Swype kills its virtual keyboard for iOS

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Swype iOS
Swype is no longer available on iPhone and iPad.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Nuance has confirmed that it has killed off its Swype keyboard with Dragon Dictation for Android and iOS.

Swype is no longer available to download from the App Store, and existing users won’t receive any new features or updates.

Swype was one of the first big names to embrace third-party keyboard support in iOS 8. It was already popular among a large number of Android users, thanks to features like swipe typing, customizable dictionary behavior, Dragon Dictation, and more.

Swype gives up on its consumer keyboards

Other third-party keyboards have overtaken Swype in features and popularity in recent years, however. Now Nuance has confirmed it is throwing in the towel on its direct-to-consumer virtual keyboard business.

“We are sad to announce that Swype-Keyboard for iOS has been discontinued,” reads an email to one Swype user, posted on Reddit. Nuance adds the move is “necessary to allow us to concentrate on developing our AI solutions for sale directly to businesses.”

XDA Developers verified the statement with Nuance, which also confirmed that its Android keyboard is being dropped, too.

Better keyboards are available

Swype usage has fallen in recent years following the introduction of better virtual keyboards. Gboard from Google is one of our favorites. In addition to offering Swype’s most popular features, it features GIF creation, built-in search, and more.

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