List of Third-Party Keyboards Now Available for iOS 8 Users

iOS 8, released to the public today, includes an API that allows developers to create system-wide third-party keyboards for the first time, which will let users select from a range of different keyboards with unique functions.

We’ve rounded up a list of the best third-party keyboards currently available to you find the keyboard best suited to you. Some of these keyboards are in the App Store now, while others will begin rolling out today following the launch of iOS 8.

SwiftKey (Free) – SwiftKey is a gesture-based keyboard that allows users to type by dragging their fingers from key to key. Along with offering predictive suggestions, SwiftKey integrates with SwiftKey Cloud to let a user’s preferences be backed up and synced across all devices.

Swype ($0.99) [Direct Link]- Like SwiftKey, Swype is a gesture-based keyboard that allows users to drag their fingers from key to key in order to create words. Swype’s built-in predictive text engine determines what was being typed, and it offers predictive punctuation to speed up typing. Swype also includes several different themes for custom looks. SwiftKey and Swype are fairly similar, and Re/code has done a review comparing and contrasting them.

Minuum ($1.99) [Direct Link] – Minuum is a resizable keyboard that can be shrunken down (via swipe gestures) to allow more of the screen to be seen. Minuum also takes advantage of a robust autocorrect feature that automatically corrects spelling as words are typed and offers word suggestions.

Fleksy ($1.99) [Direct Link] – Fleksy is known as the fastest keyboard in the world. It incorporates advanced autocorrection features to interpret what’s typed (which improves over time) and it uses swipe gestures to make it easy for users to delete, add punctuation, spaces, and select alternate autocorrect suggestions. It also includes support for emoji and offers a resizable keyboard.

TouchPal (Free) [Direct Link] – TouchPal is another keyboard that lets users drag a finger over letters in quick succession to spell words, suggesting different choices based on input. TouchPal also offers a design that’s similar to the standard keyboard, but it incorporates quick access buttons to allow for easy insertion of punctuation and special characters.

TextExpander ($4.99) [Direct Link] – Built into an update of the existing TextExpander app, the TextExpander keyboard allows users to type in short abbreviations, which are then spelled out fully. For example, tyvm might become thank you very much.

KuaiBoard ($1.99) [Direct Link] – Formerly known as QuickBoard, KuaiBoard is not a traditional keyboard. It’s designed to let users insert chunks of frequently typed text like signatures, address information, billing information, and more. As outlined in our full hands-on post, KuaiBoard lets users create blocks of text that can then be inserted anywhere. It also has a feature that automatically detects a user’s location, allowing it to be typed into a text message or email.

Third-party keyboards require users to install a separate app for each keyboard. Once downloaded, a keyboard can be turned on in the Settings app. In Settings, go to General –> Keyboards –> Add New Keyboard and tap whichever keyboard needs to be installed. From there, it is easy to switch between available keyboards by holding down on the Globe or Emoji icon in any app that supports keyboards.

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Ive on Apple Watch: One of the Most Difficult Projects I’ve Ever Worked On

In a wide ranging interview with Bloomberg covering culture changes at Apple, Tim Cook’s personality, the company’s move into Apple Pay, and the development of the Apple Watch, Tim Cook, Jony Ive, and Jeff Williams share some fascinating details on the work that went into creating Apple’s new wearable device.

According to Jony Ive, Apple first began developing the Apple Watch three years ago, before wearables caught on in Silicon Valley. The Apple Watch, he says, is “probably one of the most difficult projects I have ever worked on.” A huge amount of research was conducted for the watch, which was touched on at Apple’s introductory keynote event.

Apple invited several watch historians to speak at Cupertino, with one, French author and antique expert Dominique Fléchon saying that discussion centered around “the philosophy of instruments for measuring time.” Ive himself delved into horological history, studying clocks and watches throughout time.

Clocks first popped up on top of towers in the center of towns and over time were gradually miniaturized, appearing on belt buckles, as neck pendants, and inside trouser pockets. They eventually migrated to the wrist, first as a way for ship captains to tell time while keeping their hands firmly locked on the wheel. “What was interesting is that it took centuries to find the wrist and then it didn’t go anywhere else,” Ive says. “I would argue the wrist is the right place for the technology.”

Ive and his team experimented with a variety of interface interactions for the Apple Watch, including pinch-to-zoom, which the company joked about during the keynote as an unsuitable way to use the device because fingers cover the small screen. The team settled on the “digital crown” a physical button that can be used for a variety of tasks, including scrolling through options and accessing the home button. Ive went on to develop high-quality wristbands and unique packaging that “doubles as a charging stand.”

A staggering number of employees with various specialties worked on the Apple Watch, under the direction of Apple’s VP of operations, Jeff Williams. Hundreds of designers and engineers came together to design the S1 processor in the device, the heart rate sensor, and the special alloys used in casings and bands.

According to Williams, while Apple could have launched a watch in time for the holiday season, it wouldn’t have been “at the fit and finish and quality and integration of these products.” Apple wanted to make “the best product in the world” and is “willing to wait.”

Apple’s first wearable device is expected to be available to consumers in early 2015. Pricing details remain largely unknown, with the company stating that pricing will start at $349.

Cook and Ive’s complete interview with Bloomberg, which also has several details on how Apple runs under Cook, Cook’s personality and values, Jobs’ ongoing influence, recent hirings and acquisitions, and Apple’s partnership with IBM, is well worth reading to get a glimpse inside the walls of Apple’s Cupertino headquarters.

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Apple TV Updated With Beats Music Channel, Revamped Design, iOS 8 Feature Support [Mac Blog]

Along with iOS 8, Apple has also released the new Apple TV software update that’s been in development for the last few months. The updated software includes new icons, which are designed to resemble the icons in iOS 7, taking on a flatter, less glossy look.

