14 DAY TRIAL // Google launched Gboard 6.1 beta a few days ago and some users continue to discover new features that could make their debut in the final version. Gboard 6.1 redesigns voice typing and adds GIF suggestions, among other things.
When typing on the microphone button in Gboard, the keyboard would be replaced by a voice typing interface. The new update no longer collapses the keyboard, but offers a microphone icon on the top right. The solution greatly benefits users of lower-end smartphones, which would take longer to collapse the keyboard and open up the voice typing UI.
The update also brings GIF suggestions, which allow users to pick from multiple GIF options when writing a message. The ability to insert GIFs was first introduced last year, when Google Keyboard was updated to Gboard.
Google Doodle in built-in search
The update also shows the current Google Doodle when users open the built-in search. These aren’t the only features introduced to Gboard 6.1, Google also added Google Translate integration, which allows users to tap on a new Translate icon and send text to Google servers for translation.
The input is switched to a text field in the keyboard, and on every key press, the text is automatically translated and pasted in the app. It’s worth mentioning that the feature isn’t available offline, even if users previously saved a certain language for offline use in the Translate app.
Gboard also introduced a new theme selector that separates solid color themes, recently used themes and landscapes. The keyboard also has the ability to download a small library of suggestions to the device and predict emojis. Gboard 6.1 is still in beta, users have the option to join the beta program on the Play store or wait for the update to leave beta and roll out to all users, which shouldn’t take long. Recently, Google updated Gboard for iOS with voice typing, doodles and more languages.