Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Computing
  3. News

Touch typing in Windows 10 — Windows Phone keyboard is coming to PCs

By

windows 10
Micha Klootwijk/123rf
Microsoft’s lauded Windows Phone WordFlow keyboard is reportedly coming to all Windows 10 PCs, including tablets. While that latter group will no doubt appreciate it more, as Microsoft continues to unify its software platforms, it is now bringing its on-screen keyboard to Windows 10.

No official announcement has been made for this move but Microsoft accidentally released build 16212 for Windows 10 and phones and it includes a number of the features that are necessary for on-screen inputs. As MS Poweruser explains, one of those features was Composable Shell and one of its components is TextInput, which is the basis for the Windows keyboard.

Recommended Videos

The purpose of Composable Shell, or CShell, is that it can scale Windows 10 to the device and display type you are using. Using technology developed by Microsoft acquisition, Swiftkey, the on-screen keyboard should be able to work with any device of any configuration, as long as it is running Windows 10. It will also support swipe inputs, much like the Windows Phone keyboard.

While none of this will be of huge interest to desktop users, those using tablets or 2-in-1 systems will likely see some benefit from it. The Windows Phone WordFlow keyboard is well liked by Windows Phone users, so could find a much larger receptive audience on Windows 10 tablets.

Unfortunately, though, nobody knows when we can expect to see this feature added to a new Windows 10 build for consumers to enjoy. As of now, it is believed the internal build was rolled out sooner than planned to Windows Insiders on the Fast ring, so it may be some time before it is leaked out further to the Slow ring.

However, Microsoft has not even acknowledged that the text input feature exists yet, so we will likely need to wait for that to happen before making any major speculation about when we can expect to enjoy it. Until that happens, know that it will need to proliferate through the Insider rings before seeing the light of day.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Jon Martindale
Jon Martindale
Computing Coordinator
Jon Martindale is the Evergreen Coordinator for Computing, overseeing a team of writers addressing all the latest how to…
Windows 12 might not be coming this year after all
The Copilot key shown on a white keyboard.

It is possible that Microsoft's next system update might not be named Windows 12 after all, but rather a major overhaul of Windows 11 with extensive AI integration.

According to Windows Central, Microsoft is expected to ship a "version 24H2" system later this year, which will succeed the version 23H2 of Windows 11 that was released last year. Many rumors have assumed the next Windows version would be a number upgrade due to the expected heavy AI influence. However, at this point, it seems more likely the current Windows 11 system sequence will continue, especially since chief product officer Panos Panay left the company, the publication added.

Read more
How to use cut, copy, and paste keyboard shortcuts in Windows

Are you tired of all the right-clicking just to access simple commands like cut, copy, and paste? Sure, it's not super labor-intensive, but it can get really annoying after a while when you're constantly summoning one of these actions using a mechanical rodent.

If you’re not utilizing shortcut commands, you’re missing out on an easy way to save time and effort. Read on to learn simple commands that combine Control (Ctrl) and other keys to cut, copy, paste, and even undo actions across Windows apps.
Selecting text and moving your cursor (without a mouse)

Read more
For the first time in 30 years, your keyboard is about to be changed
The Copilot key shown on a white keyboard.

Microsoft clearly wants to make Copilot an absolute Windows staple, and to achieve that, it's making a major change to upcoming laptops and standalone keyboards. Beginning in February, new keyboards will come with a dedicated Copilot key to make the AI easier to access.

Copilot is Microsoft's all-in-one AI solution that's already available to many Windows users. The AI can help you navigate Windows, analyze documents, or write emails, and that's just the tip of the AI iceberg that Microsoft has been heavily promoting since Copilot's  introduction in 2023. Now, with its very own key on the keyboard, Copilot will be even more seamlessly integrated into the lives of Windows users.

Read more