Dealing with a tiny keyboard on your phone can be a real pain, especially if you’re trying to type something quickly or have limited precision using the smaller keys. Increasing the size of the Android keyboard, particularly Gboard or on Samsung Galaxy devices, can make typing much more comfortable. This guide walks through the steps to bump things up a notch, so to speak, and get a bigger, more user-friendly keyboard. Just keep in mind, bigger keyboards mean less screen space for other things, but hey, easier typing is usually worth it.
How to Make Android Keyboard Bigger – Gboard
If Gboard is your go-to, these steps are pretty straightforward. Usually, it’s about getting the app up to date and then diving into the settings. I’ve seen on some setups, you need to update the app from the Google Play Store first — doesn’t hurt to check that first. Once it’s current, it’s just a matter of fiddling with preferences.
1. First, make sure you’ve got the latest version of the Gboard app. Sometimes, older versions hide these options or don’t support resizing.
2. Open any app where you can type (messaging, email, whatever) and bring up the keyboard.
3. Tap on the Gboard toolbar icon at the top left corner of the keyboard. If you don’t see this, tapping the gear icon (or holding the comma key to access the options) might work.
4. When the menu pops up, select Settings.
5. Inside Gboard Settings, go to Preferences. This is where you usually find options related to how the keyboard looks and feels.
6. Look for the Keyboard height option. Here, you’ll see a list of size presets—try selecting a larger option to make it bigger.
Some users report that on certain versions or devices, this might be more hidden or not available at all. In that case, or if you want a quicker workaround, there’s a secondary method: press and hold the space bar (or sometimes the emoji key), then choose Resize.
On some older app versions, resizing is managed through a menu labeled Gboard menu > Resize. Just long-press the spacebar or tap that menu, then drag the slider or blue handles to adjust size. This isn’t always consistent, but, heck, worth a shot.
How to Resize the Keyboard on Samsung Galaxy Phone
If you’re rocking a Samsung Galaxy, the process is a bit different because Samsung’s keyboard settings are not always synced with Gboard. Still, it’s simple enough. You don’t want to keep using that tiny, hard-to-hit keyboard, do you?
1. Just open any messaging or text app — any app that pops up the keyboard.
2. When the keyboard appears, tap on the three dots at the top left of the keyboard. Sometimes, it’s a gear icon, but on Samsung, it’s usually three dots.
3. From the drop-down menu, select Keyboard size. If you only see options like “Standard” or “Large, ” then you’re good, but sometimes you get a slider or handles.
4. You will see blue handles scattered along the top and sides of the keyboard. This is where the magic happens.
5. To make the keyboard bigger, drag the blue handle upward. Conversely, to make it smaller, drag down.
6. When satisfied, tap the Done button to lock in the size. Honestly, some people report just dragging and releasing without tapping Done, but better safe than sorry.
A quick note: increasing the keyboard size takes up more screen real estate, so some content will be pushed down. On some phones, the resize handles aren’t super precise, so just experiment until it feels natural.
And remember, depending on your Android version or device customization, options might slightly vary or be in different menus, but overall, these tricks should help get a bigger, more comfortable keyboard.