5 reasons why I switched to this privacy-focused Android keyboard

Saeed Wazir is a South Africa-based journalist with over 15 years of IT experience and a love for reading and writing. He joined Pocket-Lint after writing tech articles for Dot Esports and Screen Rant and now covers the latest in TV, streaming, laptops, tablets, and PCs. When he's not looking for the latest gadgets, he's relaxing on the beach or exploring open-world games.

As a Galaxy user, I often switched between Samsung Keyboard and Google's Gboard as my default typing app. Samsung Keyboard had its benefits, but I moved to Gboard, which offered faster typing and decent privacy after changing these settings. The voice typing still wasn't as accurate as I'd like it to be and, after trying several keyboards, I settled on this one, which doesn't store my data.

Futo keyboard isn't as popular as its big corporate rivals, like Samsung Keyboard, Gboard, and Swiftkey, but can hold its own with superior privacy and functionality. I didn't expect much when I tried it for the first time, and I'm a converted fan. Here are five reasons why Futo is the best Android keyboard app if you car about privacy.

Typing experience

Feels like home

The typing experience is what I look for above all else in a keyboard app. I think having advanced features are pointless if it doesn't get the basics right. Futo was as fast and fluid as its rivals after the initial setup. All the keys are where you expect them to be, and the layout felt like home after a few minutes.

I only type in English and didn't have any issues with the autocorrect and other features. The app doesn't natively support other languages, and you'll need to download the multilingual language packs from the official site to access them.

Futo keyboard includes hundreds of emojis in categories, like Smileys and Emotion, People and Body, and Food and Drink, which are easily accessible with a shortcut button. However, there's no support for GIFs and stickers like there are in Gboard or Samsung Keyboard. The app somewhat makes up for that with the useful Text Editor feature, which has direction keys and other handy tools for navigating a document.

Customization

Better than expected

For me, customization is a must when trying any keyboard app. I prefer adding custom themes and, if I can, making the keyboard bigger. I also prefer adding the number bar to the top for quick access.

Doing this on Futo was a breeze, and I had it set up the way I wanted in a few minutes. Switching between themes or even keyboard types, like split or one-handed, is simple in the settings. I liked the quick-access button for themes in the top-right corner of the interface. The redo and undo buttons are also handy for quick edits, and the arrow keys let me navigate across documents fast.

Swipe typing

A unique layout to try

I've never been a fan of swipe typing, but maybe it's because I haven't put enough time and effort into learning it. I was intrigued when I discovered Futo had created a keyboard layout called KASROZ optimized for swiping.

So what’s the difference? Well, it arranges the letters in a five-row grid, with the letters rearranged compared to the standard QWERTY keyboard. Trying the new keyboard layout was initially harder than swipe typing on the standard keyboard because I was unfamiliar with the layout. It then became easier with practice and I started enjoying its smoothness. I can see how this keyboard layout can be better for swipe typing. I also think it's great that you can switch between them in a second by long-pressing the space bar.

Voice typing

Fast and functional

I use voice typing often and get frustrated when it gets my words wrong. I tried Futo keyboard’s voice typing feature and found it reasonably accurate. The app recognized my voice and most of my words. It automatically adds capitalization and punctuation like commas and full stops, but doesn't recognize speech or add quotation marks.

I also had to get used to the way it works. Unlike Gboard, it doesn't type in real-time. Instead, it waits for you to finish speaking before transcribing your words. Overall, I'd say it's as good as Gboard if not better, considering it's an offline app.

Privacy

Better than its rivals

Futo surpasses its rivals in this area. The app is free, open-source, and doesn't require an account. It also works offline and doesn't upload or share any personal data, such as voice telemetry or transcripts, with third parties.

The idea behind it is to offer a free alternative to surveillance-based apps, and it mostly succeeds in this regard. It's the best option for people who value privacy and prefer to keep all their data stored locally on their device.