Android: Multilingual Input Options

[ewemoa]

Any favorite options for multilingual input (vague I know) on Android?

Just found the following page and am trying out Adaptxt -- have used Hacker's Keyboard too but it doesn't happen to support one language all that well I have an interest in:

  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Multilingual_support_for_Android#Keyboards

[cyberdiva]

Have you looked at the SwiftKey keyboard?  I use it on my Nexus 7 tablet.  It claims to support 61 languages, and can handle up to three at a time.  I have asked it to handle only English and Spanish, which I find it does quite well, including offering suggestions in both languages.  More information can be found at the Google Play Store listing.  A list of the languages it supports can be found at http://www.swiftkey.net/en/#features.

[ewemoa]

No I haven't, thanks for the suggestion

android paranoia

Input method apps appear to be in position to sniff quite a lot of info -- I'm hoping to find one for which source is available that I can build on my own...perhaps not so easy.

There are a lot of security issues associated with input methods, since they essentially have freedom to completely drive the UI and monitor everything the user enters.

[brahman]

While I personally also find Swiftkey to be the best for pay keyboard on Android, I recently found a very good free one:

"Multiling Keyboard (new beta)" which is totally amazing, 320KB in size plus language packs so it comes in around 1MB vs. Swiftkey 16MB, no network permissions (language packs are on the Play Store), and probably the most customizable keyboard with a big number of tricks up it's sleeves (custom auto-completion of text blocks, swipe, custom keys, adjustable keyboard position, etc.)

I think this one is best for people who are concerned about privacy, since it has no network permissons.

[ewemoa]

Thanks for the suggestion -- nice that it doesn't have network permissions.

I presume it's the one examined here:

  http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/need-swype-like-keyboard-low-memory-device-quest/

[brahman]

Yup, this is the one.

Nice review, BTW.

It is clear to me that all the "minor" keyboards lack the precise word prediction and swyping capabilities of the superior Swiftkey (by far the most accurate) and the contender Swype.

The reason is that these two features cost a lot of money to implement correctly: Swiftkey was co-founded by Dr Ben Medlock from Cambridge University with a doctorate in language-based artificial intelligence and now employs 100 people.

If you perceive how amazingly accurate Swiftkey sometimes predicts the following words, you know that a lot of work has been and still is being put into this prediction algorithm. On top of that Swiftkey by design only shows you a selection of three words to choose from. And don't forget: For every new language you pretty much have to start from scratch again.

I have bought Swiftkey, Swype, Minuum, and Thumb keyboards and tried numerous free ones but I always come back to Swiftkey. Though I also really like Minuum for small devices (tip: use the ABC layout in Minuum).

[ewemoa]

Thanks for the confirmation and thoughts

[Innuendo]

My new phone comes with a customized version of SwiftKey and it's just wonderful. I had bought SwiftKey on a Google sale for either a dime or a quarter a year or two ago. This customized version is even better.

[cyberdiva]

My new phone comes with a customized version of SwiftKey and it's just wonderful. I had bought SwiftKey on a Google sale for either a dime or a quarter a year or two ago. This customized version is even better.

What phone did you get? 

[brahman]

BTW the review of Multiling beta only covers about a third of the features of this keyboard, and I am not talking modding capabilities but useability features.
Check this plug-in out f.e. (easily missed):
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=klye.usertext