How to create your own dynamic themes and get the most out of Gboard

If you use Gboard daily, you probably spend more time than you think looking at your mobile keyboard.So it makes perfect sense to personalize it. Gboard doesn't just let you change the background color: you can also create your own dynamic themes, adjust sounds, vibration, key layout, and a whole host of other details to make typing more comfortable and, incidentally, much more your own.

In this comprehensive guide you will learn how to fully customize GboardFrom the basics (changing the theme and adding a background photo) to more advanced tricks like adapting the keyboard for one hand, configuring languages, creating your own GIFs or stickers with your face, using integrated Google Translate, or controlling the spell checker and suggestions. Everything is explained in clear, everyday language with concrete steps so you don't get lost.

Requirements and important notices before customizing Gboard

Before we dive into dynamic themes and customization, there are a few technical details worth noting.They're not complicated, but they'll save you from unpleasant surprises if something doesn't work as expected.

First, you need to have Gboard installed and configured as your main keyboard.If your Android phone came with a different keyboard by default, you'll need to install Gboard from Google Play and choose it as your default keyboard in Settings > System > Languages ​​and input > Virtual keyboard > Manage keyboards, by activating Gboard and selecting it.

The version of Android you have also makes a big difference.Some advanced features, such as certain voice dictation options, built-in translation, or spell-check settings, are only available on phones running Android 7.0 or higher. If your phone is very old, some menu sections may be missing.

Important if your device is Android 8 (Go edition)This stripped-down version of the system is designed for very basic mobile devices, and some Gboard features may not be available or may not function correctly. If you notice that a menu is missing or a change isn't saved, it's likely due to this limitation.

And don't forget the vibration of your own phone.If you have system vibration disabled in your device settings, Gboard will not be able to make the keys vibrate, even if you enable it in its preferences. The phone's general vibration settings take precedence over the keyboard's vibration settings.

How to quickly open Gboard settings and themes

The most convenient way to tinker with Gboard is to access its settings from the keyboard itself.without having to search through system menus. This way you can change themes, sounds, languages, and more on the fly while you type.

When you have the keyboard open, you'll see the Google G icon in the top left.Tap the G and a bar will appear with shortcuts to various functions: themes, clipboard, GIFs, translator, etc. If you don't see everything at first, tap the three-dot icon to access the full panel.

Within that panel you will find the Settings icon shaped like a gear.Tap it and you'll go directly to the main Gboard settings screen, where you'll see sections like Languages, Preferences, Theme, Spell Check, Voice Dictation, etc.

There's also a shortcut by holding down the comma key.If you hold your finger down on the comma key for a moment, a small pop-up menu will appear, usually displaying, among other options, the Keyboard Settings icon. This is a quick way to access them if the G key is missing or hidden.

Everything we're going to explain later is done from those settings or from the quick access bar.So you'll want to get used to bringing them up in a second so you can tweak the keyboard whenever you want without having to navigate through Android menus.

Change your keyboard theme and create your own dynamic themes

The Theme section is the basis of Gboard's visual customization.From there you can change colors, backgrounds, gradients and, most interestingly, use your own photos to create completely personalized themes.

To access the themes you can do so either from the Keyboard Settings or from the G barIn Settings, tap on “Theme”. From the keyboard, press G and then directly on “Theme” or, if it doesn't appear, on the three dots and then on “Theme”.

Upon entering, you will see several sections of predefined themesSolid colors (light and dark), landscapes or background images, and also gradient backgrounds. Each block has a button that usually says something like "Show more" to display a larger catalog of designs.

You can choose a dark theme, a light theme, something more striking with landscapes, or a more discreet gradient.When you select one, you'll see a preview of the keyboard with that background. On that preview screen, another very useful option appears: the ability to highlight or hide the key borders, in case you prefer to clearly see the outline of each key or a cleaner design.

The really interesting part is in the “My Themes” section located at the topThis is where the themes you've recently used are stored, so you can switch between them without having to search through the entire catalog every time you want to change.

Within “My Themes” you will see a box with a “+” symbol that is used to create a custom themeTapping it will allow Gboard to choose any photo from your phone's gallery to use as your keyboard background. You can choose, for example, an image that matches your wallpaper—even by browsing dynamic wallpapers for Android— or with the WhatsApp background so that everything is more integrated.

