KeyboardKit 10.3

KeyboardKit 10.3 is out! This release introduces on-device next word prediction, significantly faster license validation, and faster layout calculations. Let’s explore what’s new!

Keyboard Essentials

The KeyboardInputViewController gains a new viewWillSetupKeyboardKit() function, providing you with better control over the keyboard setup lifecycle.

This new function allows for more precise timing when configuring the keyboard, and avoids any side-effects of overriding viewDidLoad and failing to call super.viewDidLoad().

On-Device Next Word Prediction

KeyboardKit 10.3 brings support for local, on-device next word prediction using Apple’s Foundation Models. This is available on iPhone 15 Pro and later devices running iOS 26.1 or higher.

The new Autocomplete.NextWordPredictionMethod.local method has been added to make it easy to enable this functionality with code or from the settings screen. This method is enabled by default.

The next word prediction in Autocomplete.SettingsScreen has been redesigned to better showcase this new option, making it easier for developers to configure and for users pick it manually.

Faster License Validation

KeyboardKit Pro license validation has been significantly optimized in this release. KeyboardKit now validates licenses much faster, dramatically reducing the flickering that could occur during keyboard initialization. This improvement creates a smoother experience when your keyboard first appears.

Additionally, the Keyboard.ToggleToolbar now displays the base toolbar view even when no license is registered, to provide a nice fallback in case of license expiration.

Layout Improvements

This release brings enhancements to keyboard layout rendering. The standardPhone configuration has been updated to use a 51-point row height in iOS 26, to match Apple’s updated designs.

Layout caching is now enabled by default, and has been converted from an experiment to a setting. This caching mechanism improves rendering performance by storing computed layouts, resulting in faster keyboard display and reduced computational overhead during layout calculations.

Settings and Developer Tools

A new isPredictiveTextVisualizationActive setting has been added to help developers verify that predictive text features are working correctly. This developer-focused setting provides visibility into the prediction system, making debugging and validation easier during development.

Experimental Features

The experiment engine has been refactored for easier use. The Experiment type now provides all you need to get and toggle experiments, and Experiments has been reduced to a plain namespace.

Bug Fixes

This version includes some bug fixes. For instance, the Keyboard.LocaleSettingsScreen now handles locale changes more reliably, preventing edge cases where changes could behave unexpectedly.

Additionally, the keyboard now performs autocomplete more reliably on launch, ensuring users see suggestions immediately when they begin typing.

Conclusion

KeyboardKit 10.3 brings powerful new capabilities with on-device next word prediction, significant performance improvements with faster license validation and layout caching, and more settings and customization options. These improvements make KeyboardKit more capable and performant.

For complete details about all changes, see the KeyboardKit 10.3.0 release notes. Upgrade today to take advantage of these new features and improvements!