Keybuild

Keybuild

Build your own keyboard

45 ratings
51 reviews
$3.99

Details

Released
January 11, 2021
Updated
October 8, 2024

Features

Keybuild screenshot #1 for iPhone
Keybuild screenshot #2 for iPhone
Keybuild screenshot #3 for iPhone
Keybuild screenshot #4 for iPhone
Keybuild screenshot #5 for iPhone
Keybuild screenshot #6 for iPhone
iphone
ipad
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About

Design and customize your own touchscreen keyboard. Choose layouts, assign custom functions to keys, and organize them into multiple panes for easy switching. Tailor your keyboard for specific tasks or personal preferences.

✓Customizable keyboard layouts
✓Assign custom text/symbols to keys
✓Support for letters, symbols, and emoji
✓Multiple keyboard panes
✓Stack-based layout system
✓Layout options like Qwerty, Azerty, Colemak
✓VoiceOver support
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What users say about Keybuild

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What's New in Keybuild

1.7.4

October 8, 2024

• Makes the Paste option always visible when adding a key, to aid discovery. • Updated to use iOS 18 SDKs. • Adds emoji jump option for the unicode picker. (Slow, but doesn’t crash!) • Various optimisations.

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User reviews

Absolutely unreal. The best 4 dollars I've ever used on an iOS app.

I have literally been stranded with just an iPad for nearly two years. (My dog is terrified of keyboard sounds.) In that time, I've written over 250,000 words on a single project on this device, almost entirely in Obsidian. I have made 1,001 Templater, Note Toolbar, and Commander scripts...desperately trying to give myself a working environment that doesn't leave me in posture agony for days. I had looked for an app solution so many times, as when I downloaded and used the IPA Keyboard, I saw that creative keyboard designs were at least possible. And I never found one that seemed even remotely capable of suiting my needs. I wasted so much time javascripting when I could have just had this....

My life is completely and unabashedly more tolerable due to the customizability provided by this app.

I'm building my dream keyboard specifically for markdown use as we speak. Single press triple backticks? Do you know how long it took me to physically type just one on the native keyboard? About 1.5 seconds, FOR ONE KEYSTROKE. (You have to be in Shift mode, then hold down the ' for at least a half second, and then you get your one adorable backtick...)

If you have a place people share their keyboards,mI'll post mine when I'm done.

Thank you sooooooo much, compañero!

YOU WILL BE RECEIVING A THANK YOU ON MY NOVEL'S DEDICATION PAGE, I'M NOT KIDDING!
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Worst 4$ ever spent

Extremely buggy, edit one key on caps side and it also changes the lower caps. Same for symbols. No way to make it do what you want. Also no autocorrect or languages.

Very Satisfied

This is everything that i wanted from a keyboard making app! This is perfect for creating keyboards using unconventional unicode symbols, has for sure been worth the cost!

only suggestion is perhaps making switching layouts more smoother, kinda like having the symbols button on the default IOS one, maybe it can be like a secondary caps lock function-wise.
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Lack of autocorrect

A generally good app but its lack of autocorrect takes away whatever advantage a modofoed keyboard might provide.

WARNING!! DO NOT PURCHASE!

This app is garbage. It is not intuitive and there are no instructions on how to use it, other than what is shown in the above screenshot that shows the title “Getting Started”. I just wanted to create a simple numeric keyboard with a squarish layout. If that is possible, I can’t figure it out – and I’m usually good at figuring things out, particularly with navigating my way around iPhone apps.

The interface is terrible. There are a few templates to choose from (as shown in the screenshots above), which are all very similar and basic. I’m sure it’s possible, but I can’t even work out how to add basic numeric keys to the keyboard. When I try to edit one of the templates, the app crashes every time I delete a key.

Attempting to contact the developer is useless. The only link directs you to a social media page on a platform I’ve never heard of. Maybe it’s popular, I wouldn’t know as I don’t use social media and have no intention of signing up to one to contact the developer.

