Microsoft SwiftKey Beta (finally) gains cursor support on Android

By Sean Endicott
published

SwiftKey Beta's new feature makes it easier to edit text

Swifkey carbon theme
Swifkey carbon theme (Image credit: Windows Central)

What you need to know

  • Microsoft SwiftKey Beta for Android now has cursor support.
  • The feature allows you to hold the spacebar and drag left or right to move the cursor through text.
  • The feature is popular on other keyboards.

Microsoft SwiftKey Beta for Android just got an update that brings cursor support to the digital keyboard. The feature allows you to press and hold the spacebar and then drag along the spacebar to move the cursor through text.

Here's Microsoft's description of the feature from the app's store listing (opens in new tab).

We've added cursor control to your Microsoft SwiftKey Keyboard. Try it out by tapping and holding the spacebar to move the cursor We hope you'll love it!

The ability to move the cursor by holding the spacebar and dragging left or right is a popular feature on some other keyboards. It should be a welcome addition to SwiftKey if it rolls out to general availability.

SwiftKey logo
SwiftKey Beta


SwiftKey provides a variety of input methods for your Android device's keyboard. You can swipe to type, dictate text, and share emojis and GIFs through SwiftKey.

Sean Endicott
Sean Endicott
News Writer and apps editor

Sean Endicott brings nearly a decade of experience covering Microsoft and Windows news to Windows Central. He joined our team in 2017 as an app reviewer and now heads up our day-to-day news coverage. If you have a news tip or an app to review, hit him up at sean.endicott@futurenet.com (opens in new tab).

20 Comments
  • But how we'll be able to change the language then?
  • They don't conflict with each other.
    You'll know what I mean when you try it.
  • It is about time!
  • Oh, that's a brilliant way to implement cursor movement! I see the article says other keyboards already do that. I tried this on my Samsung Galaxy keyboard and sure enough, it worked. I never knew that before. Thank you!! (Before this, if I wanted to move the cursor, I'd use the toggle to flip from keyboard to cursor control. That was enough of a hassle that I almost never did it.)
  • Windows mobile's cursor was unique, I wish they brought it instead.
  • I was going to say that too. It was like the little red cursor nub on the IdeaPad. It was useful.
  • I use the arrow keys all the time in SwiftKey. In fact I really wish the arrow keys - or something like this spacebar cursor mover - would come to the W10 compact software keyboard.
  • Same. I've always used the arrow keys. I hope I like this, so I can free up some screen real estate, though.
  • Yes, I agree. Arrows great, but use up screen space.
  • Yeah that would be good.
  • Something else I just noticed on SwiftKey, I don't know when it became available, but my cloud clipboard also syncs between my computer and phone and vice-versa
  • Wait what really!? That is working now?
  • Oh my! Interesting!
  • I noticed that too!
  • What ? How ?
    What s the version ? I don't see it on mine, i've gone through all the options. In W10 clipboard settings they link an app to do it, but it's MS luncher, and i never found the option to do so...
  • I am using 7.6.1.5.
    Cloud sync turned on.
    I wonder if it is because of Your Phone. I am using a Samsung S20
  • I just checked and it is working both ways - and I don't think it has anything to do with SwiftKey. The Android clipboard and the Windows clipboard are in sync, but the SwiftKey one doesn't appear to sync for me. Not sure what's going on but I'm happy about it!
  • Windows Mobile keyboard had a pretty nice way of doing cursor movement as well.
  • Have they added hold backspace and slide to delete a bunch of words at once? Google Keyboard added that a year or two (or three) ago and I can't use anything else at this point because I use that feature constantly. Swiping to type feels so unnatural without swiping to delete as well. I do miss the little trackpoint that windows mobile had though. Was a really nice way to do arrow keys that didn't take up any space.
  • Just in time for Duo