Fleksy today announced that its predictive touch keyboard is now available for iOS developers to incorporate into their apps through an SDK, allowing developers to replace the default iOS keyboard with Fleksy's popular alternative keyboard.
Fleksy's keyboard includes a number of features including sophisticated prediction and autocorrection, as well as swipe-based functions such as space and delete. The Verge has more on the launch:
Bringing Fleksy to other iOS apps is not without its challenges. Unlike Android, which is open to all sorts of third-party keyboard creations, Apple gives you its keyboard and nothing else. Developers can build their own special keyboards on an app-by-app basis, though it's uncommon. Google's done that with a handful of its iOS apps, while Wolfram Alpha's special search app keyboard takes up nearly the entire screen with custom buttons. Although it was rumored Apple was considering opening up to third-party keyboard makers, ultimately it didn't. But it did throw developers a bone by simplifying its software tools, says Fleksy founder Ioannis Verdelis.
"With every new version of iOS the work required on our part to build a keyboard SDK has reduced significantly," he says. "We're [now] doing stuff on iOS that integrates the keyboard deeper than it's ever been integrated."
Fleksy's iOS SDK initiative launches today with four apps:
- BlindSquare: Combines location and FourSquare information to assist visually impaired users in their daily lives [Direct Link]
- GV Connect: Phone and SMS client for Google Voice users [Direct Link]
- Launch Center Pro: Application launcher with shortcuts for frequently accessed tasks [Direct Link]
- Wordbox: Clean and simple text editor [Direct Link]
Fleksy plans to continue work with select app developers to bring its keyboard to their apps, eventually moving to open up the program to all interested developers.
