Keyboards & Input Methods

Most users probably live with the pre-installed keyboard app. Either because they are satisfied with it, that they are not aware of alternatives, or that the alternatives known to them are not really alternatives to them. Only few will know all available keyboard apps (even I don't). But even if the following list is far from being complete, they might prove helpful to the one or other.

Important to consider is that such a keyboard app is aware of all input done with it (well, that's its job, right?). Theoretically it could record all input (including passwords and other sensitive data). In case it also holds the permission to access the network, one could imagine some evil things. So better think twice if there are concerns to consider! In this context also be aware of all those trackers (which is where your entered information might end up). This category ranks highest in „average trackers per app“.

The permission to read/write user dictionaries is fully legit here, however – as that's what keyboards use for spell checking and „predictive typing“.

Keyboards supporting Swipe, Type, and Voice

2021-10-22

Gboard - the Google Keyboard (4.5@9,068,011) Ǥ 19 1
Bobble Indic Keyboard - Stickers, Ғonts & Themes (4.5@294,604) Ǥ 26 8
Microsoft SwiftKey Keyboard (4.2@3,774,870) Ǥ 12 3 Datenschutz-Test 7/2019
TouchPal Keyboard (4.1@97) 13 17 LastUpdate: 2019-09-12
Smart Keyboard Pro (3.9@22,067; ~EUR 2.25) 6 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ dictionaries available for many languages

Keyboards for Typing

2021-10-04

A.I.type Keyboard Free (4.8@433) 3 18 LastUpdate: 2019-07-14 / ai.type keyboard Plus + Emoji (4.1@59,424; ~EUR 3.25) Ǥ 16 8 stores a lot of your personal data you type on their servers, which already leaked once
Simple Keyboard (4.4@7,107) 1 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ Github; Vorstellung 8/2019
Deutsche Tastatur (4.4@2,989) 0 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ LastUpdate: 2020-01-21
Typewise Offline Keyboard (4.4@1,500; ~EUR 25.00) 3 1 Vorstellung 6/2016
Hacker’s Keyboard (4.3@54,310) 3 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ LastUpdate: 2018-12-07 Github; Video Review 6/2018; not only for hackers
Technical Keyboard (4.3@2,558) 11 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ LastUpdate: 2017-09-24
OpenBoard (4.3@1,349) 4 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ Github; Review 6/2021
Classic Keyboard (4.2@85,977) 9 2 LastUpdate: 2018-06-07 Kurzvorstellung 7/2015
1C Big Keyboard (4.2@19,959) Ǥ 9 9
Indic Keyboard (4.2@6,889) 5 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ GitLab
Fleksy Free keyboard Themes with Emojis Swipe-type (4.1@268,082) Ǥ 21 5 Wikipedia EN
A.I.type Tablet Keyboard Free (4@14,117) Ǥ 9 3 LastUpdate: 2019-10-07 / A.I.type Tablet Keyboard Plus (4@1,342; ~EUR 1.75) Ǥ 9 3 LastUpdate: 2019-10-02
Minuum Keyboard + Smart Emoji (4@10,200; ~EUR 3.50) Ǥ 11 1 LastUpdate: 2017-02-18
Big Buttons Keyboard Standard (4@9,215) 1 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ LastUpdate: 2013-12-18 / Big Buttons Keyboard Deluxe (3.7@1,322; ~EUR 3.25) 2 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ LastUpdate: 2015-10-10
Tiny Keyboard (4@180) 0 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ LastUpdate: 2019-11-03 Github
Compass Keyboard (4@56) 3 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ LastUpdate: 2018-03-16 Github; International keyboard
ThickButtons Keyboard (3.9@6,755) 7 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ LastUpdate: 2014-05-09
BeHe Keyboard - Programming & More (3.8@138) 1 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ LastUpdate: 2018-04-04
Thumb Keyboard (3.7@8,185; ~EUR 2.25) 9 1 LastUpdate: 2014-11-15
Keyboard Designer: Create your own keyboard (3.7@560) Ǥ 2 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ Vorstellung 8/2020
DroidTR IME (En/Ru/Tr/Gr Keyboard) (3.7@90) 2 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ LastUpdate: 2020-03-05 GitLab
T16Fling (0@0) 0 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ GitLab

Keyboards for Typing & Swiping

2021-10-04

GO Keyboard Lite - Emoji keyboard, Free Theme, GIF (4.4@2,633,733) Ǥ 19 16
Cheetah Keyboard (4.4@25) Ǥ 29 17
Ginger Keyboard - Emoji, GIFs, Themes & Games (4.3@184,962) Ǥ 17 14 Video Demo 3/2015; spell and grammar check
Chrooma Keyboard - RGB & Emoji Keyboard Themes (4.3@172,412) Ǥ 22 9 Kurzvorstellung 2/2016; Intro 6/2016
Grammarly - Grammar Keyboard (4.3@122,656) Ǥ 13 6
TSwipe-Pro keyboard (4.2@10,898) Ǥ 15 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ LastUpdate: 2015-08-01 Addons for hardware keyboards available; Phone & Tablet optimized
AnySoftKeyboard (4@25,521) 6 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ Github; MobilSicher Empfehlung 10/2019; Vorstellung 6/2020
MultiLing Keyboard (3.9@44) 5 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ LastUpdate: 2015-08-26 / Multiling O Keyboard + emoji (4.1@34,722) 4 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$
Typewise Custom Keyboard - Big Keys, Emoji & Fonts (3.8@9,817) Ǥ 8 1 Intro 2/2020
FlorisBoard (0@0) 1 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ / FlorisBoard Beta (0@0) 1 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ Github; Review 8/2021 / Github

