Smart android keyboard respecting privacy?
Smart android keyboard respecting privacy?
Hello, could someone recommended a keyboard for android that is a bit smart in predictive typing? I used to like swiftkeybefore it was bought by microsoft. Not that swiftkey itself was much better but I was not so privy conscious at that time.
I recall swiftkey would require access to your texts and emails to train itself to your predictions.
Is there some similar foss keyboard where all the data then remains local?
I know swiftkey has an incognito mode, but then it stops learning from your typing.
I use a openboard + native library for flow typing. I was long time gboard user but open board is now best for me. https://github.com/Helium314/openboard
Openboard is my go-to as well. I like how customizable it is as well. I need bigger keys otherwise i fat finger everything lol.
So helpful, I've been trying to find a replacement for gboard for so long that has the gliding functionality, plus clipboard and easily accessible microphone for speach to text typing (using Futo).
Can finally really consider replacing Gboard for good.
Than you!
Do you know where we can get the apk?
On the releases tab of the project ;D
Oh neat, I had no idea someone was upgrading Openboard. I thought it was abandoned.
Last update was 3.Nov.2023 but use OpenBoard debug from Helium 314 from github and use Optanium for upgrade on android. https://github.com/ImranR98/Obtainium
Holy crap, I didn't know about this fork before now. I kinda thought that OpenBoard was sorta... abandoned at this point, but seeing the improvements from this fork just made me go and try it again. Normally I just use GBoard with it's connections disabled (CalyxOS, so that is possible to do in a secure way), but trying this out now to see if I can dump Gboard entirely.
Not sure I trust a random repo here. I dont have the skill to look through the code. In this regard I prefer - after all - gboard. The changes me login credentials get stolen by google are smaller than the chanches I am duped into installing a random keyboard from github. Just based on my threat model and my skillz.
The developer has hit a bit of a roadblock reworking a back-end system and is requesting help, but it has a great feature set already and is super customisable.
I haven't tried it yet and indeed I just read his post from 3 weeks ago on how to get back on better tracks. I will give it a try but I couldn't see from its description that it would go beyond its focus on privacy, at least for the moment
Currently florisboard doesn't have prediction nor autocorrect prediction.
Due to complications in the development of that feature (either too heavy to run or not smart enough for prediction...) and the development of the app got stuck, until maybe recently where it seems to get some dev attraction on some topics.
Tho the prediction is still stuck. So you won't have yet prediction or smart things in this keyboard.
I just had the time with it, honestly. So many things are broken, like spelling and dictionary integration. I know the dev is reworking some things, but even the last release doesn't work very well. Respects privacy, sure. Works well, naw.
On GrapheneOS ironically you can just use whatever keyboard and disable network permissions. Android is great
i just run afwall+ on my aosp rom to block network perms from apps
Isnt that a root-only app?
Because if it uses the internal VPN feature, EVERY system app can bypass it, and the Captive Portal app and others certainly do.
Only GrapheneOS fixes that afaik, providing their own Servers for captive portal, connectivity check, SUPL proxy server (strips off data and Google still has to manage because monopoly)
florisboard not perfect, but a good choice.
I use AnySoftKeyboard
I also use AnySoftKeyboard (installed from F-Droid, BTW) but IMO it kinda sucks. In particular, it often tries to autocorrect things to capitalized proper nouns, which is almost always exactly the wrong thing to do.
Frankly, I'm reading this thread in hopes of finding something else to replace it.
same
deleted
Does it have a predictive function? Based on what?
I use AnySoft as well--it has a predictive word function that seems to work just as well as GBoard's (albeit I haven't used GBoard since 2017)
The interface is different (e.g. swype left on the entire keyboard for numbers), but give yourself a week or two to adjust--most things can also be fine-tuned from the settings app
Best keyboard I ever used and need - Hacker's Keyboard: https://f-droid.org/en/packages/org.pocketworkstation.pckeyboard
Sadly not a whole lot of good options, other than the other one already mentioned here.
