Installing the new Gesture Keyboard on ICS

The new Gesture Typing Keyboard introduced in Android 4.2 let’s you type by just gliding your finger over the letters you want to type.

Android being open source, you can’t even imagine what all your droid can run and playing with your device’s defaults is not illegal like in other OSs.Thanks to xda member mrmako777 you can now get the Android 4.2 keyboard on most Android 4.0+ devices (i.e ICS and JellyBean), including even the non-rooted devices. So, if you love the new Gesture Typing, here’s how to get it.

Step 1 – Make sure you have the a file manager installed on your ICS/JellyBean device. If you don’t here’s a link to Astro File Manager.

Step 2 – Now, download the apk file for the Gesture Keyboard from here.

Step 3 – Transfer the file from your PC to your device.

Step 4 – Navigate to the apk file you just transferred though the file manager and install.

Note: Make sure you have checked ‘Allow installation of non-Market apps‘ in the device settings. If not, go to Settings > Security > Check the box which says ‘Unknown Sources’.

Step 5 – Again navigate to Settings > Language & Input.

Step 6 – Now, under the section ‘Keyboard & Input Methods’ tap on ‘Default‘ and select the option which is not already checked (mostly the second one). This would not make any difference to the language settings but will just instantiate and make the new Keyboard as the active one.

Step 7 – You’re done, now just TRY IT!!!

Gesture Typing on HP Touchpad (Android 4.0.3)

This new Gesture Keyboard from Google is based on the Swype method. So if you want to download the original Swype Keyboard, you can it get it from here. You have to register to receive the download link on your email address and make sure you open the mail in your device and not the PC.

And if both the above Keyboards are not to your liking, have a look at this post: Great Keyboard Apps: Why Type Slow?