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Swipe Typing

Swipe typing lets you type words by drawing a continuous path through letters. CleverKeys uses a neural AI model to predict words from your swipe patterns.

Quick Summary

WhatDescription
PurposeType words faster by swiping
GestureDraw path through letters without lifting finger
AI ModelONNX transformer neural network

How It Works

Instead of tapping each letter:

  1. Touch the first letter of your word
  2. Slide your finger through each letter in order
  3. Lift your finger at the last letter
  4. The word appears in the text

For example, to type “hello”:

  • Touch h → slide to e → slide to l → slide to l → lift at o

How to Use

Step 1: Start on the First Letter

Touch and hold the first letter of your word. A trail appears showing your path.

Step 2: Draw Through Letters

Without lifting your finger, slide through each letter in sequence. You don’t need to be perfectly accurate - the AI predicts your intended word.

Step 3: Lift to Complete

Lift your finger when you reach the last letter. The predicted word appears in your text.

Step 4: Choose from Predictions

If the wrong word appears:

  • Check the prediction bar for alternatives
  • Tap the correct word to replace it

Tips for Better Accuracy

  • Start and end precisely: Begin and end on the correct letters
  • Hit key letters: Pass through distinctive letters in the word
  • Maintain steady speed: Don’t rush or pause mid-word
  • Use longer swipes: Longer words are easier to predict than short ones

[!TIP] Double letters (like ‘ll’ in ‘hello’) can be swiped in a small loop or just passed through once.

Prediction Bar

After swiping, predictions appear in a horizontal row ordered by confidence (best match on the left). The first suggestion is auto-inserted and highlighted. Up to 6 alternatives may appear depending on beam width.

Tap any prediction to use it instead.

Settings

Tune swipe typing in Settings > Neural Prediction:

SettingDescription
Swipe TypingEnable/disable swipe input
Beam WidthMore candidates = more accurate but slower (default: 6, max: 20)
Confidence ThresholdMinimum confidence for predictions
Max Word LengthMaximum predicted word length in characters (default: 20)
Backspace Undo SwipeBackspace deletes entire swiped word + auto-space (default: on)

Undoing a Swipe

If the wrong word was predicted after swiping:

Quick Undo with Backspace

Press backspace immediately after swiping (before typing anything else). The entire swiped word and its trailing auto-space are deleted in one press, so you can swipe again.

This behavior is controlled by the Backspace Undo Swipe toggle in Settings > Word Prediction (enabled by default). When disabled, backspace deletes a single character as normal.

Choose an Alternative

Check the prediction bar — alternative words are shown left-to-right by confidence. Tap any alternative to replace the auto-inserted word.

When Swipe Typing Doesn’t Work

Swipe typing may not activate when:

  • Swipe typing is disabled in settings
  • Typing in password fields (unless enabled in settings)
  • The swipe is too short (detected as tap)
  • No language pack is available