Offline phone keyboards keep what you type from leaving your phone

A writer at Android Police replaced Google's Gboard with offline keyboards and says the main gain is simple: a keyboard with no internet access has fewer ways to send what you type off your phone. The tradeoff is that offline keyboards are usually less smart. Three options stood out: HeliBoard, FUTO Keyboard and AnySoftKeyboard.

Why switch at all

Gboard is popular because it has good autocorrect, word predictions and voice typing. Google says some features learn from your typing. In its federated learning approach, the phone learns from what you type and sends Google what it learned, not the typed text. Settings let you control personalization and data sharing. Still, the writer concluded that a cloud-connected keyboard is not 100% private, even with personalization turned off.

The three keyboards

• HeliBoard has no Android internet permission, so it cannot send typing data to a remote server.
• FUTO Keyboard offers swipe typing and voice typing that runs on the phone, not in the cloud.
• AnySoftKeyboard works offline and has an incognito mode that stops it learning words or saving typing history.

HeliBoard also has themes, a one-hand mode and emoji search that suggests emojis when you type a feeling. With the right dictionary installed, everyday typing can stay entirely on the phone. AnySoftKeyboard lets you set your own autocorrect choices, and the writer says its voice typing handled their accent well.

What you give up

Offline keyboards may not match Gboard everywhere. FUTO's word prediction, language range and customization may be less refined. HeliBoard does not include glide typing by default, and it may not pick up names and local expressions as well. The writer still picked privacy over polish.

What this does not fix

An offline keyboard is not a full privacy shield. Other apps can still receive and process what you type, such as a Google search. A keyboard can also store learned words and clipboard history on the phone itself. The gain is less typing data being sent out, not none of it being collected or kept locally.

What to do

For messaging, email and searching, a simpler offline keyboard may be enough. The writer's first pick for a keyboard without the standard internet permission is HeliBoard. AnySoftKeyboard suits people who want more customization and are not ready to give up as many features.