These Gboard Alternatives Are Open-Source and Privacy-First.
Gboard is the default keyboard for Pixel smartphones and many devices running stock Android, but it’s not the only option. Gboard recently found itself at the center of a privacy scandal that exposed how Google uses your data for training and intelligence gathering. The data Google collects can be intercepted and linked to specific users. Fortunately, some of these data-sharing settings can be disabled .
But what if Gboard changes its privacy policy or settings in the future? Or do we learn of additional ways Google is silently collecting your keyboard data? If this concerns you, consider using an open-source keyboard, which runs entirely on-device, without the need for data servers. Unlike closed-source software, security researchers can audit open-source programs, so vulnerabilities are discovered and patched fairly quickly. It just so happens that there are two worthy open-source alternatives to Gboard. One is so similar to Gboard that you won’t even notice it’s missing. The other is a highly private keyboard.
FUTO keyboard is a direct replacement for Gboard keyboard.
FUTO Keyboard is designed as a direct replacement for Gboard. It looks and works like Gboard. But at its core, it’s completely open source, free, and private. By default, no keystrokes leave your device.
FUTO includes built-in AI models for text prediction and voice input. The text prediction model operates entirely offline and doesn’t use any online servers. In my tests, it handled my typing well, and the suggested suggestions were more or less as expected. For voice input, the app uses a lightweight model based on Whisper, which also runs on-device, without any servers. In my tests, I found the default model slightly inferior to Gboard. However, downloading the highest-level model solved this issue, and I saw voice input results similar to Gboard. ( The English-244 model takes up 280 MB.)
FUTO gets much more interesting when you start customizing the settings and layout. You can change the keyboard size, add a permanent row of numbers at the top, an arrow strip, and change the theme to your liking. There are also fine-tuning options for users who like to tweak every detail of their keyboard. For example, there’s a “Hold Key Press” section that lets you customize how the Backspace long-press gesture works.
During my testing, I found the FUTO keyboard to be a smoother and more reliable typing experience than Gboard. A quick example is the spacebar gesture. In Gboard, you can move the cursor by swiping the spacebar, but I found it a bit confusing. You have to hold it for a split second and then swipe. In FUTO, swiping the spacebar instantly moves the cursor every time. The downside to complete privacy, of course, is the lack of cross-device support. Your personal dictionary or clipboard can’t sync across all your devices. While Gboard is a more comprehensive package, FUTO’s privacy features make up for this shortcoming.
HeliBoard is an alternative to Gboard for those who value safety.
HeliBoard has a rich history in open source. It is based on the older OpenBoard project , which in turn was based on the Android AOSP keyboard, the original standard Android keyboard.
However, times have changed, and HeliBoard is keeping up without sacrificing its open-source roots. The app promises zero vulnerabilities, requiring no network permissions. As a keyboard for true connoisseurs, it lacks any artificial intelligence features: no LLM predictor, no AI-assisted voice input model.
However, all the basic features you’d expect from an Android keyboard are present. You can add an extra row of numbers at the top, gesture input is supported, and there’s a built-in clipboard (which can be disabled). You can also customize the appearance. You can change the keyboard size, revert to the old Holo keyboard style, and change the icons and keyboard color. (You can even use an image as the background.)
The only downside to HeliBoard is that it’s not available in the Google Play Store. Instead, you’ll need to download it from the third-party app store F-Droid , which specializes in safely hosting free and open-source apps. But it’s easy to do, and once installed, you can explore other useful open-source apps, like NewPipe , my favorite way to watch YouTube ad-free on Android.