Microsoft’s SwiftKey will soon be updated to support Bing search directly from the mobile keyboard. It’s available now in the Beta version of the app.
“Search [is] the fastest way to find and share anything from Bing without leaving SwiftKey,” the release notes for the SwiftKey Beta on the Google PlayStore explains. “Quickly capture, crop and send a screenshot or share the URL.”
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Adding Internet search functionality to a mobile keyboard is fairly obvious. In fact, Google’s stock Android keyboard, Gboard, also offers this feature.
The idea is that you’re typing a text message or an email message or whatever and need to quickly look something up. And it’s easier to do that directly from the keyboard than by switching apps. When you app the search box on the keyboard, a search pane will pop-up so you can search.
The SwiftKey Beta is available for free on the Google Play Store. I assume this feature is coming to the non-Beta version soon as well. (And to SwiftKey for iOS too.)
Thanks to Neowin for tipping me off to this release.