FUTO just launched their privacy focused keyboard app. I know there have been quite a few posts about keyboard recommendations, so this might be worth checking out if you’re not happy with your current one.
How is this app better/different from OpenBoard?
Openboard is dead and hasn’t been developed in years. If you want an updated version of that, go with Heliboard. Futo also has voice to text capabilities. I currently have heliboard and futo both installed, buy may just switch to futo.
thanks
Been a while since I tried open board, florisboard, or anything else but I remember they didn’t have one of a few mandatory features (for me):
- adjustable height
- number row
- long-press layer
- Swype typing
This has them all. Plus an awesome voice transcription using Whisper.
It’s free to try (they ask to pay $10 for a lifetime license but you can use it without paying, though you shouldn’t). It has no internet connectivity. Give it a go.
Just FYI, Heliboard (continuation of OpenBoard) has all of the above. Just note that you’ll need to import Google’s Swype library once to use Swipe-To-Type.
I’d say the main benefit Futo has over Heliboard is that it has native swype typing with its own model (and also own voice typing model).
Still a bit light on customisation (certainly compared to Heliboard), but a nice first release certainly.
you’ll need to import Google’s Swype library
Well…no need to do that here 🤷
FYI: this is another FUTO app that uses their proprietary “FTL” license, so it’s not open source.
Huh, thanks for the heads up. Section 4 makes it look like they can close-source whenever they want.
I’m just glad FUTO is still letting Immich use the AGPL instead of this, though.
This license while not the most permitting does not appear to hide the code behind any proprietary shielding though.
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Ah. Of course. Something being open source doesn’t make it open source. It all makes sense now thank you for clarifying.
That also wasn’t technically a response to my comment, it was an ideological defense mechanism to avoid addressing the content of the license.
Calling source available an open source is like calling shareware an open culture.
Yeah yeah, it’s open for everyone… For not for list of small but still exceptions…
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Yeah I don’t agree with the osd being the only approach to being open source. Turns out people have differing opinions on that. You’re welcome.
It wasn’t a response to my comment because you didn’t respond to my comment. You said is proprietary. I point out that it’s not a terrible license. Then you resort to a sound bite non response.
You could have pointed out for example that ftl 3.2 and 4.1 are pretty shitty limitations to impose.
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May you explain how it is OSS when the license Section 2.1 doesn’t grant me the right to modify the code?
You still shouldn’t dismiss these sorts of licenses as “free software” has done an alright job for user freedoms but not getting developers compensated for their efforts—which is why licenses like these pop up sharing the source code, but not letting their work be exploited.
It is open source. But they supposedly keep some rights (they say for some time) so people dont produce fake versions of their software like has happened with newpipe (newpipe versions on google play store bundled with malware). I dont like a license like this but I think I want to trust Louis Rossman. He looks like someone who is truly commited tto his mission.
You sure? Section 2.1 miss an important keyword: modify. If I can’t modify and distribute my modified version, it can hardly call OSS.
The well known term for this is “source available”.
please dont say privacy focused then drop a google play link 😂
Sorry, was the only way to share the app. I know it’s not optimal, personally I use Aurora Store to grab it.
It’s also on FDroid and available via Obtainium/Github
It’s also on FDroid
Actually, it doesn’t seem to be there https://search.f-droid.org/?q=futo&lang=en
and available via Obtainium/Github
IDK about obtanium, but IIUC the sources are on their gitlab instance https://gitlab.futo.org/alex/latinime
You have to add the FUTO repo https://app.futo.org/fdroid/repo/
If you’re adding another repo, it’s not vetted by fdroid.
Yea I’d prefer to wait until it’s on fdroid proper
It’s not open source it’s source available, it won’t ever be on fdroid main repository
It can’t be included in the official F-Droid repos, as it is not Open Source.
It’s hardly better than any other proprietary software as the FUTO Temporary License does not allow users to make modifications and share them with non-programmers. They could include ads or spyware and no one would be allowed to strip that out and share the result with others.
They also clearly forbid redistribution “directed towards […] monetary compensation”. But F-Droid has to be compensated for their server costs as well, and they ask for donations as they should be. That’s why limiting commercial redistribution alone is a huge issue that would keep it from ever being called “Open Source” or “Free Software”.
