Comparison

Black Keyboard vs TypeGlow

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side โ€” with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Black Keyboard

Features
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Black Keyboard is a pure black replacement for the iOS keyboard. Not a theme, not a skin over the system keyboard. Same layout, same behavior as the keyboard already on your phone, with true black keys instead of Apple's grey, and an optional bold weight for even more contrast. White on true black is the most contrast a screen can render. There's also a large setting that grows the letters to fill each key, for when the standard size is smaller than you want to read. NO NETWORK The app does not and cannot access the network. It never asks for Full Access, the permission a keyboard would need before it could send anything anywhere. The only thing Black Keyboard remembers is a short list of words you've told it to stop correcting. It stays on your device, and the app has a button to clear it. No accounts. No ads. No analytics. No in-app purchases. FREE Black Keyboard is free, and this is the whole app. There's no trial, no paywall and nothing to unlock. OUR OWN AUTOCORRECT AND SWIPE-TO-TYPE Apple doesn't make its own autocorrect or gesture-typing engines available to any third-party keyboard. Not this one, not any other. So we built both ourselves: autocorrect that backs off the moment you reject a suggestion and stays out of your way on that word from then on, and swipe-to-type for gliding between letters instead of tapping each one. Either can be switched off on its own if you'd rather type the plain way. TRUE BLACK, NOT DARK GREY Apple's dark keyboard is a dark grey backdrop with lighter grey keys. Black Keyboard's backdrop is true black, with near-black keycaps and white letters. On an OLED iPhone, true black pixels are switched off entirely, so the keyboard draws less power and throws no glow in a dark room. SET UP IN UNDER A MINUTE Install it like any keyboard: Settings โ†’ General โ†’ Keyboard โ†’ Keyboards โ†’ Add New Keyboard, then choose Black Keyboard and switch to it with the globe key. Bold or regular, normal or large, and that is all there is to set. Built for iPhone and iPad, iOS 16 and later.

About

TypeGlow

Features
Read full description

TypeGlow turns your iPhone keyboard into something worth showing off. Browse a gallery of hand-picked keyboard themes across Anime, Gaming, and OLED collections, then make each one yours. Tune key opacity, background dim, key shapes, colors and gradients, and even the key font all previewed live before you apply. Bring your typing to life with 50+ key sounds and custom haptics, from clean mechanical clicks to playful pops. FEATURES โ€ข A growing gallery of premium keyboard themes โ€ข Deep customization: opacity, dim, key shape, colors, gradients, fonts โ€ข 50+ key press sounds and adjustable haptics โ€ข Live keyboard preview while you customize โ€ข Light and dark app appearance โ€ข Fast, smooth, and lightweight PRIVACY FIRST Your typing never leaves your device. TypeGlow has no accounts, no tracking of what you type, and the keyboard contains no networking code. Word suggestions run fully on-device from a built-in list. TYPEGLOW PRO Unlock every premium theme and remove all ads with a one-time purchase. No subscription yours forever. Some apps (like secure password fields) always use the system keyboard; that is an iOS protection TypeGlow respects.

Screenshots

Black Keyboard4 screens
TypeGlow4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Black Keyboard at none against TypeGlow's 1. Black Keyboard also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (16.0 vs 26.5). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. TypeGlow sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Black Keyboard asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard3 real differences ยท 2 level
Black Keyboard versus TypeGlow: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBlack KeyboardTypeGlow
PriceFreeFree
AdsNo โ€” betterYes
In-app purchasesNo โ€” betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad โ€” betteriPhone
Requires iOS16.0 โ€” better26.5
Further details โ€” not scored
Size3 MB25 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperThe Trade Script, LLCMuhammed Ahmed

In-app purchases

None

Black Keyboard

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

TypeGlow

One-time1
  • TypeGlow Pro$4.99

Questions

Is Black Keyboard free?
Black Keyboard is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is TypeGlow free?
TypeGlow is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Black Keyboard or TypeGlow have ads?
TypeGlow shows ads; Black Keyboard does not.

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