Swype, the popular Android keyboard replacement, has been ported to iOS devices and is now available in beta through Cydia. Swype is an alternative way to enter text on a keyboard that enables you to slide your finger over the screen through the letters that form the word.
Swype provides a faster and easier way to input text on any screen. With one continuous finger or stylus motion across the screen keyboard, the patented technology enables users to input words faster and easier than other data input methods—at over 40 words per minute. The application is designed to work across a variety of devices such as phones, tablets, game consoles, kiosks, televisions, virtual screens and more.
Swype is already a very popular keyboard alternative on the Android platform and with this jailbreak release, iOS users can now try it out for themselves. Restrictions by Apple have prevented Swype from being made officially available in the App Store; so developer Andrew Liu decided to port a version over to iOS.
As it is still in an early beta stage, some things don’t work fully, as of yet. Swype will only work in stock iOS apps and not third party apps. Also there is no blue line indicating where you are swiping on the keyboard. These and other features will be added very soon; according to Andrew.
To try out Swype, you need to add a new repository within Cydia (http://wynd.x10.mx) then install from there. Once installed you can then use the current keyboard normally or use the Swype method too.
I have been using it for the last hour and it seems to work very well, at least with everyday words. Names and other characters are hit and miss at best but as it is integrated with the stock keyboard, you can use both methods to get what you need quickly. All in all it is a nice keyboard to have at your disposal and one that will surely improve as features are added!
[@Andrew Liu via Modmyi]
Reader comments
Swype keyboard ported to iOS, a new way to enter text [jailbreak]
first!
fail
Its okay. I havent had the best luck with it catching all of my words. But hopefully soon it will be much better
Finally!
The problem I keep having is when I go over letters like "O" or "E" the sub menu pops up thinking I have held down the letters and wanting to add special characters to the letters.
I used to use Swype on my evo and I never really liked it! I found I typed faster with the normal keyboard then with swype. But I might just try it since I am jailbroken :)
Any app I try to use this in, crashes within seconds.
I've tried to like this tweak but it is a totally inefficient way of typing.
Swype is one of the few things I am envious about my wife's Droid; I wil have to try it out.
Works well for me in sms, email, facebook, itunes, (hit or miss in twitter and app store though), will be nice to have the swype line when available. works for me in awesome note (a 3rd party app) as well. Been waiting for swype, it's one thing I've really missed from android. Awesome work dev.
Lol the day after I get my Android
Swype is good, but the iPhone's keyboard is just as good. But anything is better than Android's default on screen keyboard.
how do you add the new repsoitory?
Launch Cydia. Hit "Manage" (4th from the left on the bottom of the screen). Tap "Sources." Tap "Edit" on the top Right. Tap "Add" on the top left. Enter the URL and hit "Add Source."
Installed it and didn't feel it efficient for typing, could be that I'm too used to tapping for text. Didn't like that the blue swype line isn't showing, maybe if the line appears I'll be willing to try it again for an extended period.
im surprised. a keyboard replacement nearly identical to this used to be available via Installer.app well before Android devices were even out of the development stages. I had it installed on my original iPod Touch.
It doesn't seem to work too well. If I try to write "three" it just types "the", and it worked for about 30% of the words I wanted to enter. There's an app called ShapeWriter that worked really well for this purpose but it could only compose from within the app, then you'd have to copy and paste elsewhere, making it useless for anything but taking notes...
"Swype will only work in stock iOS apps."
No Dice. Plus, I just don't want to use that. I like typing on my iPhone. ... But it's good to see the functionality on iOS. :-)
Go to modmyi and read the comment from Swype. It's not their release. Beware
This is missing some big things to be Ed swype. For starters with swype you shouldnt have to hit the space bar or caps key. Space is pre entered when you lift your finger for real swype and caps is pre entered if your finger leaves the keyboard. Double letters shouldn't be so hard and those little things along with how accurate this version requires you to be make is a bad key board replacement. Just my two cents. I love it on the android but here it needs work
Swype is one of the few things I want from my iPhone but I suppose this will have to suffice until Apple again "revolutionizes" iOS with existing jailbreak functions. Maybe this will get the ball rolling.
You guys need to remember that this is very beta. It's been updated 3 times since I've installed it and is getting better. Patience is key...
I read an article on Fiberlink's website http://links.maas360.com/iPhoneSwipeTexting that made me think it would be wiser to exercise patience...
If you read the article, you'll see what I mean--Swype petitioned for their App's inclusion on the iTunes App Store. It may be worth your while for this approval to go through and avoid the risks that come with jailbreaking.
I use Swype on my Galaxy Tab and it's great, the iPhone version needs a lot of work still. Would be awesome once working better and out of beta.
This is what I've been waiting for on iPhone! However I downloaded the app (which is actually called iswipe now?) and I'm disappointed. I've used android before so I know how Swype is supposed to work. It does have the blue line but you have to "swype" much more slowly than on android to get the app to recognize the words, and some common words aren't recognized at all, like "I'm" and "does".
I also have color keyboard installed with a purple theme, so I don't know if this effects it or not. I'll keep it installed for now but I'm just so sad and disappointed. :-(