Google Launches 'Gboard' Keyboard For iOS, Featuring Built-In Google Search (techcrunch.com)

An anonymous reader writes: Google launched a new keyboard application called "Gboard" for iOS today that features Google Search built-in to the keyboard itself. In addition, it offers swipe-based typing and access to GIFs, as well as some basic features like emojis and word predictions. The "G" icon in the upper lefthand corner opens a window for you to search Google without leaving the keyboard and launching a browser or the Google app. From there you can search for things like flight times, news articles, restaurant and business listings, weather and more, and paste that information into your chat with a single tap. The information is presented in a card-style layout. "We wanted to bring the best of Google to Gboard, so you'll see Maps, Translate, image and video search, News and others," says Rajan Patel, head of the product team that developed Gboard. "Initially, Gboard will not surface any information specific to you," he added, hinting that a personalized keyboard is in the works for the future.

Comments

Nice!

[110010001000]

Downloading it now! Now THAT is innovation. Apps!

Re:Nice!

[karthikaqpt]

It is great app for search and send information.This must be a record. Gboard by Google reached the 1,000 Club in half a day. Watch this video also https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

FUCK EVERYTHING, PUT SEARCH IN THE KEYBOARD

[Anonymous Coward]

h/t theonion.com

Important question

[MobileTatsu-NJG]

What prevents Google from sending everything you type back to the mother-ship?

Re:Important question

[dgatwood]

Apple's app review, for one....

Re:Important question

[MobileTatsu-NJG]

I personally wouldn't bet against Google's never-ending hunger for data.

Re:Important question

[ChunderDownunder]

Yep, I wondered how long until this slashvertisment for 'helpful' Google products would turn into a discussion about invasiveness.

"I use an iPhone so I don't get infected by all that Google s--t."

But yeah, I am finding the notifications on Android lately rather frightening. Maybe it's my paranoia kicking in but even if they don't use my data maliciously I find it scary that they remind me from scanning my email that a bill is due or that if I take this route I'm 26 minutes from 'home'.

So I think a dose of AOSP/Cyanogenmod and f-droid may cure my anxiety, particularly as an official product, Google aren't bothering to update my 5.1.1 Nexus device to M, let alone N.

Re:Important question

[c]

Have you considered just turning off all the Google Now functionality? Because that's where all those "helpful" notifications are coming from.

Re:Important question

[ChunderDownunder]

Cheers, I'll give it a try.

Re:Important question

[Laser_iCE]

Nothing.

Your passwords are safe provided you only type them into password fields (as the default iOS keyboard is the only keyboard you can use to type in password text boxes or whatever the technical name for them is).

I use SwiftKey on iOS which was recently acquired by Microsoft so it was only a short amount of time before Google brought out their alternative.

But I am well aware that anything I type can be and is probably used by the developers (Apple make a point of announcing this when installing a third party keyboard).

Re: Important question

[Anonymous Coward]

The same thing that prevents all other keyboard apps from doing .

Re:Important question

[Solandri]

Any add-on keyboard app can do that. A keyboard app is literally half of a keylogger. There is simply no way around it - it has to know what you're typing in order to function as a keyboard. Whenever you install a keyboard app on Android, it pops up a warning saying it can't guarantee the privacy of anything you type.

And FWIW, anything you type into Apple's messaging app is sent to the Apple mothership. The iPhones exchange text messages across Apple's iMessage servers instead of via SMS (which only the carrier sees, not the phone manufacturer or message app developer). When you send a text to a non-iPhone, it goes through an iMessage-SMS gateway.

Re:Important question

[Anonymous Coward]

FWIW the messages you send on iMessage are messages intended to be delivered on the interwebs. On the other hand, Google would know what perverted search terms you're typing into Safari even when in private mode.

Re:Important question

[Anonymous Coward]

It's intended to do that by design? Yes, google have published a key-logger that a heap of people will deliberately install...

Re:Important question

[Anonymous Coward]

Why do you think that would stop it? Key-logging would be required for "live search" functionality to work....?