I’ll give it a try
But please release on f-droid tooIt can’t be included in the official F-Droid repos, as it is not Open Source.
It’s hardly better than any other proprietary software as the FUTO Temporary License does not allow users to make modifications and share them with non-programmers. They could include ads or spyware and no one would be allowed to strip that out and share the result with others.
They also clearly forbid redistribution “directed towards […] monetary compensation”. But F-Droid has to be compensated for their server costs as well, and they ask for donations as they should be. That’s why limiting commercial redistribution alone is a huge issue that would keep it from ever being called “Open Source” or “Free Software”.
129 MB for a keyboard? Why?
I’m guessing the local llms
Every day I get more frustrated with swiftkey. This sounds worth a try.
Aaaaaand not available for iOS. Womp womp.
Privacy and Apple are two opposites
Hard to believe anyone makes apps for iOS, considering the hoops you have to jump through just to make it available to download.
They keyboard is one big reason I left iOS after only ~3 mos. trying it. It’s absolutely atrocious and I can’t believe anyone uses that…
Gboard is amazing, and this app (in pre-Alpha) is a close second. They just need to nail down Swype typing and prediction.
It also has FUTO Voice built-in, which is fully offline voice transcription with punctuation added as well. Works amazing.
Truly a phenomenal product.
Hard to believe anyone makes apps for iOS, considering the hoops you have to jump through just to make it available to download.
This is something I’ve heard, and assume is the case, but I don’t know the specifics of. What kind of hoops are there?
Please correct me if am wrong since I have never made any mobile OS applications.
There’s the $100 fee or whatever to join the developer program even if your app is free. There is a slow manual review process. You have to share a 30% cut with Apple of any profit. Most of the tooling for iOS requires a macOS machine which is another massive money sink as well as being proprietary with no source available. I believe GPL or similarly licensed code isn’t allowed on the App Store either due to ToS conflicts.
Most privacy-friendly things take an source available, open source, free software, or other (post-open, copyfarleft) approach that conflicts with Apple’s model for software, but also developers are likely to be on Linux or BSD + a Linux or Android phone where everything will be more arduous to build & test while not even being a device they or their friends would use so why both building if likely you aren’t even getting paid for it.
no fdroid?
Add the FUTO repo and you can download it on fdroid
Just use heliboard (openboard’s fork to accept multiple languages spelling-correction), you dont have to search further
Id use it but the hindi keyboard sucks and I dont know how to fix it (inscript with “capitalized” underlay)
So far it seems quite impressive. Also has scroll on spacebar swipe which I wasn’t expecting but is a great touch.
Not sure I can live without a gif search but given that would require network access and reduce privacy, maybe it makes sense to just change to gboard when needing gif search then switch back for everything else. Not too annoying so far.
I’ve been meaning to try helisboard buy having to add in the swipe and then also add in futo voice to text felt like a project and this is an all in one which is great.
Thank you for the recommendation. I’ve been dying to get rid of Swiftkey. 🙏🏾 So far, it seems to work well.
Finally an option that is not just a dumb keyboard, this one has some local llms and local speech to text, so that’s pretty cool. Currently there’s no multilingual mode and I can’t find a way to adjust the height, but once these features are there I’ll happily switch.
The height is under theme for some reason.
Oh, interesting, thanks!
How was the speech to text? This is the one feature I’m missing with the various keyboards I’ve tried
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Thank you, I’ll check that it out as well!
It’s great, I’m not sure if it can be tweeked like the FUTO speech to text app but it’s fast. I have had it miss a couple of words but that may have just been coincidence.
Phenomenal
Its great, same as their standalone Speech-To-Text Application.
Why not use AnySoftKeyboard?
For example, because its autocorrect in a multi-language setting is pretty bad (autocorrecting wrong language even if its manually switched).
Looks nice! Hope they add Korean and Chinese characters as that doesn’t seem to be working for now.
Installed and we’ll see how it goes. Thanks for the heads up!!
Does it happen to do swype?
Yes, they self-implemented that.
So unlike Heliboard, you don’t need to import Google’s Swypelibs.
It does swipe. If Swype is something different, then no
“Swype typing” is the correct nomenclature in this context.