Alternative Input Ideas

2021-10-04

Graffiti Pro for Android (4.4@951) Ǥ 1 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ LastUpdate: 2016-05-01 / Graffiti for Android (3.9@3,262) 2 LastUpdate: 2013-03-13 Like in the good-old Palm days
Google Handwriting Input (4.3@123,291) Ǥ 5 1 Vorstellung 4/2015 | 4/2015; Kurzvorstellung 4/2015
EVA Facial Mouse (3.6@24,235) Ǥ 9 5 LastUpdate: 2019-11-21 Github; emulate mouse cursor by eye tracking
mazec3 (jp) -Handwriting (3.5@564; ~EUR 9.00) Ǥ 6 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ LastUpdate: 2019-11-19 / mazec3 Handwriting Recognition (3.5@178; ~EUR 14.00) Ǥ 6 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ LastUpdate: 2019-11-19
Selvy PenScript (3.5@182) 5 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ LastUpdate: 2020-03-06
Dotterel (0@0) 3 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ Github; stenographic input

More crazy ideas can be found in the category Personal Assistants (Competition to Siri & Google Now).

Remote Keyboards

2021-10-04

… can be found in the category Control your Droid from your Computer

Other Keyboards

2021-10-06

Irregular Expressions Keyboard (4.8@105) 1 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ Github; write expressive messages in various font styles
MessagEase Keyboard (4.3@7,615) 4 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ LastUpdate: 2018-07-23
同文輸入法 (4@390) 7 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ Github; Chinese IME
kboard (3.9@1,485) 4 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ LastUpdate: 2019-08-22 Github; XDA 2/2019; Intro 2/2019; a keyboard to end conversations
NovaKey - Keyboard (3.5@903) 6 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ LastUpdate: 2016-06-23
YidKey KD (0@0) 0 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ LastUpdate: 2019-01-22 Github; Yiddish keyboard
Czech Diacritic Keyboard (0@0) 15 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ LastUpdate: 2019-06-19 Github
8vim Keyboard (0@0) 0 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ Github; vim-like keyboard and editor
Otobi Keyboard (0@0) 4 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ Github
Sithakuru (0@0) 0 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ Codeberg; Libre Sinhala Keyboard
BlitzTypeKeyboard (0@0) 0 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ LastUpdate: 2019-10-18 Github; custom keyboard with special keys for the WOT Blitz game

Keyboard Helpers

2021-10-10

Nabla : Type Math Symbols (4.9@18) 0 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ Github; easily type math symbols
Extra Physical Keyboard Layouts (4.5@298) 0 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ Github
Hoplite Polytonic Greek Keyboard (4.5@222) 1 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ Github; extension for polytonic Greek input
106/109ハードウェアキーボード配列変更 (+親指Ctrl) [日本語配列] (4.5@27) 0 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ / ハードウェアキーボード配列変更 (+親指Ctrl) [英語配列] (4.7@26) 0 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ Github; Caps to Ctrl (keyboard layout) / Github
Key Mapper GUI Keyboard (4.4@667) 4 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ Github
Keyboard Switcher (4.3@658) 5 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ GitLab
Free Physical Keyboard (3.8@285) 0 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ LastUpdate: 2018-10-28
Guileless Bopomofo Keyboard (3.8@19) 1 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ Github
External Keyboard Helper Demo (3.6@2,678) 7 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ LastUpdate: 2016-06-28 / External Keyboard Helper Pro (3.5@3,291; ~EUR 1.75) 7 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ LastUpdate: 2016-01-07 configure your external keyboard
Inputting Plus: Ctrl + Z/F/C/V (3@1,326) Ǥ 6 1 LastUpdate: 2019-01-22
SwypeTweaks (0@0) LastUpdate: 2015-09-11 Github
Full colemak (0@0) 0 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ Github; keyboard layout with dead keys etc. for physical keyboards
Suggestions Toggle (0@0) LastUpdate: 2015-02-11 Github; quickly disable/enable keyboard suggestions
Neo2 External Keyboard (0@0) 0 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ Github; Neo2-Layout when using a physical keyboard
Macro / Text Expansion (0@0) LastUpdate: 2014-09-12 Github

Further Readings:

5 Best Private Android Keyboards You Can Trust + 3 Expert Tips (6/2020)
Android-Apps ersetzen: Tastatur (2/2020)
Video: Tastatur-Apps: Was sie über Sie erfahren und welche App wir empfehlen (10/2019)
How to Connect a USB Keyboard to Your Android Phone (7/2019)
Best Android Keyboard Apps (5/2019 - 11/2019)
Best keyboard apps for Android (4/2019 - 5/2021)
Leserfrage: Empfehlenswerte Tastatur-App für Android (12/2017)
Alternativ-Tastatur auf dem Android-Smartphone einrichten (1/2016)
Die besten Android-Tastaturen: Swype, SwiftKey und Co. im Überblick (12/2014 - 5/2021)
Best keyboard for Android apps (9/2014 - 8/2021)

2021-10-22

IzzyOnDroid