Google today launched Gboard, a new keyboard for iOS which allows users to quickly search the web for information, in addition to sharing GIFs.
Google seems to be on a keyboard roll: Fresh from updating its official Google Keyboard for Android, the company has brought a new keyboard to iOS in the form of Gboard.
Gboard allow users to quickly search Google for information directly from the comfort of whatever application they’re already typing in.
Read: Google Keyboard receives massive update, gets one-handed mode
In addition to built-in search capabilities, Gboard allows uses to share GIFs and further adds swipe-based typing in the style of SwiftKey.
Unsurprisingly, the company’s newest addition to iOS is directly integrated with the firm’s other corse services; from a large G icon on the keyboard’s centre pane, users are able to pull up a Google search field and investigate things like flight times, restaurants, and weather.
From there, information found aboard Google can be quickly inserted into a chat field through a simple tap – the only caveat being that users will be required to allow Gboard to access their location.
Information posted from the keyboard will appear as hyperlinked text in a chat, which will allow users on the receiving end to quickly find a listing in Google maps or perform a web search themselves.
In statement, Rajan Patel, the head of Google’s product team, quipped that “œWe wanted to bring the best of Google to Gboard, so you‘ll see Maps, Translate, image and video search, News and others… Initially, Gboard will not surface any information specific to you.”
Google has further partnered with Riffsy to provide predefine GIF categories for easy searching, though GIFs can be imported from a multitude of different services through search.
Read: Microsoft‘s Word Flow keyboard arrives on iPhone
What are your thoughts on Google’s new iOS keyboard? Be sure to let us know in the comments below!
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Download Gboard on the App Store here
