What is Glide Typing? AI feature on phone's keyboard

In this digital age, typing on a smartphone screen can be a frustrating endeavor for many, myself included. Thankfully, I've discovered a game-changing feature on my phone's keyboard known as glide typing or swipe-to-type.

Glide typing allows me to effortlessly slide my finger across the screen, without having to tap individual letters. The built-in artificial intelligence (AI) feature predicts and inserts the words I intend to type based on my finger's movements.

While glide typing isn't flawless and takes some practice, it has significantly improved my typing speed and reduced typos compared to traditional tapping on a glass screen.

This feature is readily available on iPhones, Samsung Galaxy phones, and certain Android devices. Let's delve into how glide typing works and why it represents one of the most underutilized AI technologies.

Glide Typing in Action

Glide typing exemplifies the practicality of AI beyond groundbreaking innovations like autonomous vehicles or inventing new words. It relies on familiar AI elements such as auto-correct, personalized recommendations, and predictive text, all of which have consistently proven their worth.

Occasionally, my glide typing may slip up, such as mistaking "it's" for "its," or inserting "glucose" instead of "glide." Nevertheless, it's an impressive and efficient tool.

How Glide Typing Operates

I primarily use Google's Gboard keyboard on my Pixel phone, so I'll focus on how glide typing functions with Gboard. However, the core principles remain consistent across various platforms, including iPhones and Galaxy phones.

Spatial Coordinates: AI evaluates the proximity of your finger to different letters as you swipe across the screen. It then ranks the likelihood of your intended word and inserts it when you lift your finger, often accompanied by alternative word suggestions, similar to auto-correct.

Language: The AI recognizes patterns in your typing and predicts the words you are likely to use based on your previous inputs. For example, if you type "How are," it anticipates that your next word will probably be "you."

Personalization: Over time, AI adapts to your typing habits, suggesting frequently used words, even if they aren't in the dictionary. This includes names, which may not be present in standard dictionaries but are frequently used in personal communication.

Glide typing is versatile and can be used for various types of text input, such as text messages, emails, and drafting documents. However, it may not be as suitable for keyword-based web searches.

Safety and Privacy Considerations

According to Akshay Kannan, a group product manager for Gboard for Android, the information from glide typing on Gboard remains on your device and doesn't transfer to Google's servers over the internet. Google employs a privacy-conscious approach called federated learning to enhance glide-typing AI without compromising user data security.

Nonetheless, it's crucial to exercise caution with keyboard apps, as some may pose privacy and security risks. Always choose reputable keyboard providers, such as Google, Samsung, or Apple.

A Compelling Experience Awaits

If you're hesitant to learn a new typing method, give glide typing a try. You might find it to be a time-saving and efficient tool. It's built into the default keyboard on iPhones and Samsung Galaxy phones and is easily activated via settings. For other devices, apps like Google's Gboard and Microsoft's SwiftKey offer glide typing options.

While not available for all languages, glide typing can significantly improve your typing speed and accuracy. And if AI doesn't recognize a specific word, you can manually type it out a few times to help the system learn.

Embrace glide typing and unlock its potential – it's an AI gem that can transform your mobile typing experience."