Keybuild | AppleVis

Description of App

Build your own keyboard!

Touchscreen keyboards don't need to be one-size-fits-all, so let's change that! With Keybuild, you choose the layout, the keys, everything.

Keys can be set up to type whatever you want! Letters, greek letters (ɑ, β, ɣ), maths symbols (π, ∫, ∑), arrows (↑→↓←), or even your favourite emoji can be added and organised depending on your needs.

Create multiple ‘panes’, each containing keys arranged using a stack-based layout, and switch between them with either an automatic menu, or direct links.

Add a small number row to your Qwerty keyboard, or have a try using Azerty or Colemak layouts. Build a keyboard that can keep up with your maths-heavy university course, or specialist profession. Or just make a dashboard for your favourite emoji. Or do all that and more, it's up to you!

Technical note: This app is 99% SwiftUI, which is as close as you can get while we wait for the ‘SwiftUI Lifecycle’ to come to Custom Keyboard Extensions! SwiftUI powers this app's advanced functionality, as well as some of its more unusual bugs. :)

Disclaimer: While this iPad app is available on Apple Silicon Macs, it's a fair assumption that the keyboard extension is not! That would require magic. ;)

Version

1.6.0

Free or Paid

Paid

Apple Watch Support

Not Known

Device(s) App Was Tested On

iPhone

iOS Version

15.3

Accessibility Comments

Everything is labeled, but the app is a bit confusing until you realize how it works. For instance, when you are viewing a pane, tapping a single key will change the current screen to show options for that key, but no speech feedback is given. Tapping a row of keys will likewise show options on the current screen, but the options will be different. Everything makes sense, but give yourself some time to work through how it is set up.

An important note for touch type users: this app produces keyboards that currently only work with standard typing. The keys are accessible, and seem to act normally enough, but you can't change your typing method, and enabling touch typing and lifting a finger off a key does nothing. That said, Braille Screen Input can be enabled like normal with one of these keyboards active, so don't worry about that.

The developer is aware of VoiceOver, which is always good. I haven't contacted them, but a note in the update notes of version 1.6 mentions making a change to make a key hint VoiceOver-accessible.

VoiceOver Performance

VoiceOver reads all page elements.

Button Labeling

Most buttons are clearly labeled.

Usability

The app is fully accessible with VoiceOver, but the interface could be easier to navigate and use.

Other Comments

This app is really, really cool. My current keyboard has left and right arrows, letting me tap those to move by character instead of messing with the rotor. VO even reads the characters I pass by, just as it should. My keyboard also includes a row of numbers above the top row of letters, not to mention comma and period where they are on a standard keyboard, all on an iPhone. You could shrink the space bar and fit more keys on the bottom, add a row of symbols you use a lot, customize what happens when you tap and hold each key, add a tab key, whatever you want. I don't know how the keyboards look visually, but the functionality is incredible.

App Store Link

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/keybuild/id1547174534

Developer's Twitter Username

@FroggattJames

Options

Comments

Now This Deserves A Podcast!

I can't wait to check this out on my own, but it for sure needs an audio demonstration.
This app I say, is gonna be hugely populaar for many!

Is it accessible enough, to where I should purchase it?

Hi,
I see that this app has a few accessibility issues. However, I would like to know if it’s accessible enough, to make it worth the price? I would like to check it out, but I am hesitant to do so, for fear that I won’t be able to use all features.