Rumors in January suggested Microsoft was working to bring its Word Flow Windows Phone keyboard to iOS, and now the company's keyboard project has entered a private beta testing phase. Starting this week, a limited number of testers have been given access to the Word Flow iOS keyboard.
MacRumors reader Ruben has shared some images and information with us, giving us our first look at the design and the features Microsoft plans to implement. According to Ruben, the keyboard is "incredibly reliable for a beta," with features like sounds, themes, and the much-anticipated one-handed "Arc" mode, accessed with a drag gesture.
In its default mode, the Word Flow keyboard looks a lot like a standard iOS keyboard, but its one-handed mode sets it apart from other offerings. With one-handed mode turned on, the keyboard morphs into a half-moon shape, arranging the letters to one side of the device for easy thumb access. The Word Flow keyboard supports both standard typing and swipe-based typing, as is one on third-party keyboards like Swipe and SwiftKey.
Standard keyboard features like auto correction and word prediction are included, with options to enable or disable a word learning feature that improves word predictions by sending keyboard usage information to Microsoft. Multiple Word Flow themes are included, including light and dark options, and there are also tools for creating custom themes based on images taken from the iPhone's Photo Library.
Additional information shared by iMore yesterday covers other features like quick access to Contacts through autofill and a free built-in image library that Microsoft plans to add to over time.
Microsoft has not yet publicly announced the Word Flow keyboard or shared details on when it might see a release.
Could someone explain the reason that the app needs to send data to Microsoft in order for it to learn my typing habits and have better word predictions? Can the app not do it itself directly from within the app?
Could be worse. There could be a paperclip 'Looks like you're writing a letter'
Could someone explain the reason that the app needs to send data to Microsoft in order for it to learn my typing habits and have better word predictions? Can the app not do it itself directly from within the app?
Server side processing is faster, and it's easier to make changes/perform maintenance without having to push updates for the app. Additionally, they use this data to improve their service. Apple does the same with Siri.
Could someone explain the reason that the app needs to send data to Microsoft in order for it to learn my typing habits and have better word predictions? Can the app not do it itself directly from within the app?
Wednesday October 7, 2026 5:45 pm PDT by Juli Clover
Microsoft today announced launch timing and pricing for the Surface Laptop Ultra that it unveiled earlier this year.
The 15-inch Surface Laptop Ultra is priced starting at $2,599, undercutting Apple's $2,999 16-inch MacBook Pro, and it targets the same creator and developer market. Microsoft says it is built for "demanding creative, software development, AI, engineering, and 3D workloads."
...
Apple faces Russian data retention and disclosure requirements after being added to the country's state surveillance registry, Bloomberg reports.
Russia's communications regulator, Roskomnadzor, listed Apple and Microsoft on October 2 as "organizers of information dissemination," a classification that carries obligations to preserve communications and make data available to Russian security...
Wednesday October 28, 2026 10:11 am PDT by Juli Clover
Apple today announced a new high-end MacBook Pro, which is available in 14-inch and 16-inch sizes. The new device has a PROLED XDR display that supports touch gestures, and a glowing rear Apple logo.
Pricing on the MacBook Pro starts at $2,899 for the 14-inch model and $3,399 for the 16-inch model.
Apple says the MacBook Pro has the "world's best display in a pro laptop." The PROLED...
Top Rated Comments
Perhaps watch bands are more important.