If you use Microsoft's SwiftKey keyboard on your iOS device, there is a new update available for the app today. Microsoft has bumped the virtual keyboard up to Version 2.5.0. Included in the update is a feature the company says was much requested. Elsewhere, Microsoft has made an important bug fix.
Microsoft says SwiftKey on iPhone and iPad now has a new number row. The company says users have been asking for this update for some time. It is worth noting the number row is turned off by default, but you can enable it in the Settings menu.
Regarding the fix, Microsoft has solved an issue where a bug was causing the dark themed SwiftKey skin to show as light. It was a minor issue for sure, but it is nice the company has issued a fix.
Below is the full release note from Microsoft:
- Say hello to your new number row! This much-requested feature is turned off by default but can be enabled by visiting your SwiftKey Settings menu.
- We fixed a bug that caused a light version of SwiftKey's adaptive keyboard theme to show when it should have shown dark.
Recent Android Updates
For the most part, SwiftKey seems to get more love from Microsoft on Android. Back in January, the company rolled out automatic incognito mode for the app. Incognito mode has been available in the keyboard as early as 2016 but it hasn't seen all that much use. Having to manually toggle the feature is a major inconvenience and not intuitive. With the new system, users shouldn't have to micro-manage quite as much.
Also this year, the keyboard received deeper search integration with Google Search. Users can now make web searches while typing on any application. Naturally, Microsoft put its own Bing search engine front and center of the new experience.