One of the most popular keyboard apps for Android is now available for free. SwiftKey has earned a reputation for helping you finish words and sentences quickly thanks to predictive text features which suggest words while you type. It’s a feature that many other keyboards (including Google’s stock keyboard) have imitated, but SwiftKey’s app is one of the best at what it does.

Up until recently SwiftKey for Android sold for $3.99. Now it’s free — but if you want to spend money on the app, you can buy themes via in-app purchases.

swiftkey emoji

SwiftKey themes sell for about a buck each. If you’ve already paid for SwiftKey and you feel like a chump now that it’s free, SwiftKey’s got a consolation prize: existing users get a new Premier Pack with 10 new premium themes.

The latest version of the app includes a new default theme called “Nickel,” 800 emoji options, and even emoji predictions. SwiftKey learns from your typing behavior and recommends the appropriate smiley faces or other characters that you may be looking for so you don’t have to dig through all 800 every time.

You can find out more about the update at the SwiftKey blog or just go ahead and download the app from the Google Play Store.

SwiftKey also recently announced plans to develop an app for iOS 8 now that Apple is getting ready to allow system-wide third-party keyboard apps on its iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch operating system. There’s no word on whether that version of SwiftKey will also be free.

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3 replies on “SwiftKey for Android is now free… unless you want premium themes”

  1. I don’t like the placement of the backspace key. Is that configurable now?

  2. Too bad it looks like the app makers are trending towards in app purchases (IAPs). I never thought the whole 1 time fee thing for all future updates and features would be sustainable. However, I currently stay way from apps that require IAPs or subscriptions. Not sure how long I’ll last with that strategy though.

    As for SwiftKey, my main issue with it is that there’re no gestures for cut, copy and paste like Swype. I do those enough times where tap hold gets annoying. I was a fan of the plethora of keyboard shortcuts when I had my Droid 4 and was hoping to have some of those shortcuts with touch keyboards.

  3. I have the paid app and appreciate the fact that that they are giving existing users something to compensate the change in pricing.

    On the other hand I’ve had the app for over two years so it doesn’t really bother me, I’ve gotten my money’s worth. It’s not like when you buy something and the next day it’s on sale.

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