Search

SwiftKey's Transliteration Feature Is Quick but Needs a Few Improvements

Advertisement
Highlights
  • SwiftKey's new transliteration is available to Android users
  • The feature is currently available for Hindi and Gujarati-speaking users
  • We found that the transliteration feature was quick
SwiftKey's Transliteration Feature Is Quick but Needs a Few Improvements

SwiftKey Keyboard app on Monday started rolling out transliteration feature for Hindi and Gujarati-speaking users. The new transliteration keyboard feature with prediction will place SwiftKey head-on with Google's Indic Keyboard app, which was rebranded last year, and also offers transliteration mode in several Indian languages. Notably, SwiftKey was working on the transliteration feature for long. The transliteration feature was available to users through SwiftKey Beta app though now it's available from the main SwiftKey Keyboard app as well. Notably, the feature is not yet available for iOS users.

(Also see: SwiftKey Keyboard App Gets Hindi, Gujarati Transliteration Feature)

In its announcement, SwiftKey stressed that it worked on bringing the transliteration feature to its keyboard for months. We tested out the new transliteration on the SwiftKey app and here are our first impressions.

swiftkey keyboard app swiftkey

One of the advantages of using third-party keyboard apps are they offer more features than the inbuilt (or default) keyboard app that is available to users out-of-the-box on a device. SwiftKey, for example, offers several Themes and also lets users customise the layout of the keyboard. New users will have to download the SwiftKey Keyboard app from Google Play and enable the keyboard app.

Microsoft-owned SwiftKey points that the transliteration will be automatically enabled for users who already have Hindi or Gujarati languages installed on their smartphones. With the new feature, you can type phonetically using the English letters - "Kya kar rahe ho," and the keyboard will suggest the Hindi words for the typed words. One of the best things about the new feature is it's enabled automatically.

The transliteration works when users are in the QWERTY layout, Hindi words start appearing in English letters as well as in Hindi. However, when using the native script layout, word predictions only appear in the language of that script. With the new feature, the SwiftKey keyboard app will allow users to type in English and then select matches in Hindi and Gujarati. It allows users to type in English, their native script, or a combination of the two. To recall, SwiftKey already offers keyboards in 22 Indian languages.

swiftkey hindi typing swiftkey

SwiftKey keyboard app offers quick predictions right from the start. Once the word "How" is typed, the prediction bar already has several possible next word predictions. This works the same way when transliterating the Hindi language as well. When we typed a few Hindi words on messaging app, the keyboard app automatically started predicting next Hindi words, which is great addition and can save time. Moreover, the Hindi predictions do appear while being in the English keyboard which is great for users.

We liked SwiftKey's predictive keyboard that typically offered word suggestions based on what it learned about our usage. It picked the script to offer suggestions based on our past usage too. For example, if we typed a word in Hinglish and another in Hindi, the predictions were tailored accordingly.

We however wish that this also worked the other way round for regional users in India. As some users are more comfortable typing in Hindi and would have loved having the transliteration feature available to them, it would be great if the app offered English predictions automatically, while maintaining the Hindi keyboard.

swiftkey app keyboard swiftkey

We have used Google's Indic keyboard previously and can tell that the SwiftKey's prediction of words are way better. We also like the Themes galore that allow users to customise the keyboard.

We tried several sentences in a combination of Hindi and English words on SwiftKey Keyboard, and the experience was decent. There was a few times that the keyboard sent English words while we were having conversation in Hindi and looked unusual.

The all-new transliteration feature of SwiftKey definitely makes life easier for some users. For example, we are not familiar with Hindi typing at all but the transliteration feature enabled us to have a conversation in Hindi, all while being in the English keyboard.

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.

 
Show Full Article
Please wait...
Advertisement

Related Stories

Popular Mobile Brands
  1. Google Pixel 10 Pro Series, Pixel Buds 2a, Pixel Watch 4 Design Leaked
  2. This New Tracking System Can Use Just Wi-Fi Signals to Identify You
  3. Oppo Reno 14FS 5G Design and Specifications Leaked: Check Expected Price
  4. Smartphones Launched in India (July 2025): Check List
  1. Oppo Reno 14FS 5G Price, Design and Specifications Leaked Ahead of Anticipated Debut
  2. Samsung Galaxy A07 Listed on Google Play Console With Design, Key Specifications: Report
  3. Microsoft SharePoint Hack: Probe on Whether Chinese Hackers Found Flaw via Alert
  4. Samsung Reportedly in Talks With OpenAI, Perplexity to Offer Gemini AI Alternatives on Galaxy S26 Series
  5. Redmi 15 Design Renders, Specifications Leaked; Tipped to Arrive in Three Colourways
  6. Google Pixel 10 Pro, Pixel 10 Pro XL Spotted in Moonstone Colourway Alongside Pixel Buds 2a and Pixel Watch 4
  7. Meta Names ChatGPT Co-Creator Shengjia Zhao as Chief Scientist of Superintelligence Lab
  8. Who-Fi: An AI-Powered Wi-Fi Technology That Can Identify and Track Individuals Without Cameras
  9. NASA’s X-59 Moves Closer to First Flight with Advanced Taxi Tests and Augmented Vision
  10. Unusual Plasma Waves Above Jupiter’s North Pole Can Possibly Be Explained
Gadgets 360 is available in
Download Our Apps
App Store App Store
Available in Hindi
App Store
© Copyright Red Pixels Ventures Limited 2025. All rights reserved.
Trending Products »
Latest Tech News »