14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft keeps improving SwiftKey with more and more features on both Android and iOS, and part of this plan is adding integration with its other services.
The most recent beta version of SwiftKey for Android, for instance, comes with a search option that basically allows users to search the web using Bing right from the keyboard.
That’s right, you no longer need to launch a browser or another app, as you can search for anything online using Microsoft’s Bing right from the Android keyboard. I really hope you feel the irony here.
Microsoft doesn’t allow users to change the search engine integrated into SwiftKey, so while the feature could actually be useful, it’s limited to Bing. So no, there’s no Google search for the time being, and there’s still no word as to whether the company is pondering adding it in a future update.
No support for Google search
In the meantime, if you can’t live without Google Search, you may want to try out Gboard, which already comes with this feature and obviously sports Google support.
Microsoft’s implementation of search support comes with some extras too, including support for quickly capturing, cropping, and sending a screenshot to Bing. You can also share the URL right from the keyboard.
The most recent beta build for Android, namely version 7.1.7.30, also comes with a new Arabic layout and improvements for other languages, as Microsoft has made it a priority to add support for as many languages as possible.
You can download SwiftKey for Android beta from Softpedia, but keep in mind that this a preview build of the keyboard app, and there’s a chance that you may come across other bugs while using it.
There’s no mention regarding a similar update on iOS, but there’s no doubt that Bing search integration would land on iPhones as well sooner or later.