A split keyboard for foldable phones is now available in Google’s Gboard software.
Foldable phones are excellent tools for productivity, but many popular apps don’t work well with them. Gboard’s split-screen keyboard is Google’s attempt to remedy this situation.
Splitting the keyboard into two halves and placing each half’s keys on either side of the screen, where a user’s thumbs naturally rest, is a crucial feature of this beta release.
As a result, it will be much easier to text on the large panels seen on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Microsoft Surface Duo 2—though it’s worth noting that Samsung currently offers a keyboard app for its Fold range that offers a split screen capability.
If you’re looking for the beta update, which was initially found on the GalaxyFold subreddit and picked up on in a follow-up post by Android Central, it’s not exactly simple to get your hands on. As soon as you’ve signed up for the beta program, the app will be installed on your phone or tablet and you can begin using it.
You’ll be able to choose between the split-screen mode, the conventional keyboard, and the “floating keyboard” style after you have it.
Although it’s a tiny adjustment, Google’s apparent renewed focus on large-screen devices like tablets and foldable phones does imply a shift in strategy. Google showed out the Pixel Tablet at Google I/O 2022 in May, but there’s still no word on the speculated Google Pixel Fold’s release date or status.