However I've got my hopes up for the upcoming keyboard app by FUTO. (Louis Rossman announced it on his YT channel a few vids back )
Go to F-droid and get your keyboard from there. (If you don't have F-droid installed you should)
I haven't installed something outside of it for ages. I used the foxy client for a long time, and recently droid-ify
There are good and save keyboards in F-Droid, but, well, the problem is Android itself. F-Droid is essential to obtain apps which respect privacy, but this only patch some holes when Google itself control the entire OS.
Mobile phones and privacy is an oximoron, because of this, I never use my phone for important data.
- Review apps on Exodus Privacy
- Desactivate GPS/Localisation service, at least if you dont use it
- Review permissions of all installed apps and set them to desactivate after use in the app settings
- Disconnect WiFi when you go offline
- Don't use public WiFi, at least without VPN, even if it is only a free one (eg. like Calyx, FOSS, trustworthy, no account, encrypted, without datalimit, but only 1 server from the Calyx institute, anyway save enough for an occasional use, Techradar review).
- Common sense (the user is the biggest privacy hole)
No update in over a year. Is the project still maintained?
There's fork that gets updates
Does it have the option to have a separate number row? I didn't see it in the preview images.
Nevermind, I'm blind.
Added number row support to more languages
https://github.com/dessalines/thumb-key/
The best, on F-Droid.
I tried thumb key and it just took too much effort to get used to. Not to mention it basically requires using one thumb instead of two, so it's possibly slower.
and also has no predictions, which really slows it way down since you have to type out each long word the whole way through instead of just getting it to the point of uniqueness and clicking the suggestion.
KryptEY is pretty secure
I use the last Swype apk with network access blocked in NetGuard, because I can't go without swipe typing. The personal dictionary still works.
I found with gboard and swiftkey the dictionary didn't save words without network connectivity.
I use OpenBoard and is very happy with it.
Unexpected keyboard, was meant for termux but can be used for daily use. It’s difficult to get the habit of key positions though.
I tried it, but couldn't find basic stuff like how to type áàâ from the letter a... Also no predictions
Here, its with the secondary functions of letter D, J and N.
Yeah no predictions is not a feature but I like to scroll trough text with the space bar and delete backwards. Plus if you hold a key it keeps going like a regular keyboard which I like.
Overall I think its a good option for composing emails if you get the hang of it.
I recall swiftkey would require access to your texts and emails to train itself to your predictions.
I'm not a Microsoft fan, but I use SwiftKey anyway. It cannot read your SMS and mails. It asks for a few permissions, but you can deny them all. Also you don't need a Microsoft account. I guess if you use Microsoft for your mail, SwiftKey can read your mails then.
If I'm not wrong, if you don't connect with an email you lose the personalised dictionary function, which I think (?) is what is used to the customised predictions. I might try it again, maybe they changed how they work. Probability unsubstantiated: after it was bought by microsoft, I had found the predictions much less efficient, which was another reason back then to uninstall it
I think (but don't know) that you still get a personalised dictionary, but it will not be transmitted to a new phone or second device.
If you do use it, make sure to use a different email from your normal one.
If your phone is rooted you can use any standalone keyboard app you like as long as you block it's internet access
Not rooted for once in a long time, but I'll think about it. How do you restrict an app's access?
If you do not have an LSposed framework or similar (formerly knows as Xposed Framework) you can either use Adaway for blocking the phone from reaching websites (keep in mind that this is globally, though) or e.g. AFWall+ for preventing single Apps to connect to the internet (Apps that don't try to get internet access are not shown is the list provided by AFWall+).
If you have LSposed or similar I believe it is possible to install XprivacyLua. This was/is(?) a very powerful tool to manage every single access an app is trying to get. Why would a sketchy chinese calculator app need access to the contacts and the internet even though this was never allowed in the system settings?
