In September, Microsoft announced that it would be phasing out the predictive SwiftKey keyboard app for iOS as of October 5, 2022, and delisting the app from the App Store.
Those with the keyboard already installed could continue to use it on their iPhones until they decide to uninstall the same or the user gets a new device. Back then, no reason was provided as to why the company was withdrawing support for SwifKey’s iOS version.
With just a little more than a month since its retirement, the company has unexpectedly taken a U-turn and brought back the SwiftKey keyboard app for iOS on the App Store.
According to Pedram Rezaei (@pedram_re), CTO of Microsoft Maps & Local Services Division, the company has decided to reinstate SwiftKey for iOS “with popular demand”. He also said that the company is now “investing heavily in the keyboard” without disclosing any further details.
With popular demand, we are bringing #SwiftKey back to iOS.
— Pedram Rezaei (@pedram_re) November 18, 2022
We are investing heavily in the keyboard. Stay tuned.
— Pedram Rezaei (@pedram_re) November 18, 2022
Vishnu Nath, Vice President & GM of Microsoft Office Product Group, too encouraged fans to “stay tuned to what the team has in store” strongly suggesting that the keyboard app will not only be maintained henceforth but also be receiving regular updates in the form of new features and improvements in the future.
For those unaware, the news of the iOS version of SwiftKey came up a couple of months ago after users on Reddit flagged up that the app had stopped getting updates for more than a year, with the last update done on August 11th, 2021.
Currently, it is unclear if or when the keyboard app will be updated. So, stay tuned for more updates!
About SwiftKey
SwiftKey is a virtual keyboard app originally developed by TouchType for Android and iOS devices. It was first released for Android in July 2010, followed by an iOS release in September 2014 after Apple implemented third-party keyboard support. In 2016, SwiftKey was acquired by Microsoft for $250 million.
As per its own app page, Microsoft SwiftKey is “the intelligent keyboard that learns your writing style, so you can type faster,” which “means autocorrect actually works so you can get your point across fast, without errors.”
SwiftKey is not only well-known for its intelligent next-word prediction, but the app also supports multilingual typing, as well as swipe typing. It also allows users to customize the keyboard by selecting from more than a dozen themes, sending over 800 emojis, GIFS, and much more.
Interested users can download SwiftKey for iOS from the App Store, and the Android version from the Google Play Store.
