In its first release since being acquired by Microsoft in early 2016, SwiftKey has released a keyboard that helps users find the emoji they want to use.
Much like Toronto-made app Dango, SwiftKey states its app Swiftmoji works by “using the context of what you’re typing coupled with worldwide emoji trends to give you the best and most topical emoji predictions. Swiftmoji quickly recognizes sentiment across a huge user base, analyzing how millions of people have used emoji over a given period.”
Swiftmoji supports English only for the time being, and is available on both iOS and Android. On iOS it must be enacted specifically for each emoji search, while on Android it takes over as a keyboard, inserting a row of suggested emoji above the autocorrect suggestions.
This format feels much less in the way than Dango, which features a floating icon that can be popped up at any point for suggestions, often ending up under your thumb when you’re just attempting to text. However, Dango’s predictions, also fed by millions of real-world examples of emoji use, tend to be more specific and accurate.
Of course, some OEMs offer their own built-in emoji suggestion capabilities, but those lack the depth and cultural knowledge a predictive app can offer. Swiftmoji, in other words, is for the power emoji user.
Related reading: Dango uses deep-learning to auto-serve you emoji suggestions
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