Gee whiz, Gboard! An invaluable new Android typing upgrade

Ahh — don’t you just love the feeling of a fresh ‘n’ zesty virtual upgrade?

Here in the land o’ Android, that doesn’t mean only major new Android versions (and, alas, the woeful waiting that often accompanies ’em). Few mere mortals realize it, but Google’s quietly created a system of ongoing under-the-hood upgrades that affect all Android-appreciating animals equally — thanks to the way system-level components have bit by bit been pulled out of the operating system itself and positioned instead as individual apps in the Play Store. That means they’re updated instantly and universally numerous times a year, without the need for any manufacturer involvement.

And that, in turn, means even decade-old Android phones get updates every month that are equivalent to an entire Apple operating system rollout. Those updates just aren’t packaged neatly or presented cohesively, and most people don’t consider how all of the small-seeming pieces add up.

This current month of ours is the perfect example. While we’re been gawking and giggling and guffawing (and whatever other “g”-oriented actions you’ve been up to), Google’s been giving us an incredible upgrade to the Android typing experience. It’s been showing up on Android devices worldwide all week, without any fanfare or announcement. And it’s up to you to dig it up, put it into a place where you’ll see it, and then start putting it to practical use.

The good news is that (a) it’s brilliantly useful and easy to use — and (b) it couldn’t be much simpler to find, once you know where to look.

Lemme show ya.

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Your new Android keyboard treasure

Ladies, gentlemen, gerbils, and geckos, the upgrade of which we speak revolves around Google’s Gboard keyboard — the de facto default Android typing experience and the best all-around Android keyboard app for most people nowadays.

(If you aren’t using Gboard already, you can download it for free from the Play Store and then open it once to get going, no matter what type of Android device you’re using.)

What’s new this week is the presence of a long-under-development added button for undoing any text-related actions you’ve taken — whether that’s an errant edit, an over-the-top addition, or an egregious erasing error.

Whatever the case may be, Gboard now at long last offers a super-simple one-tap way to undo anything that’s happened in any text field, anywhere on Android.

And all you’ve gotta do is uncover it — then drag it into a spot where it’s easily accessible for ongoing use.

Here’s all there is to it:

Fire up Gboard, by tapping into any open text field anywhere on your device.

Tap the four-square menu icon in the keyboard’s upper-left corner.

Look for the newly added Undo button somewhere in the screen of choices.

Gboard’s new Undo button is quietly waiting to be discovered.JR Raphael, Foundry

Press and hold that button, then drag it up into any position you like within the bar of shortcuts at the top of the keyboard.

srcset='https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/android-typing-gboard-undo.webp?quality=50&strip=all 800w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/android-typing-gboard-undo.webp?resize=300%2C105&quality=50&strip=all 300w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/android-typing-gboard-undo.webp?resize=768%2C270&quality=50&strip=all 768w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/android-typing-gboard-undo.webp?resize=150%2C53&quality=50&strip=all 150w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/android-typing-gboard-undo.webp?resize=640%2C225&quality=50&strip=all 640w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/android-typing-gboard-undo.webp?resize=444%2C156&quality=50&strip=all 444w' width='800' height='281' sizes='(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px'>Once you drag the new Gboard Undo button into a prominent position, it’ll never be more than a tap away.JR Raphael, Foundry

And that’s it: Now, anytime you want to undo any sort of text-related action, you can simply tap that button at the top of your keyboard. (And if you ever aren’t seeing that row of Gboard shortcuts, you can tap the four-square menu icon again to reveal it.)

From there, you’ll just tap-a-tap-tap-tap to undo further and further into your Android typing history — or tap the “Redo” option that appears on Gboard’s top row to undo your undo, even.

srcset='https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/android-typing-gboard-undo-keyboard.webp?quality=50&strip=all 800w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/android-typing-gboard-undo-keyboard.webp?resize=300%2C295&quality=50&strip=all 300w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/android-typing-gboard-undo-keyboard.webp?resize=768%2C755&quality=50&strip=all 768w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/android-typing-gboard-undo-keyboard.webp?resize=709%2C697&quality=50&strip=all 709w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/android-typing-gboard-undo-keyboard.webp?resize=171%2C168&quality=50&strip=all 171w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/android-typing-gboard-undo-keyboard.webp?resize=85%2C84&quality=50&strip=all 85w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/android-typing-gboard-undo-keyboard.webp?resize=489%2C480&quality=50&strip=all 489w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/android-typing-gboard-undo-keyboard.webp?resize=366%2C360&quality=50&strip=all 366w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/android-typing-gboard-undo-keyboard.webp?resize=254%2C250&quality=50&strip=all 254w' width='800' height='786' sizes='(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px'>The new Gboard Undo button makes it laughably easy to undo and redo any keyboard action.JR Raphael, Foundry

Fresh ‘n’ zesty — just the way we like it.

Now, if you aren’t seeing that Undo button anywhere within Gboard, don’t fret your freckly little ferret-face. Google’s in the midst of sending this upgrade out to everyone as we speak, and while it seems to be fairly widespread already, it’s entirely possible it hasn’t reached every single corner of the universe quite yet.

Check the Play Store for any pending app updates, then set yourself a reminder to repeat that same process in another few days. No matter what device you’re using, the new Undo button should show up for you soon — any day now, if it hasn’t already.

And once it does, my goodness, are you in for one heck of an Android typing upgrade.

Whee!

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