Google has given Gboard for iPhone a serious upgrade, adding several new features. There are a host of new languages and new emojis, integration for Google Doodles, and, most interestingly, voice typing. This means you can dictate your messages, saving you precious time and effort.

In May 2016, Google launched Gboard, a new keyboard app for iPhone. This replaces the default iOS keyboard, adding a host of Google-powered features. Google launched Gboard for Android in December, but the iPhone version still gets all the new features first.

New to Gboard for iPhone

Google has added support for several new languages, bringing the total number to 15. This means Gboard will now work in Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Greek, Polish, Romanian, Swedish, Catalan, Hungarian, Malay, Russian, Latin American Spanish, and Turkish.

Google has also increased support for emoji, which is rapidly becoming the universal language of the internet. This means you can now search for and send the perfect emoji, including the latest additions, without ever leaving Gboard for iPhone.

The most interesting new feature is voice typing. This lets you dictate messages using Gboard, saving you from having to type with your hands. Which is, after all, so 2016. This will be especially useful if you're forging a long message, or are busy doing something else with your hands.

Last but not least, Google has integrated Google Doodles more fully into Gboard for iPhone. On days when there's a new Google Doodle to view, the G button will be animated. If you click on it you'll see the current Doodle and be able to search for more information about it.

Google Prefers iOS to Android

Google hasn't yet confirmed when, if ever, these features will be coming to Android. But we have to assume they're on their way. In the meantime, we're left scratching our heads as to why Google is taking care of iOS users better than Android users. Answers on a postcard, please.

Do you use Gboard for iPhone? If so, are you likely to make use of any of these new features? If not, why not? What keyboard do you use instead? Do you find voice typing useful? Or is it often more trouble than it's worth? Please let us know in the comments below!

Image Credit: Jake Guild via Flickr