5 Gboard Tips You Wish You Knew Sooner

Gboard is fast, reliable, and packed with features. While you may already be using Gboard on your Android phone, there are some lesser-known Gboard tricks you may not know about, but are definitely worth checking out.

1. Use edit mode to navigate and edit text faster

Navigating and editing text on an Android phone can be a challenge, especially when dealing with multi-line messages and long documents. That's where Gboard's editing mode comes in handy.

You can think of edit mode as a dedicated window in Gboard. It includes multiple keys to control the cursor and perform various text operations, giving you precise control over navigation and faster editing.

To use editing mode, open Gboard inside any app and tap the 4-square icon in the upper left corner. Tap the Text editing tile to switch to editing mode. (You can drag the tile to the toolbar at the top of the keyboard for quicker access.)

From here, you can use the arrow keys to navigate text, the Select key (in combination with the arrow keys) to select text, and the Copy and Paste keys to copy and paste text, respectively.

2. Use text shortcuts for frequently used words or phrases

If you frequently type certain words, phrases, or text on your phone, Gboard lets you set up shortcuts for them to make typing easier. This works similarly to text replacement on the iPhone, and you can create as many custom text shortcuts as you like. You can even import or export them between devices.

To create a text shortcut, open Gboard, tap the four-square icon, and select Settings . Now, go to Dictionary > Personal Dictionary and select your phone's default language. Tap the + icon in the upper-right corner to create a new text shortcut. Type the word or phrase you're creating a shortcut for in the Type a word field .

Similarly, enter the shortcut or trigger text in the Optional shortcut field . Press the check mark button on the keyboard to save the text shortcut.

Once set up, using text shortcuts is easy. Just type a shortcut into a text field and you'll see an expanded version of that shortcut in the suggestion strip at the top of your keyboard. Tap it and Gboard will replace the shortcut with the expanded version.

3. Translate text as you type

Gboard's multilingual typing feature lets you type in multiple languages. But what if you need to communicate in a language you can't type fluently in? Sure, you could use Google Translate or a third-party translation app to translate text, but that would involve a lot of copy-pasting and switching apps.

Gboard's Google Translate integration saves you this hassle by letting you translate text as you type. To use it, open Gboard. Then, tap the four-square icon and tap the Translate button . Make sure the first language bubble is set to Detect language and the second bubble is set to your preferred output language.

Now, start typing, and Gboard will translate the text and enter the translated version into the text field. Tap the check mark button to start a new line.

4. Use the Shift key to quickly switch between uppercase letters

The Shift key (up arrow) in Gboard turns case lock on or off, so you can type in your preferred capitalization. But it's easy to forget to turn on case lock before typing.

In such cases, instead of deleting the text and retyping it in the correct capitalization, you can simply toggle the case. To do this, tap and hold the text whose capitalization you want to change to select it. Then, press the Shift key on your keyboard to cycle through uppercase, lowercase, and initial case (the first letter of all words is capitalized).

5. Share the most recent screenshot instantly

When you want to share a screenshot you just took, you usually tap the attachment icon in the app and select a screenshot from your gallery. But with Gboard, you can save additional taps and quickly share your most recent screenshot.

All you need to do is tell Gboard to save the screenshot to the clipboard. To do this, go to Gboard settings and select Clipboard . Turn on the Save recent screenshots in clipboard option .

Once you're done, any time you take a screenshot, it will be saved to your clipboard. You can then open Gboard and it will show you a thumbnail of the screenshot in the toolbar at the top. Tap the thumbnail to preview it. You can even edit it if the app supports it. Tap the send key to send the screenshot.

These tips will help you get the most out of Gboard on your Android phone. While you're exploring them, you should also enable some Gboard settings to improve your typing experience.

Gboard isn't just a great keyboard for Android phones; it works great on iPhones, too. In fact, many people have replaced their iPhone's default keyboard with Gboard, thanks to some of the features it offers.