Also, some of the features advertised (such as haptic feedback and input clicks) are not accessible unless you go into settings and allow the app to have FULL KEYBOARD ACCESS, which, when you grant it, you are presented with this warning:

“Full access allows the developer of this keyboard to transmit anything
you type, including things you have previously typed with this keyboard.
This could include sensitive information such as your credit card
number or street address.”

Thanks, but NO THANKS!!

App deleted…
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Developer apps

User experience

🐞

Reported Bugs

13 issues

Editing one key on caps side also changes lower caps/symbols

Bug

App crashes when deleting a key

Bug

Full keyboard access warning

Bug

Bug: writing quickly with SHIFT pressed makes the second letter capital

Bug

Bug: if you write quickly with SHIFT pressed, the second letter can also become a capital letter

Bug

Bug: combining unicode characters don't stack, they are placed next to each other

Bug

App crashes when converting text stack to key stack

Bug

Interface is laggy and sometimes crashes

Bug

Not listed in third party keyboards

Bug

Impossible to add keyboard

Bug

Doesn't work with Apple's own hardware keyboard

Bug

Backspace cant go fast

Bug

Shift pressed bug

Bug
✨

Requested Features

33 requests

Smoother layout switching

Feature

Separate keycaps for shift/no shift

Feature

Text replacement functionality

Feature

Select all + copy button

Feature

Adjusting key shape/color

Feature

Better rendering for combining Unicode characters

Feature

Hold-down feature for multiple character versions

Feature

More 'squared' key options

Feature

Expanded key options on press and hold

Feature

RTL Keyboard Auto Alignment

Feature

Adjustable key font size

Feature

Themes for keyboards

Feature

3D press support

Feature

Move/change special keys (shift, delete, return, 123, globe)

Feature

Hold for layer switch

Feature

Auto switch back to base layer

Feature

Ability to add Tab and Escape keys

Feature

Haptic feedback for long-press buttons

Feature

Delete a whole word action

Feature

Colorize buttons

Feature

Support multiple actions in a long-press menu

Feature

Cursor control (forward/backward words)

Feature

Text smaller on spacebar

Feature

Support for external keyboards

Feature

Add basic numeric keys

Feature

Add symbols button like default iOS keyboard

Feature

Auto correction

Feature

Word recommendations/spell checker

Feature

Backspace speed improvement

Feature

Support for moving the cursor forward and backward words similar to vim

Feature

Add basic extra features like swipe typing and auto corrections

Feature

Hold a letter key to make it hold shift or Ctrl or Cmd

Feature

Two keys in the gray header to see shift & unshift programming

Feature

FAQ

What does Keybuild do?

Keybuild allows you to build and customize your own touchscreen keyboard. You have full control over the layout, the keys, and what each key types. This means you can create a keyboard that perfectly suits your needs, whether for typing specific symbols, frequently used phrases, or your favorite emoji.

What are the key features of Keybuild?

Keybuild's main features include the ability to create custom keyboard layouts, assign custom text or symbols (including Greek letters, math symbols, and emoji) to individual keys, and organize these keys into multiple 'panes' that can be easily switched. It also offers support for various keyboard layouts like Qwerty, Azerty, and Colemak, and aims to support VoiceOver for accessibility.

Is Keybuild free to use?

Yes, Keybuild is available for free. The application does not have any advertisements or in-app purchases, offering its full functionality without any cost to the user.

What devices is Keybuild compatible with?

Keybuild is an iPad app and is also available on Apple Silicon Macs. However, it's important to note that macOS currently does not support keyboard extensions, so its functionality on Macs is limited to the app itself rather than system-wide keyboard replacement.

Who would benefit from using Keybuild?

Keybuild is ideal for anyone who finds standard keyboards limiting. This includes students needing quick access to mathematical symbols or Greek letters for their coursework, professionals in specialized fields requiring specific character sets, or individuals who simply want a more efficient way to type their most-used emoji or phrases.