If you already use Gboard on Android (or iOS),
you probably already know the basics. There are some great features you
probably aren't taking advantage of, though, but totally should.
1. Type and translate
If
you have a friend that speaks another language -- or you just really
want to impress a person you met on Tinder -- you can use Gboard to
translate your text into another language in real time. Tap the Google icon and tap on the Translate icon (the icon that looks like a folded piece of paper). From the dropdown menu on the right, select what language you want.
If
you need to translate something sent to you, copy and paste words into
the text box and choose your native language from the dropdown menu.
2. Sync and win
The
more you use a keyboard, the better it gets at predicting what you want
to say. If you get a new device, the training starts from scratch on
the new device. But there is a workaround. You can sync your devices so
that the keyboard doesn't need to relearn.
Tap the Google icon > Settings > Dictionary. In the Dictionary options, slide the Sync learned words option on.Tap OK on the popup screen and then choose which Google account you want to use to sync your devices. Tap OK again and you're done.
3. Gesture delete
You can use a simple gesture to
quickly delete anything you have in the text bar. Place your finger on
the delete button and slide left. A whole line in the text box will
vanish.
4. Add a number row
I hate switching between the alphabet and numeral keyboards. It's a good thing you don't have to. Go to Google icon> Settings > Preferences and slide the Number row option on. Now you'll have a numbers row at the top of the alphabet keyboard.
5. Make it one-handed
Using a large device but only have one hand available to type? You can put Gboard into one-handed mode. Long-press on the Enter key
and slide your finger to the icon of a hand holding a device. The
keyboard will zoom to the right side of the device, making it easier to
type with one hand. You can also access one-handed mode by tapping on
the Google icon and tapping on the One-handed Mode icon.
If you're left-handed, tape on the Arrow icon
on the left side of the keyboard. This will push the keyboard up
against the left side of the screen. To make your keyboard normal again,
tap on the Full-screen icon above the arrow icon. Here's what comes up when you search for "happy."
Alina Bradford/CNET
6. Search for emojis
Searching for the perfect emoji just got a little simpler with one of the latest updates. Simply long-press the Enter key and
type a keyword -- such as happy, sad or cat -- into the search bar at
the top of the pop-up screen to find just the one you're looking for.
7. Keep your favorites handy
You can also keep your favorite emojis in easy reach by adding an emoji row to the keyboard. Go to Google icon> Settings > Preferences and slide the Show emojis in symbols keyboardoption on. A row of your most-recent emojis will pop up at the top of the symbols keyboard.
8. Share GIFs
You can search for and share GIFs through the emoji section, too. Long-tap the Enter key and slide your thumb to the Emoji icon. There will be a GIF option at the bottom on the screen. Tap it and use the search bar to find the perfect GIF. Adding GIFs to your texts is easy.
Jason Cipriani/CNET
9. Quickly position the cursor
If
you've ever continually tapped on a screen to get your cursor in just
the right position, then you'll love this trick. CNET's Jason Cipriani
discovered that if you slide your finger along the spacebar, the cursor will move in the text box.
10. Search Google
You can search Google and share your results while you text. Tap the Google icon, type what you're looking for into the text bar and tap Enter,
or tap on some of the autopopulated questions. Once you get the answer
you're looking for, tap on the Share icon at the bottom of the screen to
send the results to the person you're texting. Sometimes the results of
your search will autopopulate into the text bar, and you can simply tap
the Send button to share. Google's Gboard has a search right in the keyboard.
Google
0 comments:
Post a Comment