How to use Handwriting Mode in Gboard instead of typing

Typing on your Android device can be difficult because the virtual keyboard has small keys and if you are a person with slightly large fingers, the experience will not be great. Most of us are used to this experience, but for some, typing with the virtual keyboard can still be difficult.

You can try other ways, such as using your voice as input, but this is not private if you are in public. Another option you should explore is writing by hand, which can be faster and more comfortable. Read on for instructions on using handwriting mode in Google’s Gboard keyboard.

How to enable handwriting feature in Gboard

To start handwriting on your Android phone, you need a keyboard that supports this feature as your input method. We chose Gboard because Gboard comes pre-installed on most phones, but other alternative keyboards like Microsoft’s SwiftKey offer similar functionality.

Follow these steps to get started:

1. Open any app that lets you type, then tap the input field to wake up Gboard.
2. At the top of the keyboard, select Setting (sawtooth icon).
3. Select Languageand on the next page, select the input language you want to use.
4. On the next page, tap Handwriting to add it to the keyboard input method in Gboard. (You may need to scroll through the options by swiping left to see).
5. You can then customize the inking speed and stroke width below Handwriting settings.
6. When you’re done, tap Finished to save your changes.

You will be taken back Language page, where you will see Handwriting displayed as one of your keyboard languages ​​and layouts.

How to use Handwriting Mode in Gboard

With Inking enabled, you can now use it as one of the ways to enter text on your Android device. Here’s how to use it:

1. Open any app that allows users to type and tap the input bar to wake up your keyboard.
2. Next, touch and hold Sphere icon on your keyboard to see available keyboards.
3. Choose a keyboard with handwriting input, for example English (US) Handwriting. The keys will then disappear and you’ll see a blank canvas to handwrite your input.
4. Using your finger or a stylus, handwrite whatever you want in the blank writing area.

When you start writing, you’ll notice Gboard suggests words at the top of the writing area. You can tap to complete the word or enter the next word in the series. These text suggestions can be helpful, especially when you need to type faster on your Android phone.

When using Gboard’s Handwriting mode, you can still use it Spacebar to enter a blank and Delete button. Suggest text with one Space bar (⎵) symbols before them automatically add a space followed by the suggested word.

However, you can manually add spaces by tapping Spacebar on the keyboard. If you want to use emoji, you will have to tap Emoticon at the bottom of the keyboard as you normally would. The same applies to specific numbers and symbols that you cannot understand properly when writing by hand.

For a better experience, we recommend using a stylus to help improve typing speed when handwriting in Gboard.

Is handwriting faster than typing on your smartphone?

It depends. Like typing, it takes some getting used to before you can take full advantage of the handwriting feature. However, once you get the hang of it, writing can be faster than typing, consider the small keyboard keys in smartphones. But similar to other things in life, your mileage will vary. In this case, it depends on your typing skills.