How to Enable Floating Keyboard on Android: easy guide

Typing one-handed on a large-screen phone is uncomfortable. The keyboard takes up almost the entire bottom half and you have to stretch your thumb like you’re doing yoga. The solution: the floating keyboard. If you don’t know how to enable floating keyboard on Android, I’ll walk you through it for the most popular keyboards.

Table of contents

What is the floating keyboard and why you might want it

The floating keyboard is a keyboard mode that turns it into a resizable, draggable window on your screen. Instead of occupying the entire bottom portion, the keyboard shrinks and you can drag it wherever you want — to a side, to a corner, or to the center if you prefer.

What exactly is it good for?

• One-handed typing on screens of 6.5 inches or larger.
• Seeing more content while you type, because the keyboard doesn’t block half the screen.
• True multitasking, like having a split-screen app and continuing to type without the keyboard taking over everything.
• Tablets, where a full-screen keyboard is just absurd.

Personally, I mainly use it when writing long WhatsApp messages and I want to keep reading the chat while I type. Before, I had to minimize the keyboard every five seconds to see what the other person had replied. With the floating keyboard, that’s over.

How to enable floating keyboard on Gboard

Gboard is Google’s keyboard and the most widely used on Android. Enabling floating mode is super easy.

1. Open any app where you can type to bring up the keyboard.
2. Tap the G icon or the four-square icon at the top bar of the keyboard.
3. Look for the “Floating mode” icon (it looks like a small keyboard with an arrow).
4. Tap it and the keyboard will shrink and enter floating mode.
5. Drag the keyboard to wherever you want on the screen.

To go back to normal mode, tap the same icon again, or simply tap the drag bar at the top of the floating keyboard and move it to the bottom edge of the screen.

Pro-tip: In Gboard you can also adjust the floating keyboard’s size. Long-press the top drag bar and drag to make it bigger or smaller to your liking.

How to enable floating keyboard on SwiftKey

Microsoft SwiftKey is another very popular keyboard. The process is similar but with some differences.

1. Open a writing app to show SwiftKey.
2. Tap the three-dot icon (…) at the top bar of the keyboard.
3. Find and tap “Floating mode” or “Floating.”
4. The keyboard will detach from the bottom and you can move it freely.

SwiftKey also lets you customize the floating keyboard quite a bit:

• Change the floating keyboard size
• Adjust the default position
• Change the background opacity

If you use SwiftKey and don’t see the option, make sure you have the app updated from the Play Store. The floating keyboard feature has been available in recent versions and may not appear in older ones.

How to enable it on other popular keyboards

Not everyone uses Gboard or SwiftKey. If you have a different keyboard, here are instructions for the most common ones.

Fleksy

1. Open Fleksy and tap the F in the top bar.
2. Go to Settings > Size and position.
3. Enable “Floating keyboard” or “Compact mode.”

Samsung Keyboard

On Samsung phones the process is slightly different:

1. Open the Samsung keyboard.
2. Tap the down arrow icon in the top bar.
3. Select “Floating keyboard.”

AnySoftKeyboard

This open-source keyboard also supports floating mode:

1. Open AnySoftKeyboard settings.
2. Find “Layout.”
3. Enable “Floating” or “Compact” mode.

Common floating keyboard issues and fixes

Sometimes the option doesn’t appear or the floating keyboard doesn’t work as expected. Here are the most common problems and how to fix them.

I can’t find the floating keyboard option:

• Update the keyboard app to the latest version from the Play Store.
• Check that your Android version is compatible (generally Android 7 or higher).
• Look in the keyboard’s settings, not just the top bar.

The floating keyboard is too small or too big:

• In Gboard, long-press the top edge of the floating keyboard and drag to resize.
• In SwiftKey, go to keyboard settings and look for the size adjustment.

The keyboard moves on its own or snaps back to fixed position:

• It might be a bug. Close the keyboard and reopen it.
• If it persists, clear the keyboard’s cache from Settings > Apps > [Your keyboard] > Storage > Clear cache.

Warning: Some game apps or full-screen apps may not display the floating keyboard correctly. This is normal behavior, as those apps control how elements appear on screen.

Advanced use cases for the floating keyboard

Once you master the basics, the floating keyboard opens up interesting possibilities you wouldn’t think of at first.

Communicating while watching a video

How many times have you had to pause a YouTube video or Netflix show to reply to a message? With the floating keyboard, you can place it in a corner of the screen while the video keeps playing. It’s not perfect because the keyboard blocks a bit, but at least you can type without losing sight of what you’re watching.

I use it a lot when I’m in a Teams or Zoom video call and want to take notes in another app at the same time. The floating keyboard in a corner lets me type without covering the face of the person speaking.

Translation and simultaneous reference

If you’re learning a language and using your phone to practice, the floating keyboard is ideal. You can have a translation app visible while typing in the floating keyboard. It’s much more efficient than constantly switching between apps.

Writing quick notes without losing context

When you’re reading a long article or PDF and want to jot something down quickly, the floating keyboard lets you do it without losing your place in the text. You place it right below the sentence you want to note and write without losing context.

Use with physical accessories

If you use a stand or case with a Bluetooth keyboard, the floating keyboard might be unnecessary. But if you use a stylus or capacitive pen to write by hand, the floating keyboard combined with handwriting recognition can be an interesting alternative to the full-screen keyboard.

Floating keyboard vs split keyboard vs one-handed mode

These three options are often confused, but they’re different. Let’s clarify:

One-handed mode is the most basic: it simply moves the keyboard to the right or left and makes it a bit narrower. The split keyboard separates keys into two groups for typing with both thumbs in landscape. The floating keyboard is the most flexible because it combines reduced size with freedom of position.

Pro-tip: If you have a large phone (6.7” or more) and type a lot, try the floating keyboard first. If it doesn’t convince you, one-handed mode is a simpler good alternative.

Tips to get more out of the floating keyboard

After using the floating keyboard for quite a while, I’ve discovered some tricks that aren’t obvious:

Default position. In Gboard, when you disable floating mode and re-enable it, the keyboard remembers the last position where you left it. Take advantage of this and leave it in a comfortable spot for your thumb.

Optimal size. Don’t make the floating keyboard too small thinking you’ll see more screen. If the keys are too small, typing errors will increase. A good starting point is leaving it at 70-80% of full size.

Combination with voice dictation. The floating keyboard works perfectly with Gboard’s voice dictation. You can have the keyboard in a corner and dictate text, which is faster for long messages.

Learn the shortcuts. In floating mode, some functions like accessing emojis or GIFs may require an extra tap. Get familiar with the location of these shortcuts so you don’t waste time looking for them.

FAQ: Frequently asked questions

Does the floating keyboard work in all apps?

In the vast majority yes, but some game apps or immersive-mode apps may not display it correctly. This is expected behavior.

Can you change the floating keyboard’s size?

Yes, in most keyboards you can resize the floating keyboard by dragging its edges or from the keyboard’s settings.

Does the floating keyboard affect typing speed?

Not necessarily. At first it may feel odd because you’re used to the fixed position, but after a few minutes you adapt. Some users actually type faster because they can see more context while typing.

Can you use the floating keyboard on tablets?

Yes, in fact that’s where it makes the most sense. On a 10 or 11-inch screen, a full-screen keyboard is overkill. The floating mode lets you see much more content.

Conclusion

Knowing how to enable floating keyboard on Android gives you a real productivity boost, especially if you have a large-screen phone. It’s a simple feature available in most popular keyboards, and once you try it, you probably won’t want to turn it off. Give it a try with Gboard or SwiftKey and see how comfortable it is to type without the keyboard taking over your entire screen.