Gboard's emoji and GIF picker gets a makeover for big screens
Google's Gboard, the popular Android keyboard app, is getting a fresh look on larger screens like tablets and foldable phones. This update is especially focused on making it easier to find and use emojis, GIFs, and stickers.
Picking the perfect emoji or GIF has become a big part of how we communicate these days. But, on bigger screens, the old Gboard layout wasn't always the easiest to navigate. For example, foldable phones like the Galaxy Z Fold often crammed GIFs into a tiny space, making it hard to see what you were choosing.
The latest Gboard beta update (v14.6.02) is rolling out a brand-new design for tablets and foldables. The main change is that emojis, GIFs, and stickers are now shown on the right side of the screen, with clear category names listed on the left. This is similar to how Gboard works on smaller phones, but now there's room for full text descriptions instead of just icons. Plus, the search bar is much bigger, making it easier to find exactly what you're looking for.
This new layout makes better use of all that extra screen space. On foldable phones, you can now see multiple rows of GIFs at once, making it easier to browse. And tablets get an extra bar on the left for quickly switching between emojis, GIFs, stickers, and other options.
This updated Gboard design has been spotted on devices like the Pixel Fold and Galaxy Z Fold 6. It's currently only available in the Gboard beta, but Google is likely to release it to everyone soon.
Picking the perfect emoji or GIF has become a big part of how we communicate these days. But, on bigger screens, the old Gboard layout wasn't always the easiest to navigate. For example, foldable phones like the Galaxy Z Fold often crammed GIFs into a tiny space, making it hard to see what you were choosing.
Gboard version 14.6.02's GIFs and Emoji picker redesign on foldables and tablets
This updated Gboard design has been spotted on devices like the Pixel Fold and Galaxy Z Fold 6. It's currently only available in the Gboard beta, but Google is likely to release it to everyone soon.
It's worth noting that this might not be a server-side change from Google. Some users have reported seeing the new layout simply by updating their Gboard app, even on phones that aren't officially supported yet. This suggests that Google is getting ready to roll out the update widely, and it could arrive sooner than expected for many users.
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