SwiftKey Suspends Sync Services After Some Users Report Privacy Breach

Advertisement
By Ketan Pratap | Updated: 1 August 2016 12:18 IST
Highlights
  • Several users reported unexpected predictions
  • SwiftKey says majority of its users are not affected by the issue
  • Microsoft acquired SwiftKey earlier this year

SwiftKey keyboard app has been leaking email addresses and mobile numbers of some users, and as a countermeasure, the Microsoft-owned firm has turned off its cloud sync service.

Several SwiftKey keyboard app users reported they saw different mobile numbers and email addresses as suggestion despite never syncing them. Users have taken to Reddit to post their frustration. One of the users claimed that the app started showing suggestions in German language when the device was set to English UK pack. The user wrote on Reddit, "I'm getting someone else's German predictions with only English (UK) pack installed. I have never typed German in my entire life." The user after realising the fact that his SwiftKey predictions may be visible to a third person said, "It's bad enough to lose a trilingual dictionary built over almost 4 years. Now I'm also worrying about someone getting all my suggestions."

The SwiftKey team has taken to its blog post to detail the issue and wrote, "This week, a few of our customers noticed unexpected predictions where unfamiliar terms, and in some rare cases emails, appeared when using their mobile phone. We are working quickly to resolve this inconvenience."

Advertisement

"While this did not pose a security issue for our customers, we have turned off the cloud sync service and have updated our applications to remove email address predictions. During this time, it will not be possible to back up your SwiftKey language model," the company added. The team also claimed that the "vast majority of SwiftKey users are not affected" by this issue.

Advertisement

To recall, the London-based SwiftKey back in February had announced that it had been acquired by Microsoft for a sum of $250 million (roughly Rs. 1,702 crores).

 

Catch the latest from the Consumer Electronics Show on Gadgets 360, at our CES 2026 hub.

Advertisement

Related Stories

Popular Mobile Brands
  1. Realme Neo 8 Launched With 8,000mAh Battery: See Price, Features
  2. Motorola Signature With 50-Megapixel Cameras Debuts in India: See Price
  3. Moto Watch With Up to 13 Days of Battery Launched in India at This Price
  4. Community Forum Moderator Seemingly Confirms Galaxy S26 Launch Timeline
  5. Google Photos' New AI Feature Will Let You Star in Personalised Memes
  6. Adobe Acrobat's AI Chatbot Will Now Let You Edit PDF With Text Prompts
  7. Oppo K15 Turbo, Poco X8 Pro Series Could Launch With These MediaTek Chips
  1. Samsung Accepts Liability, Offers Compensation After Galaxy S25+ Explodes While Charging
  2. Motorola Edge 70 Fusion Runs Geekbench With Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 Chip, Performance Capabilities Revealed
  3. Fable Gets Gameplay Deep Dive at Developer Direct, Launch Set for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series S/X in Autumn 2026
  4. Samsung Galaxy S26 Series Launch Timeline Seemingly Confirmed by Community Forum
  5. Oppo K15 Turbo, Poco X8 Pro Series Chipset Details Leaked Ahead of Debut
  6. Google Photos’ New AI Feature Will Let You Star in Personalised Memes
  7. Realme Buds Clip India Launch Date Announced; Key Features Revealed
  8. Moto Watch Launched in India With Up to 13 Days of Battery Life, Sleep Monitoring: Price, Features
  9. Instagram Spotted Working on a Paid Subscription Feature, Might Allow Users to Make Unlimited Audience Lists
  10. Windows 11 Update Causes Classic Outlook to Become Unresponsive; Users Urged to Use Webmail
Gadgets 360 is available in
Download Our Apps
Available in Hindi
© Copyright Red Pixels Ventures Limited 2026. All rights reserved.