Microsoft to Remove SwiftKey from App Store Next Week

In recent documentation, Microsoft announced its intention to remove SwiftKey from the App Store in the coming week. 

Popular virtual keyboard app, SwiftKey, has been on the App Store since 2014 — two years before Microsoft acquired the app. However, it would seem that the tech giant has neglected the application on iOS lately. 

Besides leaving user complaints unresolved, the SwiftKey app on iOS has reportedly not been updated in over a year. Meanwhile, last year, other operating systems got a new SwiftKey feature — clipboard syncing across Android and Windows devices. 

At the time, Microsoft claimed that it was impossible to sync your clips to iOS. But it turns out that’s not the entire story. 

Yesterday, the tech giant confirmed that it would remove SwiftKey from the App Store and end support for the app on October 5th. The statement reads: 

“We are ending support for Microsoft SwiftKey iOS. Thank you for being a user of our product. Please visit data.swiftkey.com for details on how to manage your data. The app will be delisted from the App Store on October 5th, 2022.”

The first question that comes to mind is: 

Why is Microsoft Removing SwiftKey from App Store?

The reason is unclear currently. Indeed, Microsoft did not explain on its support page or when asked. 

However, João Carrasqueira of XDA developers speculates that Microsoft struggles to create the kind of cross-device experiences it wants on iOS. This is especially true considering that its clipboard syncing feature is only available on Windows and Android. 

Be that as it may, SwiftKey will remain available to iOS users that already have it installed. So you can continue using the virtual keyboard app on your iPhone and iPad as long as you don’t manually uninstall it. 

“For those customers who have SwiftKey installed on iOS, it will continue to work until it is manually uninstalled or a user gets a new device,” said Chris Wolfe, director of product management at SwiftKey. 

Meanwhile, Apple has been working to improve the virtual keyboard on its devices.

For example, the keyboard on iOS 16 now features a haptic feedback feature to confirm that the key was pressed. However, the tech giant later warned that the new feature could have a negative impact on battery life.