Around the office, we’ve been experimenting with alternative keyboards inside iOS (something Android users have been able to do for years). Our current favorite? The just-released Gboard, which makes it easy to type by “swiping,” and also allows you to directly access Google Search from any text entry field. For all of those who are as reliant on Google as we are, the tool makes multitasking much easier and eliminates the need to jump back and forth between applications.
We also rely on animated GIFs for self-expression (sometimes exclusively), which makes the Giphy keyboard, Giphy Keys, an interesting tool as well.
We think these custom keyboards are interesting tools and distribution channels for a few key players like search engines and media companies. But does your service need to create one? Probably not.