“Swype,” available for 99 cents on the Apple App Store, is a keyboard app that can speed up typing on touch-screen devices. Along with “SwiftKey,” it’s one of several third-party keyboard apps that now work on iPhones and iPads with the introduction of iOS 8. Contributed by Nuance Communications
Today, when Apple began selling new iPhone models and on Wednesday when the company released an updated version of its mobile operating system iOS, bad touchscreen typists got a huge win.
One of the new features of iOS 8, which works on devices such as more recent models of iPhones, iPads and iPod Touch, is an improved standard keyboard and support for third-party keyboards. The built-in keyboard now predicts words as you’re typing, a feature the company calls “QuickType,” which can save you keystrokes.
Of course, this has long been a feature on many other phones, most notably ones running Android, where users have enjoyed keyboard apps such as "Swype" and "SwiftKey." Now these apps are finally available for iOS after years of Apple locking them out of its ecosystem. For now, "SwiftKey" is a free App Store download, while "Swype" costs 99 cents. Both do an expert job of predicting what you'll type and allowing you to glide a finger over letters instead of tapping everything out on the touch screen. Each guides you on how to install the keyboard in the iOS settings and can get you up and running on the way to much faster typing.
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