Microsoft has made an announcement that it will no longer support SwiftKey for iOS. The well-liked keyboard app will no longer be available on Apple’s App Store after October 5th.
Microsoft to end support for SwiftKey for iOS
SwiftKey was first introduced on iOS in 2014. Its success on both Android and iOS platforms caught Microsoft’s attention, leading to the acquisition of the app for $250 million. Following the acquisition, SwiftKey continued to flourish with the addition of new features across both mobile operating systems.
In the past year, despite its popularity, Microsoft appeared to have abandoned support for the keyboard app, ceasing to provide updates or bug fixes. The current version of SwiftKey for iOS is 2.9.2, which was last updated in August 2021. Surprisingly, the app still works on the latest iOS version, iOS 16.
The technology behind SwiftKey has now found its way into Windows 11, particularly in the Windows Touch Keyboard. Moreover, it enables the synchronization of clipboard data between Windows and Android devices.
Chris Wolfe, the Director of Product Management at SwiftKey, informed The Verge that existing users with SwiftKey on their iOS devices can carry on using the app even after it gets delisted. However, if uninstalled, the app cannot be reinstalled, meaning users switching to new devices will no longer be able to download it from the App Store. Wolfe reassured that SwiftKey for Android will not be affected by this change and will continue to receive support. The reason for Microsoft’s decision to discontinue SwiftKey on iOS was not elaborated on.
When asked by ZDNet’s Mary Jo Foley for clarification on the withdrawal of support, Microsoft declined to comment. There is speculation that the decision may have been driven by limitations set by Apple regarding third-party keyboards.
Interestingly, there have been issues reported with signing in to Microsoft accounts through the SwiftKey app, with users facing the same problem for the past month. Additionally, all SwiftKey support articles related to the iOS app have been removed. A new page on the website now confirms that SwiftKey for iOS is being phased out and will be removed from the App Store on October 5th. Users are advised to visit https://data.swiftkey.com/ to manage their data. If you wish to continue using the app, now is the time to download it on your iPhone or iPad before it is permanently removed next week.
Having used SwiftKey for approximately 10 years on both Android and iOS, I personally find it challenging to identify a suitable alternative keyboard app for iOS. Google’s Gboard for iOS has not been updated for some time and, in my opinion, does not match up to SwiftKey in terms of gesture accuracy, word prediction, and automatic punctuation. This leaves us with Apple’s default keyboard, which may not be as satisfactory.
Image Source: Volodymyr Kyrylyuk / Shutterstock
