Predicting the next word you’re going to type is getting to be as common of a keyboard feature as having letters, so SwiftKey is trying to take its predictions a step forward. It announced today that it’s testing a new version of its keyboard that can predict two words at a time. For the most part, these seem to be words that frequently go together as a phrase; in one example, SwiftKey sees “at” and predicts “a time” and in another sees “is” and predicts “out now.”
SwiftKey’s next version can predict two words at a time
You can try the beta today
You can try the beta today
is The Verge’s executive editor. He has covered tech, policy, and online creators for over a decade.
Only sometimes can it predict the next
Like with single-word predictions, SwiftKey will try to factor your normal writing style into the words it offers you. It won’t always offer two words at once, only doing so when the prediction seems to fit; the new predictions will work with any language that SwiftKey currently supports. SwiftKey isn’t the first keyboard app to implement two-word predictions — Swype quietly added the feature in May — so it seems like keyboard predictions as a whole are starting to get a bit smarter.
The two-word predictions arrive as part of SwiftKey 6, which is launching in beta on Android today. As part of the update, SwiftKey is also updating its emoji keyboard to include a recently used section along the top. SwiftKey’s settings app is getting a design refresh, too, with the app now looking slightly more in line with Google’s Material Design theme (it has a floating action button, at least). Anyone with a compatible Android phone will be able to try out SwiftKey’s new features by installing the app’s beta release.
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