Microsoft's Word Flow keyboard for iOS is no more

By published

After the experiment has been completed, Microsoft has closed down its Word Flow keyboard on iOS.

Back in February of this year we took a closer look at Microsoft's Word Flow keyboard on iOS, the company's attempt at recreating the Windows phone typing experience (which is very good) elsewhere.

By all accounts it was very good and actually went beyond just taking the Windows keyboard and slapping it on an iPhone. There were themes, for example, even an arc-shaped keyboard for one-handed typing.

And now all that is gone.

If you go to the Microsoft Garage page now for Word Flow (h/t to Travis for the tip), you'll get the following message:

The Word Flow experiment is now complete! We encourage you to download the SwiftKey Keyboard from the App Store. The SwiftKey product team is frequently building and evaluating new features for SwiftKey and shipping updates. We encourage feedback at https://support.swiftkey.com.

If you ever feel like Microsoft just cans all its good ideas on Windows, they also hate the iPhone too. Kidding, of course, but since Microsoft acquired SwiftKey then that's the way that Microsoft-loving iPhone owners who happen to also like a good typing experience will be sent.

Richard Devine
Richard Devine

Richard Devine is an Editor at Windows Central. A former Project Manager and long-term tech addict, he joined Mobile Nations in 2011 and has been found on Android Central and iMore as well as Windows Central. Currently you'll find him covering all manner of PC hardware and gaming, and you can follow him on Twitter and Instagram.
40 Comments
  • Hiss
  • Well for me this should happened to all Microsoft apps on iOS and Android.....if they wanna be serious with mobile and gain traction 😁
  • If they wanted to gain traction retrenching themselves into oblivion was not the way to do it.
  • You're aware if they didn't make apps for iOS and Android, Microsoft would be retrenching itself right now? Microsoft is getting smarter now and realizes not everyone is the same and that we all have preferred mobile operating systems. By getting more users to use your software by releasing them on other OS's, you're gaining popularity and getting yourself noticed. 
  • I agree but they should wait to build a greater audience first and when they have an ARM device, yank the rug right out from under the other devices. ;)
  • You were not kidding, just airing your real views.
  • Clearly was, Microsoft doesn't hate the iPhone at all :P
  • Swiftkey rocks. Too bad they have not brought it to Windows yet.....
  • Ssshhhh, they only *just* finally added word flow to the Windows touch keyboard options. Let's not make them think "oh well, hardly anyone is using it... Let's take it away"
  • omg i'ts the only thing I use on my surface 3 right now.  I thought I wanted it on the full keyboard, but positioning a small one somewhere is turning out to be better in reality I think!
  • Well, SwiftKey and WordFlow should start to merge anyway. I don't know when they gonna do this, but they can't just leave this two keyboard brands separate for long. I suggest that SwiftKey brand replaces WordFlow, simply because it's more known and popular keyboard brand. So its more like WordFlow should merge to SwiftKey and make it available on Windows. SwiftKey is superior in terms of language support and predictions. WordFlow has added features like the virtual joystick, upper-case switching using shift key, and handwriting support on PC. Also, they must get the feature from Hub Keyboard too.
  • 😀😀
  • Well. This is about the only thing I miss on Windows 10 Mobile.. That keyboard rocks in terms of consistent experience cross languages.. On Android there's this problem where if a keyboard is developed by a Chinese company then the Chinese experience is gonna be fantastic but English would be total trash, whereas a western company would develop a keyboard that's excellent for typing English but mediocre at best for Chinese. WordFlow excels at both languages. SwiftKey as it is, only delivers an acceptable experience when it comes to typing Chinese.. It looks like they ain't gonna bring WordFlow to Android either..
  • Like I said a million times. If Microsoft thinks it can survive on android and ios they are delusional.
