iKeywi was a popular jailbreak tweak that added a 5th row of keys to the iPhone and iPad keyboard, which can either be the set of number keys, or any other keys of your choice. The developer of the tweak has made iKeywi available as an iOS 8 custom keyboard.
Apart from the customisable 5th row of keys, iKeywi comes with a number of other features:
– Extra row for keyboard
– Customizable keys
– Input long terms with 1-Click
– Show letter case on keyboard
– Move cursors
The top row of keys can be different based on whether you have pressed the shift key or not. So you can have up to 20 additional keys as compared to the standard keyboard.
How to Change Settings
The app offers a variety of customisation options in its settings. You can get to settings by opening the iKeywi app, sliding through the screenshots, and tapping on Start button in the middle on the last slide:
- You can change the default set of keys in the top row. Just tap on any of the keyboard modes under the “Key Output” section. By default, the lower case row has numbers from 0-9 while the upper case row has punctuations and other symbols. Tap on any of the rows to change the character.
- Not just characters, but you can also associate a word or a phrase with a key. This way, you can use the top row as a shortcut to enter commonly used, long phrases in one click. I’ve added the phrase “Small test”, which will be entered whenever I tap on the first key.
- You can set a label for these long phrases, which will appear on the key. Tap on any keyboard mode under the “Key Displayment” section. The actual phrase will be entered in the text field when you tap on the label. I’ve added the label “Test” for the last screenshot’s “Small test” phrase.
How to add iKeywi keyboard
- Purchase and install iKeywi ($0.99), and open it once.
- Once you’ve installed the app, open it once, and then open the Settings app. Navigate to General > Keyboard. And then again tap on Keyboards.
- Tap on the “Add New Keyboard…” row at the bottom.
- You’ll see a list of all keyboards in groups. One of the sections is for Third Party Keyboards, and you should see iKeywi. Tap on it and it should be added to the list of active keyboards.
- Now tap again on iKeywi in the active keyboard section to reveal its settings. Enable the “Allow Full Access” switch.
- Now open an app where you’ll use the Keyboard. I opened Notes. Then long press the globe icon to bring up the selector you see below, and select iKeywi.
Another useful feature the keyboard provides is the ability to move the cursor using a horizontal sliding gesture, a concept that we have seen before as a jailbreak tweak.
iKeywi is available for $0.99 on the App Store, and requires the “Full Access” permission to store the customisation settings. It works on iPhone and iPad, supports English, and the developer promises that other keyboard layouts are coming soon.
