What you need to know
- A recent update to Microsoft’s SwiftKey keyboard adds new Bing AI features.
- SwiftKey users can now chat with Bing AI right from their keyboard.
- The update could also use Bing AI to improve text messages by suggesting different tones.
If you’re familiar with Microsoft’s SwiftKey keyboard, the tech giant has just given you a very compelling reason to use it instead of other popular Android keyboards. The company recently injected new Bing AI features into the keyboard, giving users new and improved ways to text and search.
The new Bing AI integration was spotted by The Verge and was recently teased by Microsoft’s chief technology officer, Pedram Rezaei, in a tweet. The CEO stated that the new AI functionality is “slowly being rolled out” and that users can now access it by downloading the SwiftKey Beta app.
Did we just add key AI functionality to SwiftKey? Roll slowly. Get yourself into the beta channel for a taste of the future.April 6, 2023
When you open the keyboard, you should notice the Bing button in the bar above the keys. Clicking it will bring up the search option, along with the new Bing Chat, allowing you to easily access your new ChatGPT-powered chatbot without having to open the Bing or Edge apps.
The update also includes a tone option, which lets you type what you want to say in a field and suggests different ways to write it based on a few different tones. It also automatically fills the field with whatever you’ve typed in your text field. It’s among the generative AI features Microsoft introduced to Bing and Edge in February, which helps users compose emails, documents, and more.
SwiftKey is one of the best keyboard apps for Android, and it came in at number two as one of the fan favorites in a poll conducted by Android Central last year. It wasn’t surprising that Gboard was the top pick, but Microsoft is already giving SwiftKey a huge advantage by integrating Bing AI on Android.
It’s not yet clear when the iOS version of the app will receive the same functionality, but it’s likely to be a matter of time. For now, Android users can download SwiftKey Beta from the Play Store to try out the new Bing Chat features.