Re:Important question

[istartedi]

Well, it's not surprising when you consider that there's an entire class of apps built around the concept of "checking in". 4square was the biggest one for a while. Not sure if it's still doing well; but the idea is there. The cat will gladly accept the shiny bell that the mice give him, just like in the cartoons.

Re:Important question

[antdude]

I bet Apple does this too with their own apps. All of these apps aren't open sourced for us to review. :(

Re:Important question

[Anonymous Coward]

Disabling that functionality does not mean the data is not still being sent to Google, it just means you don't get the benefit of the services in exchange for that data anymore. If data privacy is the concern, removal of Google software is the answer.

Re:Important question

[Anonymous Coward]

What prevents you from not installing it in the first place?
It's not like chrom* which comes with every windows installer

Re:Important question

[j_l_cgull]

When you send a text to a non-iPhone, it goes through an iMessage-SMS gateway.

Citation ? I thought when Messages determines the recipient is not an iPhone, it uses the SMS functionality of the carrier - not any iMessage-SMS gateway.

Re:Important question

[amRadioHed]

The data isn't being sent to Google because he's using Gmail. It's stupid giving a company your email messages and then getting freaked out that their computers actually have the data in your email.

Re:Important question

[amRadioHed]

I find it scary that they remind me from scanning my email that a bill is due or that if I take this route I'm 26 minutes from 'home'.

Why is it more scary for the company that holds your email to scan it for relevant information that you might be interested in than for them to scan the information for the spam filtering and routing that every email provider needs to do?

They have the information in your email and you know it, so why not use it for your benefit instead of pretending that they don't actually have the data that you've asked them to hold for you?

Feature built-in Google Track

[Anonymous Coward]

In iOS, 3rd party keyboards must be provided Full Access to the device. This includes Contacts, Calendars, Photos, Location, and almost everything you type. Oh, and Internet access with which to upload all this information to Google (or whomever).

Re: Feature built-in Google Track

[Anonymous Coward]

Not true. Swype, for example, doesn't require this.

Re: Feature built-in Google Track

[MobileTatsu-NJG]

If you go into the KB settings in iOS 9 you'll see an 'about keyboard privacy' link that spells out that 'Full Access' explicitly means access to all of the data that the AC spelled out. I'm not sure if you have to opt in or opt out (not willing to try it...), but your options basically are all-or-nothing.

Shame on Apple.

Re: Feature built-in Google Track

[Registered Coward v2]

If you go into the KB settings in iOS 9 you'll see an 'about keyboard privacy' link that spells out that 'Full Access' explicitly means access to all of the data that the AC spelled out. I'm not sure if you have to opt in or opt out (not willing to try it...), but your options basically are all-or-nothing.

Shame on Apple.

Opt in. Full access is of by default so you need to enable it. That said, I use gboard and find it useful.

Re: Feature built-in Google Track

[Anonymous Coward]

That said, I use gboard and find it useful.

Even if slashdot is slow with news (and the product were to have been out for a couple days) qualifying an observation with "just installed / started using" would be better than "I USE"

I am puzzled by /.er comments that always testify to being a happy or even faithful product user for unknown or brand new products, free of disclaimers. This one on the Parent comment is dated an hour after our story hit, and "Google launches" means this can't be more than hours old.

Re:Feature built-in Google Track

[Desler]

Nope only the shitty ones require that. I've used Swype and have never granted it full access.

Re:Feature built-in Google Track

[Anonymous Coward]

Swype DOES need full access to be fully functional too. The developers even released a statement at the time explaining this.

Re:Feature built-in Google Track

[Anonymous Coward]

responding to myself. I was thinking of swiftkey not Swype. Swype indeed does not require full access as it doesn't integrate with anything, it just works as a keyboard (how it should be)

Re: Feature built-in Google Track

[Anonymous Coward]

Yup verified. Saw this and was glad I had Siri and dictation turned off.

