsung has since released security and firmware updates to mitigate the issue. However,TechCrunch published an article on why the issue happened because of how Samsung implemented the keyboard system on its devices.[36][37][38]
In 2016, SwiftKey users began reporting that the app was displaying personal details as suggested words to other users who did not have previous connections. Other issues included foreign languages and obscene words. SwiftKey responded by disabling cloud sync for word suggestions and releasing an update to mitigate the issue.[39][40][41]
