Top 5 iOS 8 Keyboards: Features & Download

If there's one special feature that came out as a result of the recent iOS 8 update, it's no other than the ability to use a new iPhone keyboard without the need to jailbreak one's phone.

Apple announced the feature this summer and developers spent the last several months working on a collection of paid and free iOS 8 keyboards that work on the iPhone and iPad, reports Gotta Be Mobile.

Gotta Be Mobile specified that these iOS 8 keyboards work on any device that runs on iOS 8 including the new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c, iPhone 5 and iPhone 4s. It also works on the iPad 2 and newer versions as well as the iPod touch 5th generation.

There are many iOS 8 keyboards available which are downloadable from the App Store. Users have the option for a paid or free app and they can also choose to have one or multiple iOS 8 keyboards on their iPhones or iPad.

Laptop reports that Android users are quite familiar with keyboard apps that allow them to swap the standard layout for options that offer smarter predictions, more customization options among other features.

Apple has opened iOS 8 to third-party keyboards, enabling iPhone and IPad users to enjoy gesture typing, more languages and context-aware suggestions and superpower their mobile productivity, Laptop reported..

Gotta Be Mobile and Laptop enumerated the best iOS 8 keyboards now available and those up and coming and here are the top 5 among current iPhone and iPad users:

1.    Fleksy

Laptop notes that Fleksy features a unique gesture system enabling users to swipe to input punctuation, spaces or break into next lines and more. It has multiple layout modes allowing users to see more of their screen. It also features an invisible keyboard that allows users to type over pictures while keeping their eyes off the screen. It costs $0.99 on the App Store.

2.    SwiftKey

As the most popular Android keyboard, SwiftKey offers better predictions that enable users to type faster and more accurately. This keyboard can also be split into two and dock it whenever the users prefer to make the layout more tablet-friendly, reports Laptop.

3.    Swype

Gotta Be Mobile states that Swype includes a variety of themes including some with images it delivers swyping to the iPhone. The app also learns from one's typing patterns and corrects the mistakes as the user types. It costs $0.99 on iTunes.

4.    Snapkeys Zones

With this keyboard, instead of hitting specific buttons, users hit the zone that a letter is in. Laptop reports that Snapkeys Zone will then guess the word one is typing. So if one hits "w" instead of "q" when typing "Queen," the keyboard will be smart enough to tell the users what he meant to type, The app is in beta for Android at the moment, but its makers have disclosed to Laptop that they are working on the iOS 8 version of the keyboard as well.

5.    GIF iOS 8 Keyboard

The iOS 8 keyboard won't enable user to type faster. In fact, it doesn't even type words, reports Gotta Be Mobile. This is an animated GIF keyboard that replaces words with a library of animated gifs so users can reply on Facebook and in text messages with the perfect animated image. The apps is free on iTunes.