GoKawiilRita El Khoury / Android Authority
There are two apps on any smartphone that you interact with and use at all times: the launcher and the keyboard. We always tend to forget how crucial a keyboard is; it’s not the sexiest app, and many people may not even consider it an “app” since it’s just… there. It’s a tool to get a job done.
But think about it. You use your keyboard to send messages or emails, to post on social media, to add calendar events, to browse, to talk to AI agents, and to search for anything in any app. Until voice typing is as reliable and as widely used, keyboards are the most fundamental way we interact with our phones. They can elevate your experience, just like they can ruin it. Case in point: Samsung’s poor excuse for a keyboard.
What do you think of Samsung's keyboard? 34 votes It's my favorite keyboard. 38 % I use it, but I'm indifferent. 24 % I use it, but it irritates me. 12 % I can't handle it. I switched to another keyboard. 26 %
Samsung’s keyboard is the worst part of any Galaxy phone In 2016, the first app I installed on my Galaxy S7 Edge was Gboard because I couldn’t fathom how terrible Samsung’s keyboard experience was. In 2024, when I got a Galaxy S24 Ultra, I decided to give Samsung the benefit of the doubt… and I lasted all of 10 minutes before I rushed to the Play Store and downloaded Gboard.
I’m far from alone. My colleague Joe hated his Galaxy S25 Ultra until he replaced the keyboard. He was frustrated at how often Samsung’s keyboard inserts letters and spaces out of the blue and doesn’t correct obvious typos. My other colleague Zac, a staunch Samsung fan, said that “Samsung’s keyboard is trash” and Gboard is one of the first apps he installs on any Galaxy phone. Every single one of my Android Authority team members who has used a Galaxy phone in the last decade said the keyboard is the first thing they change. And it’s not just us geeks.
My colleagues, my parents, and 60% of you, our readers, agree: Samsung Keyboard is bad.
I still remember what happened when I bought two Galaxy Tab A9 Plus tablets for my parents and my aunt. I set them up but forgot to switch the keyboard. The first thing they told me the next day, when I asked if they liked the tablets, is, “I don’t like typing on it. It’s weird.” They had no idea what Gboard is, or that there are different keyboards on Android, but they instantly felt something was off. I instantly switched them to Gboard, the keyboard they’re used to on their Pixel phones, and they stopped complaining. Beyond anecdotal evidence from my family, we asked you last year what you thought of Samsung’s keyboard. Over more than 1700 Android Authority readers replied, and only 18% said they use it and love it, while 22% said it’s fine, and a whopping 60% said, “No way, I use another keyboard.” If that isn’t a damning number, I don’t know what is. Our readers are tech-savvy; they know how to switch keyboards on their Android phones, and six out of 10 of them are ditching Samsung’s keyboard willingly to find something better. Here’s a small sample of the comments we received:
Rita El Khoury / Android Authority Screenshot
It’s unbelievable that something as critical as this to your entire smartphone experience can be so bad on a Galaxy phone. Even more unbelievable that Samsung hasn’t done anything to fix it for over a decade now. It sucked in 2016; it still does in 2026. Joe is currently testing the new Galaxy S26 Ultra, and his first comment was about how poor the keyboard is. Does no one at Samsung use this thing? Do they never type? Do they not notice how it’s the most absurdly bad part of One UI?
... continue reading