  • Not just iOS, but as Android as well. So, you should say iOS and Android. Microsoft is telling everyone to use SwiftKey instead
  • I guess SwiftKey will replace WordFlow on Windows eventually. Well for a good reason since it's well known as compared to WordFlow. Microsoft should make sure that all great things from WordFlow will be on SwiftKey, not their typical "missing features added later" approach that they often do.
  • Does SwiftKey have the angled keyboard feature? Never used it but it looked interesting
  • <p>SwiftKey does not On iOS it&#39;s just a regular keyboard. No compact mode, arc mode, nothing.</p>
  • That's disappointing.
  • Remember when we all wanted this? You might not, now that you've all turned against W10M, and it's funny and cool to talk it down.
  • I would say that sucks but what was in Word Flow better be present in SwiftKey.
  • Well, it sucks so horribly on Windows phone, too.  Or, at least, in W10M.  I get MUCH better performance, more ACCURATE performance from the WP8.1 WordFlow than I could ever hope to on the 950.  My wife and I constantly complain about the downright stupid "predictions" it makes and the fact that far too many times it doesn't even have the word we ACTUALLY scrawled in the list of options.
  • This, 100% this.
  • besides that, at least it got a lot better with CU, or just before CU, I can't remember... so whatever the logic, they are able to improve the current prediction, just wonder hw much more there is for them to give.
  • I rolled my 930 back to 8.1 because of wordflow, as well as battery life, performance and reliablity.  I do miss the ablity to move the cursor on W10M though.  I asked and voted many times form Microsoft to bring wordflow to tablets.  I guess that's a wash too.  The exec that bought SwiftKey needs to justify their purchase I guess.  Do they even have version of SwiftKey for Windows?
  • Good! If WinMo is dying, I'd rather see all the goodnesses die with it. The world doesn't deserve them!
  • They need some type of flow keyboard function on Windows 10 for the surface line.
  • they have it now on the slow/fast rings.... you get a mini touch keyboard similar to what you see on the phone.  I thought I wanted it on the full size touch but starting to find it's ok to have it on the mini one only.... won't complain if we get the option later though!
  • It's extremely unfortunate. SwiftKey for iOS isn't as good as its Android counterpart. I really am sad to see it for, but I guess that explains the lack of updates it had
  • This sucks. I use it all the time on my iPhone. it was one of the few things that allowed me to switch from WM10 to an iPhone and not completely hate myslef.
  • WordFlow sucks on my 950XL. It gives me the wrong words constantly.
  • try to reset dictionary, it might work for you
  • I had a feeling this would happen since it doesn't really make sense to support two very similar products. I switched to SwiftKey awhile back after wordflow had gotten buggy without updates. Hopefully this means some of the features, namely one handed mode, will be merged into SK.
  • Very happy with Swiftkey on Android - never tried it on IOS.
  • Tbf 3rd keyboard implementation on iOS is garbage anyway.
  • Significantly more likely to switch to Gboard than Swiftkey on iOS, once WordFlow is gone and I can't reinstall it. SwiftKey is a fine keyboard but for shape writing / swiping, it is not even on the same planet as WordFlow was.
  • Wow, this is disappointing to hear. I'm probably going to have to agree with you on that, in regards to switching.
  • With the swipe keyboard having come to Windows 10 Insider what should we call it, Wordflow or Swfitkey? ;)  If Wordflow is dead on on iOS and Android, and Windows Phone/Windows 10 Mobile is 'dead', Wordflow basically no longer exists, right? So, what exists on Win 10 must be Swiftkey, right?
  • Finally... working like a charm on my 950 :P
  • I'm sorry, but swiftkey was a freaking nightmare for me compared to wordflow. I recently switched to Android and swiftkey is hardly a replacement. It's predictive typing/suggestions are sometimes just bizarre, it's autocorrect is poorly implemented, and only giving me 3 word suggestions (opposed to wordflow which allowed me to scroll through near-endless suggestions) is a stupid limitation. Also, give a a carrot like wordflow so I'm not left trying to swipe and place my cursor manually.