At the Google I/O appointment on May 8, Google arise a new affection that adds a Morse cipher keyboard to Gboard so that bodies who cannot talk, type, or bash commonly will still accept a way to acquaint in the agenda age. While it's mainly an accessibility affection for those who absolutely charge it, it's a acceptable way for anyone to apprentice or besom up on their Morse cipher skills.
Right now, Morse cipher in Gboard is alone attainable for the US English language, but it's accurate on accessories active Android 5.o and later. Unfortunately, iPhone users won't get to accompany in on the action, at atomic not appropriate now. Maybe it will arise to a approaching Gboard for iOS update, but for now, this is Android only.
Step 1: Accompany the Gboard Beta
The new Morse cipher capabilities are not activate in Gboard by default. Since it's still advised a "beta" feature, you'll accept to accompany the Gboard beta aboriginal in adjustment to alleviate this affection on your Android device. To do so, aloof visit Gboard on Google Play, annal to the basal of the page, afresh tap "I'm In" in the Become a beta tester box. Tap "Join" on the popup to confirm.
It may booty a few annual for it to complete the signup process. Afterward, you'll appetite to annal aback up to the top and tap "Update" to get the beta installed.
You can uninstall the beta adaptation at any time by hitting "Leave" in the You're a beta tester box at the basal of its Google Play page, afresh hitting "Leave" afresh on the acceptance alert (so that you won't be answer to install the beta again). Afterward, hit "Uninstall" to abolish the beta adaptation from your device.
Step 2: Add the Morse Cipher Keyboard
On your Android device, attainable up the accessory Settings menu. Then, tap "System," followed by "Languages & input." Abutting up, tap "Virtual keyboard," afresh baddest "Gboard" from the list.
After that, tap "Languages," followed by "English (US)." This will accompany you to a row of options you can bash through to add altered keyboard types to Gboard.
Swipe all the way to the far appropriate on the row, afresh tap on "Morse code." Added settings will arise for Morse cipher beneath it, and you can set things to your affection appropriate abroad or aloof tap "Done" to accomplishment installing the new Morse cipher keyboard. We'll altercate all of its settings afterwards on in this article.
Step 3: About-face to the Morse Cipher Keyboard
When you go aback to Gboard — wherever it is that you use Gboard, be it a messenger, note-taking app, email app, etc. — tap on the apple figure to about-face to the Morse cipher keyboard. You can additionally tap-and-hold on the apple or amplitude bar to accompany up the keyboard selector screen, afresh tap the "Morse code" keyboard to baddest it.
Step 4: Use Morse Cipher to Blazon Out Words
If you already apperceive how to use Morse code, afresh you can activate accounting abroad application the dot (.) and birr (-) keys to spell out words. Aloof tap on anniversary button with your finger, afresh use the spacebar to ascribe spaces. For those of you not accustomed with Morse cipher but would like to learn, hit up the abutting step.
If you're already application an accessibility annual on your Android phone, such as TalkBack, About-face Access, or Baddest to Speak, this Morse keyboard will assignment with all of them. For those application About-face Access, you'll charge to configure your alien switch so that the dot and birr characters will be assigned to the appropriate keys.
Step 5: Apprentice How to Use Morse Cipher (If You Don't Apperceive Already)
If you're addition who has a adamantine time speaking or application baby keys on the approved keyboard, afresh it's acceptable that you already apperceive how to use Morse code. For those of you who appetite to apprentice how long-distance communications use to assignment way aback in the day of the telegraph, charge to apprentice to bigger acquaint with those who use it daily, or aloof appetite to accelerate an "SOS" bulletin for fun, Google has you covered.
Just appointment that articulation aloft on your Android device, afresh tap on the awning to start. You can additionally tap on the ? to apprehend added about this tool, which was created by developer Tania Finlayson who has bookish attached and cannot allege — addition who used Morse code as a way to allege to others afterwards the charge of a ample chat lath and head-mounted wanted.
Once you tap on the awning to get started, you'll see how the "Morse Accounting Trainer for Board" works. Once you tap "Get Started" or "Skip," you'll alpha acquirements how to blazon out Morse cipher application pictographs that advice accessory the cipher to anniversary letter, number, or symbol.
Step 6: Acclimatize the Settings (Optional)
If you appetite to accomplish any adjustments to how the Morse cipher keyboard works, you can tap-and-hold on either the apple figure or amplitude bar in Gboard, afresh baddest "Language settings," and tap on "Morse code." You can additionally get there application the instructions from Footfall 2 above.
Sound on Keypress
There are abounding things you can acclimatize in these settings. First, if you tap the toggle on for "Sound on keypress," you'll apprehend complete acknowledgment whenever you tap on a birr or dot. If you're new to Morse code, this is a abundant way to apprentice how to adapt Morse cipher tones into words in your head. You can additionally tap on "Volume on keypress" to acclimatize how loud the tones are.
Character Timeout
As for the added options, there's a "Character timeout," which controls how continued Gboard will delay afore it turns a arrangement of dots and dashes into a letter, number, or symbol. It's set to 1 additional by default, but you can change it to annihilation in amid 250 milliseconds and "Never."
If you're accomplished with Morse code, a abbreviate time would be better, but if you're aloof learning, feel chargeless to up it a bit to booty in annual all your acquirements pauses. If you set it to "Never," you'll accept to hit the amplitude bar or tap the Morse cipher chat to about-face the arrangement into a character.
Word Timeout
By default, "Word timeout" is not angry on (it's set to "Never"), but if you adjudge to accredit it, you can baddest amid 250 milliseconds and "5 seconds." With a abeyance set, Gboard will delay that continued afore it turns a alternation of belletrist into a word, followed by an automated space. If you're not fast at accounting Morse cipher out, you may appetite to accumulate this angry off or you'll end up with bisected words all over the place.
Note: With chat timeout, Gboard autocorrects, suggests, and predicts words as usual. For example, if you admission "nam" and Gboard suggests "name," afresh the chat "name" goes to the argument acreage afterwards the chat abeyance (as if you entered "nam" and afresh amplitude bar).
Key Repeat
By default, "Enable key repeat" is toggled on, and what this does is let you authority bottomward the dot or birr key to echo the keystroke instead of borer assorted times. It's automatically set to "Start repeating after" one second, and the "Repeat rate" is set to 200 milliseconds, but you can acclimatize anniversary of these numbers or about-face the affection off completely.
More About Gboard's New Morse Cipher Keyboard
If you appetite to apprentice added about this new Added cipher keyboard, arch to its Experiments with Google page. You'll see advice about Tania, as able-bodied as a PDF that you can download and book out of the pictographs that are apparent in the trainer in Footfall 5 above.
Developer Tania Finlayson activate her articulation through Morse code. Now she's partnering with Google to accompany Morse cipher to Gboard, so others can try it for attainable communication.
Morse cipher for Gboard includes settings that acquiesce users to adapt the keyboard to their different acceptance needs. It works in bike with Android Accessibility appearance like Switch Admission and Point Scan.
This provides admission to Gboard's AI apprenticed predictions and suggestions, as able-bodied as an access point to AI-powered products, like the Google Assistant.
Overall, I anticipate this is a appealing amazing project. In aloof a few minutes, I was able to alpha dotting and adventurous words out like a pro, article I consistently anticipation was too complicated to alike try. Hopefully, this all-overs out of beta anon and into Gboard for everyone, which will aloof add on to all the air-conditioned things Gboard can do.
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