SwiftKey Keyboard for iOS Updated With Emoji, Flow Typing on iPad - MacRumors
Skip to Content

SwiftKey Keyboard for iOS Updated With Emoji, Flow Typing on iPad

by

SwiftKey is one of the most popular third-party keyboard options on iOS, and today it received a major update adding a highly requested feature -- emoji. Emoji can be accessed by tapping on the smiley at the bottom of the keyboard, and there's also a new predictive emoji tool that learns the most frequently used emoji and suggests them while typing.

swiftkeykeyboard

We've built emoji right into SwiftKey Keyboard so you can now express yourself when words don't quite cut it. Just as it learns the words and phrases that matter to you, SwiftKey also learns and predicts which emoji you use most often so you can spend less time looking for that perfect smiley (or slice of pizza -- whatever you're into).

Using a lot of emoji in text will cause emoji to pop up more frequently in the word prediction box, making it easier to insert fun characters into text.

Today's update also includes SwiftKey Flow for the iPad, a feature that was previously limited to the iPhone. With SwiftKey Flow, it's possible to type faster via swiping on the screen. Finally, there are also 11 new languages available in SwiftKey, including Bulgarian, Croatian, Greek, Hinglish, Icelandic, Indonesian, Latvian, Russian, Serbian, Slovak, and Turkish.

SwiftKey Keyboard for iOS can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Top Rated Comments

CrAkD Avatar
153 months ago
I'm all done with 3rd party keyboards until apple fixes the implementation. I want to smash my 6+ in s million pieces everytime I need to type something and the keyboard doesn't pop out.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Traverse Avatar
153 months ago
I'ved tried several third party keyboards (my favorite being Flesky), but I always end up back with the default Apple keyboard. 3rd party implementation is still buggy, still poses a privacy concern (albeit mild), and I've honestly never had an issues using the stock keyboard.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
153 months ago
Now just needs dictation and I'll be all set!
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
avanpelt Avatar
153 months ago
Apple's implementation of third-party keyboard support has been sloppy, at best.

It's almost like Apple is being passive-aggressive with their users:

"You want third-party keyboards? We told you that we make the best keyboard and now we're going to prove it to you! Want to use dictation with third-party keyboards? Sorry, you can't do that. Want the third-party keyboard to pop up reliably every time you tap a text field? Not gonna happen. Want the text input from the third-party keyboard to be able to reliably fill out web forms? Not a chance in hell. Here, users, are the third-party keyboards you've whined about for years. But guess what? The experience sucks just like we told you it would; but hey, at least you got what you wanted!"

Of course, we didn't get what we wanted. I'm cautiously optimistic that iOS 9 will fix the third-party keyboard issues and finally let us modify which apps are the defaults for certain tasks. We'll see...
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Jessica Lares Avatar
153 months ago
I am enjoying the emoji bar I have in Nintype. Yes, it is crazy complicated to setup, but once you do it, it's a blast to use. I have one bar for numbers, then one bar for my favorite emoji, then another for markdown shortcuts. I'm also using the globe button to automatically insert the date, and have some other shortcuts within the shift key. I moved a lot of my TextExpander shortcuts to be within the letters too. There is a specific bit that you can write so it moves to the next line in a shortcut, but I haven't messed with that yet.

Needless to say, it replaced the majority of the keyboards I was interested in using.

I wish it had iCloud syncing and had a library of little pictures to represent shortcuts though. But that's not really an issue in general.

I have used SwiftKey on Android. I wish the iOS version was more like it. That's why I ended up deleting it when it first came out.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mattopotamus Avatar
153 months ago
Would prefer SwiftKey over Swype, but SwiftKey doesn't automatically place a space after a comma or period. Heaven knows why not ...

Are you sure it is not in the settings? For android phones it is in the swiftkey settings.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

M5 MacBook Pro

RIP, MacBook Ultra

Monday October 19, 2026 9:37 am PDT by
Apple today sent out invites for an experience in Los Angeles on Wednesday, October 28, and the "Pro and tell" tagline on the invitation likely means that the rumored MacBook models with touch-enabled OLED displays will stick with MacBook Pro branding instead of the once-rumored "MacBook Ultra" name. The long-rumored "iPhone Ultra" ended up being named iPhone Duo, so speculation that Apple...
iPhone Duo Trio

Here's What Apple's Apps Look Like on the iPhone Duo

Tuesday October 20, 2026 11:12 am PDT by
With just three days to go until the iPhone Duo is released, Apple is getting ready for the launch. Behind the scenes, the App Store now has screenshots of Apple's built-in apps running on the Duo. We've seen some apps in marketing materials, but images of the ones we haven't seen give us an idea of what it will be like using the iPhone Duo day to day. Many apps are shown in landscape...
apple pro tell logo

Apple Announcing New Products Next Week: 'Pro and Tell'

