Gboard vs Samsung keyboard S21 Ultra

Samsung Keyboard, like all of Samsungs mobile apps, is packed with a variety of features. Swipe-to-type, one-handed mode, emojis, themes, predictive text, plenty of customization options for the keyboards layout, and more are all part of Samsungs keyboard app for Galaxy phones and tablets. As someone who regularly switches between different Galaxy devices, I tend to use Samsung Keyboard a lot of the time.

I do that despite preferring Googles Gboard, mainly because its a pain to switch keyboards every time I start using a new phone, and because my basic typing skills are quite good no matter which keyboard app I use. However, the absence of one simple yet invaluable feature on Samsung Keyboard frustrates me to no end, and that is the ability to call up a dedicated number pad manually when you want it.

Like all keyboard apps,Samsung Keyboard has a dedicated number pad that shows up when you tap input fields that only accept numbers, like when youre entering your credit card details. But unlike other keyboard apps, Samsung Keyboard doesnt have any option to manually access that dedicated number pad. And that can get frustrating. You can add a number row at the top of the keyboard, but nothing beats the convenience of the good old feature phone-style number pad.

In case youre wondering, this is the number pad Im talking about:

Again, its a simple feature, and its surprising that Samsung Keyboard doesnt have one considering Samsung is well known for cramming all sorts of functionality into its apps and its phones and tablets. Of course, some will think this is a non-issue, and thats fine. For me, though, not having manual access to a dedicated number pad is the only thing thats missing from Samsung Keyboard, and I would love for Samsung to fix that. Maybe it could do that with the upcoming One UI 4.0 update? Time will tell.

What keyboard app do you use on your Galaxy phone or tablet?