Supporting Transliteration of Stylus-derived Characters on Android Tablets, behold, Gboard Emerges!

The latest version of Gboard, an Android tablet and smartphone keyboard, is now addressing a common issue. Most keyboards on Android tablets and foldable phones do not support handwriting recognition, but Gboard is taking steps to solve this problem by offering support for handwriting input using a stylus.

This feature was first discovered in August, when users found the handwriting input settings in Gboard for Pixel Tablets. Recently, a video clip was shared by Mishaal Rahaman, showcasing the actual usage of this feature. The clip demonstrates the ability to write sentences using the stylus instead of typing on the keyboard. Gboard then automatically converts the handwriting into text and allows text deletion by scribbling through the unwanted words. This feature is compatible with foldable phones like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5, which also means it supports the S Pen. Unfortunately, it does not support the Pixel Fold, as it does not support the USI Stylus from the beginning.

Previously, we could only use stylus pens for drawing and note-taking, not for typing. The addition of handwriting input fills that gap. This Gboard feature is part of the code in Android 14. To use this feature, users need to update their operating systems to the latest version.

Please note that this feature may not be immediately available to everyone. Another tipster with a Pixel Tablet and a USI 2.0 stylus noticed that when connecting their stylus, they received a message from Gboard saying that the “stylus handwriting model is downloading,” but handwriting input still didn’t work.

TLDR: The latest version of Gboard for Android tablets and foldable phones now supports handwriting input using a stylus. Users can write sentences instead of typing and Gboard will automatically convert the handwriting into text. This feature is compatible with certain devices like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5, but not with the Pixel Fold. Users need to update to Android 14 to access this feature. However, availability may vary for different users.