Monday October 19, 2026 9:05 am PDT by
Apple's Greg Joswiak today hinted at new product announcements coming next week, sharing a social media post that says "Can't wait to pro and tell next week." Rumors suggest Apple is planning to debut the new MacBook Pro with an OLED touchscreen display, an M6 entry-level MacBook Pro, an M6 iMac, an iPad mini with an OLED display. Can't wait to pro and tell next week....
Latest Stories
Tesla App Gains iPad and iPhone Duo Support
Tesla App Gains iPad and iPhone Duo Support
1 hour ago
Apple Reportedly Boosts iPhone Duo Orders by 44%
Apple Reportedly Boosts iPhone Duo Orders by 44%
2 hours ago
Fortnite Returning to Australian App Store After Court Ruling
Fortnite Returning to Australian App Store After Court Ruling
2 hours ago
Apple Ordered to Open iPhone to Rival App Stores in Australia
Apple Ordered to Open iPhone to Rival App Stores in Australia
2 hours ago
Apple Suppliers Face Hurdles Cutting Circuit Board Emissions
Apple Suppliers Face Hurdles Cutting Circuit Board Emissions
3 hours ago
Things Updated for iPhone Duo With Adaptive Layout
Things Updated for iPhone Duo With Adaptive Layout
3 hours ago
Simplicity and Siri AI Are HomeView's Killer Features, Apple Says
Simplicity and Siri AI Are HomeView's Killer Features, Apple Says
4 hours ago
iPhone Duo Reviewers Really Miss Face ID
iPhone Duo Reviewers Really Miss Face ID
9 hours ago
Does the iPhone Duo Run Hot? Here's What Reviews Found
Does the iPhone Duo Run Hot? Here's What Reviews Found
10 hours ago
Apple Music's New Look is Now Live on Apple's Website
Apple Music's New Look is Now Live on Apple's Website
11 hours ago
Anthropic Launches Claude Duet, a Proactive AI Agent
Anthropic Launches Claude Duet, a Proactive AI Agent
11 hours ago
What 32,000 Folds Did to the iPhone Duo's Hinge
What 32,000 Folds Did to the iPhone Duo's Hinge
12 hours ago
iPhone Duo's Hidden FaceTime Camera Takes 'Trash' Photos
iPhone Duo's Hidden FaceTime Camera Takes 'Trash' Photos
13 hours ago
iPhone Duo Has 'Edge Light' Feature That Debuted on Macs Last Year
iPhone Duo Has 'Edge Light' Feature That Debuted on Macs Last Year
14 hours ago
Apple Support App Updated for iPhone Duo's Larger Display
Apple Support App Updated for iPhone Duo's Larger Display
14 hours ago
Amazon Sweetens the Deal on Entry-Level 16-Inch MacBook Pro With $570 Off
Amazon Sweetens the Deal on Entry-Level 16-Inch MacBook Pro With $570 Off
14 hours ago
iPhone Duo Tips Over on MagSafe Stands When Unfolded
iPhone Duo Tips Over on MagSafe Stands When Unfolded
15 hours ago
Apple Music's New Look Officially Announced
Apple Music's New Look Officially Announced
16 hours ago
iPhone Duo Supports Apple Pencil Starting With iOS 27.2
iPhone Duo Supports Apple Pencil Starting With iOS 27.2
17 hours ago
iPhone Duo Accessories Roundup: Cases and Screen Protectors From OtterBox, ZAGG, and More
iPhone Duo Accessories Roundup: Cases and Screen Protectors From OtterBox, ZAGG, and More
18 hours ago
Apple Stores Will Have 'Limited' Availability of iPhone Duo for Walk-In Customers
Apple Stores Will Have 'Limited' Availability of iPhone Duo for Walk-In Customers
18 hours ago
iPhone Duo Reviews Explain Why Device is Both 'Fun' and 'Frustrating'
iPhone Duo Reviews Explain Why Device is Both 'Fun' and 'Frustrating'
18 hours ago
Apple Says 'Reachability' Feature Coming to iPhone Duo Later This Year
Apple Says 'Reachability' Feature Coming to iPhone Duo Later This Year
19 hours ago
Loop Capital Cuts Apple Rating Over iPhone Sales Outlook
Loop Capital Cuts Apple Rating Over iPhone Sales Outlook
23 hours ago
Apple Stores in Bordeaux and Lille Looted During French Protests
Apple Stores in Bordeaux and Lille Looted During French Protests
23 hours ago
Bluesound Adds Native Apple Music Support
Bluesound Adds Native Apple Music Support
1 day ago
Apple CEO John Ternus Explains What Makes Good Product Design
Apple CEO John Ternus Explains What Makes Good Product Design
1 day ago
UK Proposes New Ways to Help Apple Pay Rivals
UK Proposes New Ways to Help Apple Pay Rivals
1 day ago
WhatsApp Developing In-App Browser for All Chat Links on iPhone
WhatsApp Developing In-App Browser for All Chat Links on iPhone
1 day ago
Apple's App Store Chief Explains Its Push for Premium Games
Apple's App Store Chief Explains Its Push for Premium Games
1 day ago