The Best Open-Source, Privacy-First Alternatives to Gboard

Source Domain: lifehacker.com

Gboard is the default keyboard for Pixel smartphones and many devices that use stock Android, but it’s not the only option out there. Recently, Gboard has been swept up in a privacy controversy highlighting how your data is used by Google for its own training and collection. The data that Google collects can be intercepted and tied to individual users. Luckily, you can disable some of those data-sharing settings.

But what if, down the line, Gboard changes its policy or privacy settings? Or we learn about additional ways Google sneakily collects your data from your keyboard? If that concerns you, consider using an open-source keyboard that runs completely on device, no data servers required. Unlike closed software, security experts can audit open-source programs, so vulnerabilities are found and patched quite quickly. As it happens, there are two solid open-source alternatives to Gboard. One is so like Gboard, you won’t even miss it. The second is as private as a keyboard gets.

FUTO Keyboard is a direct Gboard replacement

Credit: Khamosh Pathak

FUTO Keyboard is designed to be a direct Gboard replacement. It looks like Gboard, and it works like Gboard. But underneath, it’s completely open-source, free, and private. By default, none of your keystrokes leave your device.

FUTO includes on-device AI models for text prediction and voice typing. The text prediction model works completely offline and doesn’t use any online servers. In my testing, it kept up with my typing, and the suggestions were more or less what you’d expect. For voice typing, the app uses a lightweight Whisper-based model, also running on-device, with no servers involved. In my testing, I found the default model to be a bit underwhelming when compared to Gboard. Downloading the highest-tier model resolved this issue, though, and I…

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