Several icons, like Music, Computers, and TV shows have new colors, and the on-screen fonts have been updated as well. The update includes support for several features that have been built into iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite, like Family Sharing and iCloud Photo Support.

With Family Sharing, families of up to six people with iTunes accounts that use the same credit card can share content like apps, iBooks, music, movies, and more, across all of their devices using iCloud. Family Sharing also lets families share photos, videos, a calendar, reminders, and more, to keep everyone in the family connected.

In addition to introducing a new look and new features, today’s update brings a Beats Music channel to the Apple TV for the first time, allowing users to log into their Beats accounts to listen to streaming music from the Apple TV.

The new software can be downloaded for free on the Apple TV by going to the Settings channel and selecting General –> Software Update. The update is limited to users who have third-generation Apple TV boxes.

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Apple Said to Plan October 21 Media Event to Launch New iPads, OS X Yosemite

With its iPhone 6 announcement completed, Apple reportedly is preparing a second announcement event that will will launch new iPad models, claims AppleInsider, citing a trusted insider familiar with the company’s pre-launch logistics. The report points to the second half of October for the event, but The Daily Dot has gone a step further and predicted an October 21 event based on its own sources.

A person familiar with the company’s pre-launch logistics says Apple has set internal project and marketing deadlines of mid-October, ahead of the planned unveiling of major new products during the second half of the month. That would align with an anticipated media event previously rumored to be held at some point during October. The same source who spoke to AppleInsider has shared reliable information on product introduction and timing in the past.

If true, the schedule would align with Apple’s pattern for the last several years, which last year saw the company unveil its new iPad Air and iPad mini with Retina display in October with an availability date in early November. This year’s event may introduce updated iPad models that include a faster A8 processor, anti-reflective display and a Touch ID fingerprint sensor, although one report suggests most of the upgrades will be limited to the larger iPad Air model.

iPad Air 2 mockup
Aside from new iPads, Apple is also expected to use the October event to finalize the details and availability date for OS X Yosemite, which was initially introduced at the company’s Worldwide Developers Conference in June. According to The Daily Dot, Yosemite will be released immediately following the October event, similar to the release of OS X Mavericks just after the conclusion of last year’s October event.

Other Apple devices in need of upgrades include the Mac mini, MacBook Air, iMac, and the Apple TV, but few details suggest updated these models will be updated before the end of 2014, particularly given Intel’s delays with its next-generation Broadwell processors. One recent rumor has, however, claimed Apple may release a new ultra-high definition 27-inch monitor with 5120 x 2880 resolution in 2014, but details on this desktop accessory remain sparse.

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Apple Apparently Finds Last-Minute HealthKit Problems, Pulls Compatible Third-Party Apps

Apple appears to have discovered a significant last-minute issue with its HealthKit services for iOS 8, a problem that will result in a delay for the launch of new and updated apps that include HealthKit functionality. Apple reportedly has pulled HealthKit-compatible apps from the App Store and is confirming this issue to affected developers. As highlighted by MacStories‘ Federico Viticci, both CARROT Fit and MyFitnessPal have disappeared from the App Store after being updated with HealthKit support earlier today.

Well that’s a relief. Just got a call from Apple, there’s nothing wrong with CARROT Fit. HealthKit is just broken and isn’t ready to launch.

— Brian Mueller (@BrianMueller333) September 17, 2014

While the exact issue is unclear, it is certainly significant that one of the key features of iOS 8 does not appear to be ready to launch on time and that it is having a significant effect on third-party developers who have prepared their apps to take advantage of the new feature.

Sounds like HealthKit won’t be working at all this week. And there’s no ETA for when a bug fix will go live.

— Brian Mueller (@BrianMueller333) September 17, 2014

Apple introduced HealthKit alongside its new iOS 8 Health app as part of a new initiative into the health and fitness marketplace. The feature taps into data from sensors within the iPhone, as well as from accessories and manual data input. HealthKit will also be key for the launch of the heart rate sensor-enabled Apple Watch early next year.

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Apple Releases iOS 8 With Continuity, Third Party Access to Keyboards/Touch ID, Family Sharing, and ‘Health’ App

Apple today released iOS 8 to the public, making the download available to all users who have an iPhone 4s or later, iPad 2 or later, 5th-generation iPod touch, or iPad mini. The update can be downloaded via iTunes or through an over-the-air update accessible by going to the Settings app and tapping General —> Software Update.

While iOS 8 is currently available for download, it may take a few minutes for the update to propagate to all users due to demand. In past years, Apple’s servers have been overwhelmed with traffic.

iOS 8 includes the same general design elements introduced with iOS 7, but introduces several under-the-hood improvements. Improved integration between Apple devices, both mobile and desktop, is a major focal point of iOS 8, with Apple introducing several new “Continuity” features designed to connect the iPhone, iPad, and Mac “like never before.”

The operating system also includes interactive notifications, app widgets in the Notification Center, and Messages improvements that let users manage group conversations for the first time.

Third-party access to both the keyboard and Touch ID has been enabled, and Apple has implemented its own keyboard improvements, in the form of its QuickType predictive keyboard. A new Health app is included with iOS 8, aggregating health and fitness data from a variety of apps and devices, and a new Family Sharing feature lets families of up to six people share apps, music, books, and more.

Our iOS 8 roundup has a complete rundown of all of the major new features introduced in iOS 8, and our separate features roundup showcases all of the smaller changes and additions made to the operating system throughout the beta testing period.

In addition to being released to the public today, iOS 8 will also come pre-installed on the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus, which will be available beginning on Friday, September 19.

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