TextExpander is coming out with a custom keyboard for iOS. TextExpander has always been crippled on iOS. Apps had to use clunky url exchanges to use it and typically only the indie developers bothered. This new keyboard, if it works well, should make a lot of TextExpanders happy. I use Keyboard Maestro on the Mac rather than TextExpander since I tend to use meta key macros more than expansions. I’ve not decided if this would make me consider TextExpander on iOS. If only because I just don’t do extended typing on iOS.¹

The keyboard I’m most looking forward to myself is SwipeSelection. Apple even changed the keyboard API to make keyboards like SwipeSelection possible in iOS8.² If TextExpander including sensical cursor movement in their keyboard ala SwipeSelection I’d probably get it immediately. Although it should be a selectable option. I actually found on my iPad I’d frequently turn SwipeSelection off. The way I rested my palm tended to accidentally move the cursor at times. (Ideally SwipeSelection would have a way to avoid this issue)

The keyboard market of iOS8 is apt to be initially quite crowded. While TextExpander is the established player a similar system apparently is Quickboard.

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