Once you choose the photo, you can crop and adjust it to fit properly under the keysThe keyboard shows you a preview as you move or scale the image to your liking. Then you can decide whether you want the keys to have a defined outline, if you prefer them to appear more "flat" against the photo, and even adjust the intensity of the dark overlay so that the text on the keys remains legible.

Once you confirm, your photo will be saved as its own theme within "My Themes"This way, you can switch between different custom backgrounds whenever you get tired of one, without having to repeat the creation process each time. No one else will have the same keyboard unless they use the exact same image as you.

Customize sounds, vibration, and sensations while writing

In addition to what you see, Gboard also lets you adjust what you feel and hear while typing.If you're coming from another keyboard, you might initially be shocked by how Gboard vibrates or sounds, but all of that can be fine-tuned.

Go to Gboard Settings and then to the “Preferences” section.Inside you will find a section dedicated to "Key Pressing" where the main controls for vibration and sound are concentrated.

Here you can turn the sound on or off when you press each key...as well as adjusting the specific volume of those clicks. If the click sounds bother you, turn them off completely; if you like them but they're too loud, lower the volume until they're discreet.

You can also activate haptic feedback (vibration) when you pressIn addition to turning vibration on or off, there's a "Vibration intensity when pressing keys" control that lets you choose between a subtle or more pronounced vibration. Keep in mind that if system vibration is disabled, you won't feel anything no matter how much you adjust this setting.

Another key parameter is the “Delay on press and hold”This value indicates how long you have to hold your finger on a key before alternative characters appear (e.g., accented letters, secondary symbols, etc.). Lowering it makes the keyboard react faster to long presses; raising it prevents menus from accidentally appearing when you hold a key down a little too long.

If you want to take the typing feel a step further, you can combine these settings with the keyboard height.which is also found within Preferences. Increasing the height makes the keys larger and easier to press, but takes up more screen space; lowering it frees up more space, although it requires slightly more precision when pressing.

Adjust the toolbar, app icon, and shortcuts

Gboard has a very useful toolbar that appears when you tap the Google G.And it can be customized to keep only the apps you actually use every day readily available. Plus, you decide whether the app icon appears in the Android app drawer or not.

When you open the keyboard and press the G, you'll see a row of icons for shortcut functions.Emojis, GIFs, themes, clipboard, Google Translate, etc. If there are features you never use, you can replace them with other, more hidden ones.

To rearrange this bar, tap the three-dot icon on the right.The bottom of the keyboard will be filled with large icons representing all available functions. Simply drag the icon of the function you want to the top bar, replacing the one you want to remove.

This way you can, for example, keep the translator or clipboard always visible.and bury options you rarely use. Gboard will remember your layout and keep it the next time you open the keyboard.

As for the app icon, it is controlled from the “Advanced settings” within the Gboard Settings menu.There you'll find the "Show app icon" option. If you enable it, Gboard will appear as another app in the app drawer, useful if you like accessing settings from there; if you disable it, it will disappear from the menu and you'll only be able to access its options from the keyboard itself.

Google Translate, voice dictation, and other smart extras

One of Gboard's biggest advantages over other keyboards is that it directly integrates Google tools like translator and voice dictation.This way you can write in other languages ​​or dictate messages without leaving the app you're writing in.

To use Google Translate from Gboard, open the keyboard and tap the GThen tap the three dots if necessary and look for the "Google Translate" option. If you use it often, drag it to the main toolbar for easy access.

Once in translation mode, you choose the language you will write in and the output language.From then on, everything you type in your language will be translated and pasted directly into the text field of the application you are using, without having to manually copy and paste from another app.

Voice dictation is also very well integrated into GboardAt the top of the keyboard, just above the letters, you'll see a microphone icon. Tap it to start dictating instead of typing—very handy if you're walking or your hands are full.

While dictating, you can say punctuation commands like “comma” or “period” so that the keyboard inserts the corresponding characters. At first, mixing text and spoken commands might feel a little strange, but once you get the hang of it, it significantly speeds up typing.

If you want dictation to work offline as well, you can download language packs.Go to Gboard Settings > Voice Dictation > Offline Speech Recognition and download the languages ​​you want. They're usually around 25 MB, so they won't take up much of your phone's storage.

Please note that dictation and some advanced recognition features are not available in all languages.Additionally, there's an option in Voice Dictation called "Hide offensive words" that replaces offensive terms with asterisks; if you want everything to be displayed exactly as you say it, turn it off.

