TECH Signal 176
FlickBoard
For engineers frustrated with autocorrect and swipe-based mobile input, FlickBoard offers an alternative interaction model where keys are larger and letters are accessed via directional flicks rather than tiny taps. The AGPL license ensures the keyboard cannot be paywalled or taken away, addressing a real risk that occurred when MessagEase, the inspiration for this layout, suddenly charged users for their established workflow.
Written by elseif from the cluster below · every claim links back to a sourceThe three things worth knowing
FlickBoard is an AGPL-licensed, open-source Android keyboard that uses a 3x3 grid with nine directional gestures per key to fit the Latin alphabet into a compact layout.
The project was motivated by MessagEase moving its keyboard behind a paywall, which the author felt held users' muscle memory hostage after a decade of use.
The keyboard is designed to feel familiar to existing MessagEase users while providing a softer on-ramp for newcomers accustomed to QWERTY.
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