A couple of months back, Google was spotted working on a new Gboard tool that would make it a lot easier to resize the on-screen keyboard on your Android devices. Aptly called Resize, the tool is now rolling out to users in the beta channel. The stable version of Gboard should get the feature in the coming months.
Resize is a new shortcut in Gboard’s redesigned toolbar. Tapping it opens an interface where you can easily resize the keyboard. You can adjust both width and height by simply dragging the edges of the keyboard. This gives you more granular control over the size than the existing Keyboard height menu available through the Preferences section in Settings. Here, you get seven pre-set heights: Extra-short, Short, Mid-short, Normal, Mid-tall, Tall, and Extra-tall.
According to a 9to5Google report, the new tool lets you reduce Gboard’s width by up to two-thirds. If you’re using a tablet in landscape mode, the keyboard would take up a phone-like layout. When not in the regular size, you can drag the keyboard around and move it to the desired place on the screen. Tapping the checkmark will save the changes, while the reset button will move the keyboard back to the original location and reset size changes.
Note that making the keyboard smaller than its default size will leave empty spaces around it. You cannot fill those spaces with anything, as apps are optimized to not show content in areas that are typically covered by the keyboard when in use. As pointed out by the publication, Gboard’s new Resize tool has similarities with the Floating keyboard and One-handed mode, but they aren’t the same.
Google is currently testing the new Resize tool among Gboard beta users
As said earlier, the new tool is currently only available for Gboard beta users. 9to5Google confirms receiving it with version 13.2.05.x of the app for Android phones and tablets. As usual, not all beta users are lucky enough to receive it. However, you can try your luck by updating the Gboard beta app. If you haven’t enrolled in the beta program, you can join here.
Google will push this update to the stable version of Gboard in the coming months. You can also expect the company to improve its keyboard app with more new features in the future. We will let you know as they come. Meanwhile, you can click the button below to install the latest version of the app from the Google Play Store.