Following the rollout of sticker packs and their integration into the keyboard, the latest Gboard beta rolled out earlier this week. Version 6.6 most significantly redesigns the interface for choosing an alternate keyboard layout by merging it with a new simplified Languages picker.

In prior versions, switching to DVORAK or AZERTY required heading into Gboard’s Preferences > Custom input styles. From there, users would be able add a new keyboard through a pop-up by sifting through a long list of languages and then selecting their desired layout.

Compared to the new method, the previous one seems downright archaic. The option for selecting an alternate layout has been merged with the process for setting a keyboard language.

Version 6.6 redesigns the Languages screen, which is no longer a long list of options with toggles to activate. Rather, this page now only shows active languages.

Tapping a language takes users to a new screen with a carousel of six different alternate keyboard layouts that also doubles as a live preview. From here, the option for multilingual typing can also be enabled/disabled.

Meanwhile, adding a new language can be done from the main page with the new, large “Add keyboard” button at the bottom.

Overall, this merger of setting languages and alternate keyboard layouts make a great deal of sense and are a great simplification. Version 6.6 should rollout to the stable channel over the next few weeks.

Gboard 6.6

Gboard 6.5

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