Android: If you are using an Android device with limited memory and processor power, you'd know that apps like Swype and SwiftKey don't always run smoothly. Multiling offers similar customizability and features while protecting your privacy and being light on resources.


Like SwiftKey and Swype—two of our favourite Android keyboards—you can swipe-to-type and the predictive text gets better the more you use it. It's also pretty customizable, lets you change the layout, use different types of keyboards (like Dvorak and Azerty), supports several languages and much more.

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But the two points where it's very impressive is the low memory usage and app permissions. Where Swype and SwiftKey were using 41MB and 32MB respectively on my phone, Multiling was using just 7MB. I tested it on a low-powered Android device (dual-core A7 processor, 512MB RAM) and Multiling was much faster than any of the other keyboards, including the stock Android one.

Apart from that, Multiling requires much fewer app permissions than any of the other keyboards, asking only to read and write the user dictionary and access control vibration for haptic feedback. Meanwhile, Swype and SwiftKey will want to read everything from your text messages to your contact book. The down side is that you have to input contact names the first time in Multiling and it doesn't learn them smartly, but that's a small price to pay for privacy.

Multiling (Free) | Google Play Store via MakeUseOf