Google’s Gboard is the default keyboard on most of the finest Android telephones, and the baked-in app is getting a much-needed refresh within the coming weeks. 

Particularly, the Gboard toolbar – that’s the checklist of icons above the quantity keys – is being up to date (H/T Android Police (opens in new tab)), with beta testers reporting that you just’ll quickly be capable to customise this row of icons with greater than 4 choices. 

In its present guise, the Gboard toolbar plonks an immovable ellipses menu icon between the settings and voice search buttons. In its up to date kind, this ellipses turns into a button exhibiting 4 squares with rounded corners, and is moved to the left-hand aspect of the toolbar.

That redesigned menu homes all of the shortcuts that are not at the moment within the toolbar, so you possibly can drag and drop them to switch toolbar shortcuts. That is lengthy been the case, however now, quite than being restricted to 4 toolbar shortcuts, you’ll be capable to add as many shortcuts as you want – together with new emoji and language switcher choices – and the voice search button will now not be locked in place. See the redesigned toolbar in motion by evaluating the images under. 

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Along with these beauty enhancements, Google can also be engaged on including a Privateness menu to Gboard’s settings. Basically, it’ll characteristic many of the settings that had been as soon as housed within the Superior menu, but it surely’s good to see Google introducing a devoted area for keyboard-related information assortment. 

These Gboard updates are actually obtainable to anybody on Google’s Beta program – the brand new model is 12.6.06.491625702 – however these not already enrolled can become involved by tapping the Be part of button on Gboard’s Play Retailer web page.

Alternatively, we’d anticipate to see Google rolling out the updates as a part of its subsequent Android software program replace (which might come anytime within the subsequent few weeks). 

For more information on getting the perfect out of your Android cellphone, learn our guides on easy methods to make customized emojis on Android, easy methods to screenshot on Android and easy methods to report your display on Android without spending a dime (all three guides apply to the perfect Android tablets, too).