There’s no shortage of great keyboard apps for Android, from popular ones like Gboard, SwiftKey, Samsung Keyboard, to more niche options like Grammarly and Typewise. And while all of them work great, they also share a big issue that almost nobody talks about.
They all connect to the internet and create logs, which makes them a huge privacy concern. That’s why I like HeliBoard more. It’s a free and open-source keyboard app based on OpenBoard that works entirely on your device. The sad part, though, is that it isn’t available through the Play Store, so most users haven’t even heard of it.
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Privacy is the biggest pull of HeliBoard
It doesn’t watch what you type
Your phone’s keyboard has a unique privacy risk. You use it to type everything from search queries and passwords to messages, and even personal notes. In many ways, it’s the most sensitive app on your phone. And the problem with most popular keyboard apps is they all use the internet for their best features, like cloud-based predictions, syncing dictionaries, fixing grammar, and even voice typing. So one way or another, at least some of what you type is sent to a remote server.
HeliBoard is different. It’s an offline-first keyboard app that does everything on the device. That means you don’t have to worry about it sending any data to the cloud. Another side benefit of this is there are no accounts to manage or AI features for sending text to remote servers. It may sound like a drawback to some, but this old-fashioned approach is exactly what makes HeliBoard appealing.
HeliBoard has almost everything you need from a keyboard app
It gets the basics right
Privacy might be HeliBoard’s headline feature, but it’s not the only reason I like it. It also has almost all the things you might need from a modern keyboard app. It offers autocorrect, word suggestions, customizable themes, voice typing, and even a clipboard history. The overall typing experience is also on par with keyboard apps. So yes, you’re not missing out on any of the popular perks.
One of my favorite things about HeliBoard is all the customization options it offers. Head to Settings > Appearance > Miscellaneous and you can adjust everything from here. You can adjust the keyboard height, text size, font type, bottom and side padding, and plenty more. This may sound basic, but the level of control is something you won’t find in any other keyboard app.
HeliBoard supports multiple languages and even gives you a few layout options. For instance, you can enable the split keyboard layout for a more comfortable typing experience on a foldable or when holding your phone in landscape mode. There are even spacebar gestures for moving the cursor, switching languages, toggling the numpad, and even hiding the keyboard. Another small but useful feature is Force Incognito Mode, which you can use any time you don’t want HeliBoard to learn words or add your emojis to the recents panel. So HeliBoard gives you more than just the basics.
HeliBoard has some quirks, but they’re easy to ignore
Not everything is smooth
HeliBoard gets a lot right, but it’s not perfect in every way. The biggest issue I’d say is the update situation. Although it’s actively developed and maintained, its update schedule is somewhat inconsistent. It’s not unusual for a community-driven project, but it does mean bug fixes can sometimes take longer to arrive.
And speaking of bugs, HeliBoard isn’t quite as polished as the mainstream alternatives like Gboard or SwiftKey. Yes, it works fine 99% of the time, but do expect a few surprises every now and then. You’ll run into random glitches or odd behavior that reminds you it’s not a billion-dollar product developed by a massive team. It’s nothing that makes the keyboard unusable, though.
Another trade-off comes from HeliBoard’s biggest strengths. Since it doesn’t require an account and upload data to servers, it also can’t sync data across devices. So if you use multiple phones or switch between a phone or tablet, your personal dictionary, clipboard, settings, and learned words won’t automatically follow you.
It’s a shame it isn’t available through the Play Store
For all the things HeliBoard gets right, it’s a shame that installing it isn’t as direct as it should be. Since it’s not on the Play Store, you need open-source app stores like F-Droid, or grab its APK file from GitHub. Neither option is particularly difficult, but it’s surely less convenient than simply hitting the download button. And if you skip F-Droid, that means you’ll need to update HeliBoard manually, which is another problem.
So the installation process is truly something that can keep many users from even trying HeliBoard. The only good thing is that HeliBoard does include an option to back up and restore, which means if you switch to a new phone, you don’t have to start from scratch. It’s a useful feature that makes HeliBoard easy to recommend.
