6 Ways To Take Charge Of The Stock Android Keyboard

SURE, YOU’VE GOT plenty of choices when it comes to picking a new keyboard for your Android phone, but you shouldn’t overlook the growing list of customization options available on the “stock” Android keyboard.

- Ben Patterson

Not only can you change the color of the keypad, you can also create your own background using an image from your camera roll. You can even toggle key borders on and off, raise or lower the height of the keyboard, change the timing of a “long-press,” get easier access to your favorite emojis, and more.

Change your keyboard’s theme and background

Back in the early days of Android, the stock keyboard was something of an ugly duckling, with boxy, chunky keys and a single white-on-black theme.

Luckily, the Android keyboard got a makeover a couple of years ago, complete with a sleek new look and a quartet of gray scale color schemes. Today, the number of Android keyboard themes available has expanded to 15, plus the option to use a snapshot on your camera roll as a keypad background.

Tap Settings > Language & Input > Google Keyboard > Theme to see the menu of available keyboard themes—everything from black and red to green and pink—and tap an option to make the change.

To use your own picture as a keypad background, tap the My Image option near the top. Once you’ve given Google Keyboard access to your photos (just tap Allow when prompted), pick an image from your photo library, crop the image and use the slider to adjust the brightness of the background. Finally, select the new background from the Set Keyboard Theme screen.