Android: We recently showed you how to add many of the features from Android KitKat to your phone immediately. Now the keyboard that will be included in Android 4.4 is available as a stand-alone APK that will work on any Jelly Bean device, and even some phones older than that.
The keyboard features new key spacing that (theoretically) makes it easier to type, and the swipe-to-type feature now uses what Google is calling “space-aware gestures” that let you type out entire sentences without having to take your finger off the keyboard (this is very similar to SwiftKey’s “Flow Through Space” feature).
The trail line behind your swiping is now white instead of blue, and the keyboard sports built-in emoji — just long-press the enter or search key to access them. If you have 4.4 or a 4.4 ROM, you’ll see the full emoji list in lots of colours, but 4.3 and below will only see the ones bundled with the keyboard itself, and even then only the ones in black-and-white. If you’re a SwiftKey or Swype user, there probably isn’t much here to excite you, but if you use the built-in stock keyboard and want to see if there’s anything you’re missing, hit the link below to grab it.
APK Download: Google Keyboard 2.0 From Android 4.4 With Space-Aware Gestures [Update: And Emoji!] [Android Police via CNET]
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