If you’ve heard of mobile keyboards, chances are you’ve come across Microsoft SwiftKey. SwiftKey has been around for a while and boasts about predictive text and customization options that are supposed to make typing easier. At least, that’s what SwiftKey promises. But let me tell you, my experience with the app was far from what they advertised. In fact, after using it for just 30 seconds, I had no choice but to uninstall it. Here’s why.
The “?” Problem with SwiftKey
First, let’s talk about something as simple as a question mark. For a keyboard app that claims to enhance typing, SwiftKey somehow decided to leave out the â?â from the long press options. Now, if youâre someone who uses a question mark frequently in your conversations, youâll see how big of a problem this is. Gboard, for example, places the â?â conveniently under the âMâ key when you long press it. Itâs small, but it makes a huge difference in typing efficiency, allowing you to insert the question mark quickly without having to switch to the symbols keyboard.
SwiftKey, on the other hand, forces you to take extra steps, which not only breaks your flow but also makes fast-paced typing, especially in professional settings, a headache. Take a look at the Gboard and SwiftKey keypads below. As you can see in Figure 1, the Gboard keypad has the symbol “?” on the top right of the M key, while the SwiftKey keyboard (Figure 2) would require you to long press the key for period/fullstop but that option would give you four characters to choose from; and in order to select the “?” character, you’ll need to slide your finger all the way to extreme right of the options, slowing down your typing.
Figure 1: abc Interface of Gboard Keypad

Figure 2: abc Interface of SwiftKey Keypad

Now, maybe you’re thinking, âItâs just one key, what’s the big deal?â But in a world where user experience is everything, this is a glaring omission. How can an app that prides itself on its typing features not consider the convenience of one of the most commonly used punctuation marks? This alone was enough to make me reconsider, but there was more. Note, the “/” character that SwiftKey has given priority by placing it at the M key is hardly used in day to day typing, compared to the “?” character.
The Number Grid Problem
The second reason that sealed SwiftKeyâs fate for me was the lack of a grid number keypad. You see, when it comes to typing numbers, a grid layout is far more efficient than the standard row layout SwiftKey uses. Again, Gboard gets this right by providing a grid number keypad, which makes entering numbers faster and less error-prone. Whether itâs filling out forms, entering passwords, or dealing with financial data, a grid layout simplifies the process. But SwiftKey doesnât offer that option, and that made it unnecessarily difficult to enter numbers.
When I found myself struggling to input something as simple as phone numbers because of the row layout, I knew SwiftKey was not the right fit for me. It might sound trivial, but convenience is key, and when an app complicates basic tasks, itâs not worth keeping around. Figure 3 highlights the grid layout of the Gboard keypad, while Figure 4 shows that only the row layout is available in the SwiftKey keypad.
Figure 3: Number grid layout on Gboard

Figure 4: Typical row layout for numbers in SwiftKey keyboard

SwiftKey does offer other features, sure, but if it fails to deliver on such simple yet essential functionalities, then whatâs the point? These two issues â the missing question mark on the long press option and the absence of a grid number keypad â were enough to drive me to uninstall it within 30 seconds. For a mobile keyboard app, enhancing the typing experience should be the bare minimum, but SwiftKey couldnât even meet that expectation.
If youâre looking for a reliable and efficient typing experience, itâs hard to go wrong with Gboard. Its intuitive design, ease of use, and thoughtful features like the quick access to the question mark and grid number keypad make it a superior choice compared to SwiftKey. Gboard simplifies the basics, offering a smoother, more streamlined typing experience. On the other hand, while SwiftKey has incorporated Microsoft Copilot for AI-powered assistance, Gboard is yet to integrate Googleâs Gemini, its own advanced AI model. While Copilot brings an edge to SwiftKey in certain tasks, the lack of essential functionalities like a grid number keypad still makes SwiftKey less practical for everyday use. In the end, Gboardâs simplicity and efficiency still make it the better option for most users.