When you use Siri and Dictation the things you say and dictate will be recorded and sent to Apple to process your requests. Your device will also send Apple other information, such as your name and nickname; the names, nicknames, and relationship with you (e.g., âoemy dadâ) of your address book contacts, song names in your collection, HomeKit-enabled devices in your home (e.g., âoeliving room lightsâ), and the names of your photo albums (collectively, your âoeUser Dataâ). All of this data is used to help Siri and Dictation on your iOS device and any paired Apple Watch understand you better and recognize what you say. It is not linked to other data that Apple may have from your use of other Apple services.

Love

[LunaticTippy]

I'm so happy to have this. I finally can use the glide typing. I have a free iphone from work and am too cheap to have a second phone, and I was envious of my android friends better keyboards.

Re:Love

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm so happy to have this. I finally can use the glide typing.

While I love swyping and autocomplete and absolutely hate the iPad keyboard layout I've had to use for troubleshooting URLs at work, I'll say that you'll be regretting how much harder life gets when you're no longer typing one character at a time, and ALL the words are dictionary words that you can't easily spot. The worst errors are the ones that mix with the crowd and you only find after you HIT SEND on that exciting text conversation.

And if you've never noticed swypos indoors, just wait till you have a different setting where your hands and fingers have a different dynamic: walking down the street, stopping impatient people with a not so brief "can't talk now" text or trying to complete some task with frozen fingers in the dead of winter or from a crowded space. This also gets complicated if you have to swap hands or use thumbs --today's screens are huge, so you'll be straining your thumbs if your other hand is holding the groceries.

Re:Love

[Laser_iCE]

SwiftKey (as well as many alternatives) have offered "glide typing" for a while now.

Re:Love

[Desler]

Third-party keyboards on iOS have been around for months and months now. slowpoke.jpg much?

Re:Love

[LunaticTippy]

Whatevs. Been burnt too many times by third party apps that require in app purchases or have ads or whatnot. Say what you want about gooble, at least they don't want my money and won't show me flashing banner ads.

Re: Love

[Laser_iCE]

5 minutes of research will show you that SwiftKey is free with no ads. The only in-app purchase is for different themes if you want them.

Stolen idea

[Anonymous Coward]

Slash keyboard is specifically a search keyboard and is on iOS and Android. It has been around for almost a year now. There are others. Google must be scared.

Only available in the US

[Anonymous Coward]

Thanks Google. When will it be on the App Store outside of the USA?

The walled garden, closing those pesky holes

[hughbar]

Google it, and 'Let me Google that for you' are already embedded in common parlance. So I can now Google something 'more easily', immediately get the results that Google wants me to have and then buy shit, probably from Amazon. Is the world wonderful or am I just old, grumpy and slightly fearful?

Re:The walled garden, closing those pesky holes

[110010001000]

Yeah but remember when "Yahoo" used to be the common parlance? Google won't be around forever.

Re:The walled garden, closing those pesky holes

[hughbar]

I hope, and also, IBM had huge dominance in the mainframe era. My main worry is that things are getting sewn together in Googlezon + Facebay etc.

Re:The walled garden, closing those pesky holes

[Anonymous Coward]

When Google goes down though it will a sight to behold. Companies with that much information on everyone just don't go down quietly.

For Shame

[ThatsNotPudding]

What prevents Google from sending everything you type back to the mother-ship?

Why would you say such a cruel and hateful thing about an advertising agency?

Fuck this US centric shit

[Anonymous Coward]

Can't get it outside of the US, fuck this US centric shit, Microsoft did the same thing with their keyboard apps too.. why are we European users stuck with shitty iOS keyboards? Swiftkey has nice functionality but it's slowass to load and the built-in iOS keyboard is a pile of shit that doesn't even have swipe features.

WTF?

[Not-a-Neg]

This is the stupidest thing ever, I don't need search built-in to a keyboard! The keyboard ONLY appears when I am trying to type something in to a field, the last damn thing I need is to hit a button and be taken away from what I am trying to do! What someone NEEDS to do is make a keyboard for iOS with a number row visible at the top at all times the keyboard is up.