Gboard for Android gets Google Translate support, emoji suggestions and more in latest update

Just a few days ago, Google gave users the opportunity to sign up to test beta builds of its Gboard app for Android. Not only do beta tests help Google squash some bugs before a full rollout, but they’re also a good way for users to try out new features as soon as possible.

The first public beta build of Gboard for Android rolled out last week, bringing a number of new features that are certain to help users communicate much quicker. Now those changes are available for everyone.

Probably the biggest new addition in this release is Google Translate support. Instead of leaving your messaging app to translate a word or phrase, now you can translate your text right in the Gboard app. Just tap the Translate icon within the quick feature menu to activate. Speaking of other languages, Gboard now supports web, GIF and emoji search for right-to-left languages, such as Arabic, Hebrew and Farsi.

Gboard is getting prettier, too. There are now scenic view themes for Gboard, which you’ll be able to find in the theme selection menu of the app. Google says it’ll add more themes more often from now on, so be sure to keep checking back.

Google also wants you to be able to more easily express yourself with GIFs and emoji. Now as you type, Gboard will show a handful of suggested GIFs and emoji in the suggestion strip. For instance, if you type the word ‘pizza’ in your message, you’ll see pizza emoji and pizza GIF suggestions right above the keyboard.

Finally, voice typing is now much easier in Gboard. In previous versions, tapping on the microphone icon would collapse the keyboard and bring up a voice typing interface, forcing you to tap the ‘x’ icon to switch back to the normal keyboard. Now, tapping the microphone will bring up a new voice typing interface without taking you away from your keyboard.

These updates are rolling out as we speak, so be sure to head to the Play Store link below to grab the latest version!