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Popular smartphone keyboard app gets an unexpected, major new feature

Published Mar 3rd, 2015 8:00PM EST
Fleksy Yahoo Search Extension
Image: Screenshot

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In addition to announcing a new partnership with Samsung, which will bring its paid keyboard app complete with a themes pack for free to Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge buyers, Fleksy made one more major announcement this week, introducing a brand new feature that you wouldn’t normally see in apps like this.

FROM EARLIER: Check out this cool keyboard app all Galaxy S6 owners will get for free

The company has partnered up with Yahoo to offer users instant access to web searches inside its keyboard app. The new feature further builds on new app functionality Fleksy introduced a few months ago, support for extensions, which lets users customize their keyboard app in various apps, whether that means turning it into an app launcher or using it for GIFs.

The Yahoo integration will be available via the same extension functionality, as a Search Extension, that will apparently bring users instant, contextual, results from the web when performing certain searches right inside the keyboard app, as seen in the top image

The full press release follows below.

Looking for more coverage from MWC? Be sure to check out our MWC 2015 hub!

Fleksy Joins Forces With Yahoo To Turn Keyboards Into A Mobile Search Platform
Fleksy introduces the Search Extension powered by Yahoo.

San Francisco, CA, March 3 2015 – Fleksy, the leading keyboard for accurate typing with robust customization, today announced the Search Extension powered by Yahoo.

Fleksy introduced Extensions in December to enthusiastic user adoption. Extensions allow Fleksy users to use their keyboard as a platform and a hub for input options beyond typing – adding functionality such as GIF discovery, and an app launcher. