TL;DR
A Gboard user and Android Police contributor lists five useful keyboard features he plans not to use in 2026, citing workflow and reliability issues. He praises many of Gboard’s strengths but says features like Emoji Kitchen, clipboard tools, floating keyboard and voice typing don’t fit his habits.
What happened
Rahul Naskar, writing for Android Police, says Gboard remains one of the most capable Android keyboards but that several of its notable features don’t suit his way of working. He singled out five capabilities he’ll keep avoiding in 2026: Emoji Kitchen, which mixes emojis but distracts him from quick replies; the Clipboard Manager, which stores and can pin copied items but is less useful to him because he rarely drafts long text on a phone and prefers SwiftKey’s cloud clipboard for cross-device needs; Clipboard suggestions, which surface copied content in the suggestion strip but appear at times that don’t match his paste habits; the Floating keyboard, which he finds chaotic on phones under seven inches and would reserve for a tablet; and voice typing, which he dislikes and finds unreliable with punctuation and accurate transcription. Despite skipping these features, he still values Gboard for features that match his core needs and is curious whether Google will add cross-device clipboard support alongside any Android desktop rollout.
Why it matters
- Not all advanced keyboard features benefit every user—design and timing of suggestions affect adoption.
- Demand for cross-device clipboard functionality highlights workflow gaps between mobile and desktop.
- Poor voice punctuation and transcription reduce the practicality of voice input for some users.
- Floating or detached input tools may be more suitable to larger screens (tablets) than typical phones.
Key facts
- The article is authored by Rahul Naskar for Android Police and published on Jan. 15, 2026.
- The five Gboard features the author avoids are: Emoji Kitchen, Clipboard Manager, Clipboard suggestions, Floating keyboard, and Voice typing.
- Emoji Kitchen combines two emojis into a mashup; the author finds it distracting and often gimmicky.
- Gboard’s Clipboard Manager stores copied items temporarily and allows pinning so selected items aren’t auto-deleted.
- The author prefers SwiftKey for cross-device clipboard needs because of its Cloud Clipboard feature.
- Clipboard suggestions present recently copied content in Gboard’s suggestion strip but the author finds the timing and conditions for appearance unreliable.
- Floating keyboard mode lets users move the keyboard anywhere on screen, but the author found it chaotic on phones under seven inches.
- The author reports voice typing struggles with punctuation (commas, etc.) and transcription accuracy, and therefore avoids it.
- The author still uses and appreciates many of Gboard’s core features despite skipping those five.
What to watch next
- Whether Google enables a true cross-device Cloud Clipboard for Gboard alongside any Android desktop initiative — not confirmed in the source.
- Improvements to Gboard’s voice-typing accuracy and punctuation handling, which could change its usefulness — not confirmed in the source.
- UX changes to when clipboard suggestions appear in the suggestions strip to better match common paste workflows — not confirmed in the source.
Quick glossary
- Emoji Kitchen: A Gboard feature that combines two emojis into a single sticker-like mashup to express mixed or specific emotions.
- Clipboard Manager: A tool that stores recently copied texts, links, and images for later pasting; some implementations allow pinning items so they are retained.
- Floating keyboard: A keyboard mode that detaches the input area from the bottom of the screen so it can be moved anywhere on the display.
- Voice typing: A speech-to-text input method that transcribes spoken words into text and can optionally interpret punctuation commands.
Reader FAQ
Which Gboard features does the author avoid?
Emoji Kitchen, Clipboard Manager, Clipboard suggestions, Floating keyboard, and Voice typing.
Does the author dislike Gboard overall?
No. He praises many of Gboard’s core features and continues to prefer it for what fits his workflow.
Is cross-device Cloud Clipboard available on Gboard now?
Not confirmed in the source.
Why does the author prefer SwiftKey for clipboard needs?
He prefers SwiftKey because of its Cloud Clipboard feature for cross-device use.
5 brilliant Gboard features I'll keep avoiding in 2026 Credit: Lucas Gouveia / Android Police By Rahul Naskar Published 4 minutes ago Rahul Naskar has years of experience writing news and…
Sources
- 5 brilliant Gboard features I'll keep avoiding in 2026
- 5 tech and gadget New Year's resolutions I will fail to keep in …
- The Best of CES 2026: The Products We Want to Get Our …
- CES 2026 showstoppers: 10 gadgets you have to see
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