Gboard, by Google, is one of the most widely used keyboard applications out there. Hence, when a Gboard bug hits users, many people are affected. That’s exactly what happened when the December 17 update started crashing unexpectedly. People took to support forums since the crashing apparently made the app un-operable.
How to temporarily bypass the Gboard bug
The main problem was with people who used various kinds of security passwords to unlock their phones. The Gboard bug crashing the app rendered them helpless with their locked devices. Hence, the only way left for users to unlock their phones was to use an external physical keyboard or completely reset their device. However, the latter could cause data loss for unsuspecting users who did not have everything backed up. Another quick fix for the Gboard bug was clearing the app’s cache and data. But this would result in the users losing all their custom-tailored words and stats.
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Gboard is a favorite among a plethora of keyboard applications because of its simplicity, and minimal design. The app also has a bunch of features that do not overwhelm you all at once. The addition of support many Indic languages is icing on the cake. Hence, Gboard is a go-to choice for new smartphone users.
Google has since addressed the issue on the Android Help Forum. “We’re aware of a bug in a recent update to Gboard users on Android 7.1 and below that caused the keyboard to crash for some users. A fix for this issue (8.9.14) has been rolled out; for most people, the app will update automatically which will resolve the problem. For some users, it may require a reset of their device for the update to take effect,” said Zak P, a Google employee. If you’re still facing the crashes, it is a good idea to go to the play store and check if an update is available.
