How to Change Your Android Keyboard: A Complete Guide to Installing Third-Party Alternatives in 2025

Your Android phone’s default keyboard works fine, but what if you could type faster, with better predictions, or grammar checking built in? Switching to a third-party keyboard is easier than you might think—and can genuinely transform how you communicate on your device.

What is a Third-Party Android Keyboard?

A third-party keyboard is an alternative typing application you can install on your Android device to replace your phone’s stock keyboard. Unlike your device’s default keyboard, these alternatives offer customizable layouts, themes, predictive text tailored to your typing style, and gesture controls. Popular options include Gboard (Google’s comprehensive keyboard), SwiftKey (known for prediction accuracy), Grammarly Keyboard (focused on grammar and spelling), and Fleksy (featuring fast typing and extensive language support). Each brings distinct advantages depending on whether you prioritize speed, accuracy, language support, or writing quality. Current as of: Android 14-15, early 2025

Why Use This Feature?

• Better predictions and autocorrect: SwiftKey supports 700+ languages with context-aware learning that adapts to your conversation topics, while Gboard integrates AI writing tools with tone and spelling suggestions (available on Pixel devices and rolling out to other Android phones)
• Professional writing support: Grammarly Keyboard (version 1.0.21, September 2025) catches grammar and spelling mistakes in real-time across all your apps, plus offers AI-powered rewrites for tone, length, and fluency
• Customization that matches your style: Choose from thousands of themes, adjust key sizes, enable gesture typing, or switch between 80+ languages instantly
• Faster typing: Fleksy’s award-winning autocorrection and gesture support, combined with SwiftKey’s flow typing, can meaningfully speed up your typing on mobile devices

Things to Consider

• Permission and security matters: Third-party keyboards have access to everything you type, including passwords and sensitive information. Choose well-established apps from Google, Microsoft, or Grammarly. Review each app’s privacy policy—Gboard includes an Incognito Mode that pauses learning when you need privacy, while SwiftKey stores data locally on your device by default unless you enable cloud sync
• Banking and enterprise apps may require specific keyboards: Some banking applications use custom in-app keyboards for security, though modern banks increasingly use these in-app solutions rather than blocking third-party keyboards entirely. Enterprise devices controlled through Mobile Device Management (MDM) may have keyboard restrictions
• Battery and performance trade-offs on mid-range devices: Feature-rich keyboards with AI predictions and animations consume more battery. Current testing (2025) shows daily battery impact ranges from 2-3% (CleverType, minimalist design) to 5-6% with heavy AI feature use. To minimize impact, disable visual effects and animation. Older mid-range devices may notice more drain than flagship phones

How to Switch to a New Keyboard - Step by Step

Step 1: Install Your Chosen Keyboard App

1. Open the Google Play Store on your Android device
2. Search for your chosen keyboard (recommended starting points: “Gboard” for comprehensive features with AI tools, “SwiftKey” for prediction accuracy across 700+ languages, or “Grammarly Keyboard” for grammar checking)
3. Tap the blue Install button and wait for the installation to complete (typically 30-60 seconds depending on your connection speed)

Step 2: Navigate to Your Keyboard Settings

The path to change your default keyboard varies by your Android version and device manufacturer:

• Google Pixel / Stock Android (versions 14-15): Settings > System > Languages & input > On-screen keyboard (or Keyboard settings)
• Samsung Galaxy devices (One UI): Settings > General management > Keyboard list and default
• Other manufacturers (OnePlus, Motorola, etc.): Settings > System > Languages & input > Virtual keyboard

Step 3: Select Your New Keyboard from the Available Options

1. Navigate to the keyboard settings following the path above for your device
2. You’ll see a list of available keyboards (such as “Gboard,” “SwiftKey,” “Samsung Keyboard,” “Grammarly Keyboard”)
3. Tap your newly installed keyboard to set it as default

Step 4: Activate Your New Keyboard

1. Open any app where you can type: a text message, email, note-taking app, or search bar
2. Tap the text field to open the keyboard
3. You should now see your new keyboard appear with its unique design and layout
4. If your old keyboard appears instead, return to Settings and confirm your selection was saved

Step 5: Customize Your Keyboard (2-3 minutes)

1. Look for a settings icon (usually a gear icon) within your keyboard app or in the app’s main menu
2. Customize your preferences:
   • Key size and spacing: Adjust for comfortable typing
   • Theme and colors: Choose light, dark, or custom themes to match your preference
   • Language settings: Add additional languages if you’re multilingual (SwiftKey supports switching via spacebar slide)
   • Gesture controls: Enable swipe typing if you prefer gesture input
   • Predictive text: Adjust how aggressive autocorrect and predictions are
   • Sound and haptics: Enable or disable key click sounds and vibration feedback

What If Your New Keyboard Isn’t Working?

If you experience issues like your old keyboard reappearing or the new keyboard not responding:

1. Update the app: Open Google Play Store > Search for your keyboard > Check for updates
2. Verify the selection: Return to Settings and confirm your keyboard is still set as default
3. Restart your device: This refreshes the system’s keyboard recognition
4. Check app-specific restrictions: Some banking apps may force their own in-app keyboard for security—this is normal behavior
5. Switch back if needed: You can easily return to your original keyboard using the same Settings path

Language and Regional Considerations

If you use non-Latin scripts or less common languages:

• Best option for multilingual support: SwiftKey with 700+ supported languages and strong support for right-to-left languages (Arabic, Hebrew) and Asian scripts
• Good option for most languages: Gboard with wide Latin-based language coverage and some non-Latin script support
• Limited to English: Grammarly Keyboard, though it offers some multilingual writing suggestions for premium users
• 82+ languages: Fleksy supports extensive language packs
• Many languages may require additional downloads: Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Arabic, and other complex scripts often need separate language packs even after keyboard installation

Switching to a new keyboard on Android takes less than 5 minutes and can noticeably improve your typing speed, accuracy, and experience. Start with Gboard for AI features, SwiftKey for multilingual support, or Grammarly for writing quality—then spend a few minutes customizing it to match your style. Once you find your perfect keyboard, you’ll wonder how you ever typed without it.