GIFs, stickers, and creating content with your face

Gboard isn't limited to text: it's also a mini creative hub for sending GIFs, stickers, and more expressive content., even generated with your own face using the front camera.

To send GIFs, tap the G and then the “GIF” icon in the toolbarGboard uses Giphy's search engine, so you'll have access to a huge repertoire of animations. You can search by keyword, see the most popular ones, or retrieve those you've recently submitted.

Within the GIFs panel, a camera icon will also appear for creating your own GIFs.Tapping it will open an interface similar to social media stories: hold down the record button while making the gesture or movement you want to capture with the front camera.

When you're finished, you can save the GIF to your camera roll for later use.In addition to sending it directly to the conversation you were in, your personal creations will appear next to the "Create a GIF" option within the Gboard search bar.

In the stickers section, next to GIFs, you'll see a huge catalog of stickers organized into packs.Some messaging apps already have their own stickers, but having them on the keyboard too can be very convenient if you often switch between apps.

The star feature here is called “Your Thumbnails”Gboard uses the front-facing camera to scan your face and generates various styles of custom stickers, which you can then adjust (hairstyles, accessories, expressions, etc.). You can also link your Bitmoji account to reuse the ones you've already created there.

Special keyboard modes: floating, one-handed, and numeric

Depending on how you use your mobile phone, the full-screen keyboard might not always be the most convenient.Gboard offers several special modes to suit small hands, large screens, or situations where the keyboard is inconvenient.

Floating mode shrinks the keyboard and turns it into a window that you can move around the screenTo activate it, press the G key, tap the three dots, and select "Floating." The keyboard will shrink, and you can drag it to a less obtrusive location. To return to normal mode, repeat the process and disable floating mode.

If you need to type with one hand, Gboard has a specific mode.Press and hold the comma and you'll see an icon with a keyboard and a hand. Tapping it will shrink the keyboard and push it to one side of the screen (left or right, depending on your choice).

In this one-handed mode, three additional icons appear.: one with four arrows to return the keyboard to its normal size and position, another with a side arrow to change it to the other side (from right to left or vice versa), and another to manually adjust the position of the keyboard on the screen.

Regarding numbers and symbols, Gboard allows you to quickly switch between various views.By default, the key in the bottom left corner takes you to a basic symbols keyboard (parentheses, pound sign, at sign, etc.). From there, you have a button that opens a calculator-style numeric keypad, with the digits arranged like on a physical keyboard.

When you return to the letter keyboard, the shift key will remember whether you were in symbols or calculator mode.This way, you can keep the numeric keypad fixed if you use it constantly, or prioritize the symbols keypad if you're more into passwords and special characters.

Useful gestures: typing by swiping, moving the cursor, and quick deletion

Beyond its appearance, Gboard is full of small gestures that make typing much faster.Many users are unaware of them and continue to use the keyboard "the hard way" without taking advantage of them.

The most well-known gesture is writing by sliding your finger across the letters Instead of tapping them one by one, you simply drag your finger to form the word, passing over the letters that make it up. Gboard interprets the stroke and offers you the most likely word.

Another very practical trick is to move the cursor by dragging your finger along the space bar.If you slide left or right on the bar, the cursor will move in that direction within the text, perfect for correcting a letter without having to precisely tap the exact spot.

You can also select and delete text by sliding your finger over the delete (DEL) key.Press and hold that key and move your finger to the left: you'll see entire words being selected. When you release, everything you've selected will be deleted at once.

To switch between uppercase and lowercase intelligently, select one or more words and tap the shift key.With each tap, Gboard will cycle through all lowercase, all uppercase, and only the first letter of each word capitalized. Ideal for correcting titles or proper nouns without retyping anything.

Finally, remember that a quick double tap on the space bar inserts a period.It's a small thing, but once you get used to it, it makes writing long sentences a little smoother.

Symbols, punctuation marks, and a row of numbers that is always visible

If you use a lot of punctuation marks or symbols, Gboard has several shortcuts so you don't have to constantly switch keyboards.Setting them up properly saves a lot of taps throughout the day.

When you hold down the period key, a small menu with common symbols appears.Commas, exclamation points, question marks, parentheses, and other common symbols. Just slide your finger to the one you want without releasing it.

If you press and hold some numbers in the top row, you will see fractions or other mathematical symbols., such as special characters that are usually more hidden. This long press also works with other keys that hide alternative symbols.

