I really didn't want to be shopping everything I typed in my phone through A Google server, so I switched back to SwiftKey from GBoard, but the UX decisions on GBoard are just every single one the exact way I want them and SwiftKey has all these little friction points. I would pay money for an iOS keyboard that worked just like GBoard but without the Google AI business being interposed in the suggestions. Note that SwiftKey's suggestions aren't quite as good, but that's not the problem.

@benhamill uh, gBoard for iOS works without a connection to Google servers though? I'm not sure if I'm understanding you right, but if you turn off Full Access it can't phone home

@noiob WHAT.

Does that also prevent it from showing you little ads in the suggestions section?

@benhamill wait what there's ads on that keyboard? I've never used it with the setting turned on and I've never seen any ads. It won't be able to download any ads anyways? Though I think there just might not be any in Europe? I've used it on Android and it didn't have ads there either

@noiob You may have just upgraded my life, friend. Thank you. I'll experiment.

I apparently wildly misunderstood was "full access" meant.

Anyway, the ads show up as the left-most suggestion as a, like, suggestion that you search on Google for some few words related to what you're typing. I don't know if it's a normal search or an ad words thing or "I'm Feeling Lucky" because I've never clicked, but it has covered up what I expected to be the suggestion I actually wanted before.

Again: Thanks.