Privacy with Google's Gboard

Leaving this up because there are some good discussions here already and it's a great question. I'd just flag rule 2 in the sidebar and that we ask questions and recommendation requests to be posted in !askandroid@lemdro.id instead. Thanks!

Give OpenBoard with gesture typing a shot. No gifs and stuff, but gesture typing works together with suggestions, unlike either base OB or Floris. Someone casually mentioned it a few weeks ago and damn how much my life changed.

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GBoard learning algorithm has been federated since 2017 🤷‍♂️ edit

https://ai.googleblog.com/2017/04/federated-learning-collaborative.html

My main deal breaker with most open source keyboards is the usually pretty bad multi language support. I type in three languages all the time and don't want to have to switch keyboards every time I switch the language. Currently using SwiftKey, just because it handles multi-language (fairly) well.

If you're on calyxos, grapheneos, or lineageos you can disable network permisions for that app. If not, use netguard as a firewall and block it.

https://f-droid.org/packages/eu.faircode.netguard/

There's a fork of OpenBoard with swipe typing at https://github.com/erkserkserks/openboard

I've found this to be better than any of the alternatives.

F-Droid has a lot of security issues(if you care about security), use Neo Store if you want access to F-Droid apps with a more secure app.

EDIT: Even better to use Obtainium and add the links of the APP's own Github/GitLab repo to it.

I believe some custom ROMs use an AOSP version that is very simplified, but it’s not a 1:1 replacement. I’ll be following this to see if anybody has suggestions.

To those who have been recommending Florisboard in this thread: Thank you. I've longed for a good FOSS keyboard, but always found they lacked enough features that I was willing to compromise and stick with gboard. Florisboard, using the latest beta from IzzyOnDroid, absolutely hits the mark already. It's missing a few features, like word autosuggest, but I can live without that for a while.

FOSS is not just about privacy! Freedom is that important reason you should care about. FlorisBoard is my suggestion for you.

I use OpenBoard from F-Droid.

What do you mean, no competition? SwiftKey was the first to have swipe typing, and still does it best, because it learns how you swipe and adjusts itself for that.

I don't know how much of a difference it makes in terms of Gboard phoning home, but you can disable a bunch of data sharing options in the Privacy section of Gboard's settings:

https://github.com/florisboard/florisboard/pull/2209

As soon as this gets merged, I'm done with Gboard I hope.

maybe using a firewall to block it's internet access?

I use it without giving network permission

A lot oft ROMs allow you go completely disable Internet access for a certain app. Disabling the data collection toggles in GBoard and disabling internet access for GBoard, Play Services, Play Store and the Google App should prevent most logging.

I think OpenBoard is as close as it gets. There are no features like stickers but the layout is very similar.

I always see people recommend FlorisBoard, but I haven't been able to leave OpenBoard for it on the basis of never getting autocorrect to work on FlorisBoard. Is that implemented and I'm not setting it up right, or do you all manage to text with 100% accuracy?

What's wrong with this?

Configure the languages, then:

// LineageOS

OpenBoard, Florisboard, AnySoftKeyboard

THERE ARE ALTERNATIVES, PEOPLE!

florisboard is good. i assume disabling internet on gboard would stop tracking (unless ur using a googled android perhaps?)

On my old phone i used Florisboard, it was pretty good and it's FOSS as well.

These days I use the samsung keyboard as I recently switched to a samsung device. The keyboard customizations are really awesome, if you have KeysCafe module installed. Not sure how privacy friendly it is tho.

This is not a direct solution to your question. The only available option currently is Florisboard. I tried it but it didn't work well for me. Ever since I've justbeen using openboard. Clean, fast, pretty accurate but no glide typing. There is an open issue for it and some POC work had been done but not merged into main.

I dropped gboard and started using FlorisBoard. It's a lot more crude and don't have the same features, but I'm very happy with it and will not go back.

I preffer my privacy over features, and using the software and reporting feedback helps it betting better.

We really need to ditch Google.

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Since nobody has suggested it, I'm adding AnySoft Keyboard to the list of alternatives. It takes some time to train custom words but after that it's actually quite nice. Even the swipe typing works quite well. https://f-droid.org/en/packages/com.menny.android.anysoftkeyboard/

OpenBoard.

I miss the days of Swiftkey and Swype. They abruptly got worse at some point before Gboard happened, and I still don't understand why

I have my VPN block it from accessing the Internet so no data gets transmitted. You'd lose some features, but it works.

I’ve tried a bunch and tbh haven’t found anything sufficiently good for my standards

I use stock Samsung keyboard and textra for messages. Textra has all the other features you love. Plus it is just a wonderful app that updates often and has SO MUCH customization, if that's your thing. I love it because I can give my boss and coworkers a certain color and then I only rarely text the wrong person.

I use SwiftKey with internet access turned off. Works well enough though obviously the gif and stickers won't work.

I use the AOSP keyboard with this magisk module.

Gonna try this out. Hmm. Seem OK. No floating, no one handed mode, no pinyin input though. Good start.

I hate Gboard. So I use SwiftKey which is the best one.

Eh, florisboard is better

SwiftKey is just better. And recent bing Integration is just rad.