To make things even easier, you can activate the "Press and hold to see symbols" option. In Settings > Preferences. By doing so, each key will display a small secondary symbol, which you can bring up by holding the key down for a moment, without switching the entire keyboard to symbol view.

If you prefer to have the numbers always visible, activate the “Number Row” option in the same Preferences menu.This way, an extra row of digits will appear right above the letters, which is great if you type a lot of numbers or passwords.

However, adding the number row increases the overall height of the keyboard.If you find that it covers too much of the screen, you can always adjust the "Keyboard Height" from Preferences to find a middle ground between comfort and free space.

Languages, keyboard layouts, and Morse code

Gboard is designed for those who switch from one language to another without complicating their livesYou can have multiple keyboards active at the same time, with their corrections and suggestions tailored accordingly, and switch between them with a single tap.

To manage languages, go to Settings > LanguagesThere you'll see the keyboards you already have configured and an "Add keyboard" button to add new ones. Choose the language you want and, if applicable, the regional variant (for example, Spanish from Spain or other countries).

When adding or editing a language, Gboard lets you choose different keyboard layoutsQWERTY with or without ñ, QWERTZ, AZERTY, PC layout, handwriting, etc. This is perfect if you're used to a specific keyboard layout and don't want to change your habits.

If you activate more than three languages, pressing the globe key will switch between them.The keyboard will automatically try to detect which language you are typing in to offer appropriate corrections and suggestions, but you can force it to a specific language from that key if needed.

Interestingly, if you configure the language to US English, you'll see that there's a Morse code writing mode.In this style, you can adjust the waiting times for separating characters and words. It's not something most people will use daily, but it's there as a small nod to fans of this system.

Advanced clipboard and personalized suggestions

Another very powerful feature of Gboard is its integrated clipboard, able to remember what you have recently copied so you can reuse it without having to search for it or type it again.

To activate it, open the G, enter the three dots and tap on “Clipboard”The first time you use it, you'll need to enable it manually. From then on, Gboard will save the text you copy to the system for a limited time (for example, the last hour).

When you open the clipboard from the keyboard, you will see a list of the most recently copied items.Simply tap any of them to paste it instantly into the text field. You can also pin snippets so they don't expire and remain accessible at all times.

As for suggestions, Gboard learns from what you write to suggest words and corrections.You'll see them in the top bar of the keyboard as you type: you can tap a suggestion to complete the word faster.

If a suggestion appears that you don't like or don't want to see again, you can delete it.Hold your finger on the suggested word and drag it upwards until you see a trash can icon; releasing it will delete the suggestion. If it's a word you use frequently, it will likely reappear later.

To further control this behavior, go to Settings > SpellingFrom there you can activate or deactivate automatic correction, tell it whether you want it to take into account contact names, learned words, or the filtering of offensive vocabulary.

You can also add your own words and abbreviations to the personal dictionaryFrom Settings > Dictionary > Personal dictionary. When you enter your language, you'll see an add button to add a term and, optionally, an abbreviation that triggers it (for example, that when you type "xtk" it suggests "Xataka").

Faster emojis: recent, search, and hand drawing

If you're one of those people who can't finish a sentence without adding an emoji, Gboard has several ways to make your life easier. when it comes to finding them without wasting time.

To begin, you can enable your recent emojis to also appear as suggestions.Go to Settings > Preferences and in the emoji section, enable the option to show emojis on the symbol keyboard. This way, your most frequently used emoticons will always be just a tap away.

In English, word suggestions can also show related emojis.If you type "cat", in addition to completing the word, you'll see a cat emoji as a suggestion. For now, this feature is limited to that language, but if you're fluent in it, it can be very useful.

If you don't remember the name of an emoji but you do remember what it looks like, Gboard even lets you draw it.Open the emoji panel with the smiley face on the keyboard, make sure you are on the emoji tab (not GIFs or stickers), tap the search magnifying glass and then the icon that looks like a drawn face.

The keyboard letters will disappear and an area for doodling will appear.As you trace the approximate shape of the emoji you want, Gboard will show you similar suggestions, so you just have to tap them and you're done.

With all these tricks, your keyboard becomes more than just a simple panel of keys.It becomes a highly customizable tool with which to write, search, translate and express yourself much faster and to your liking, both in appearance and in operation.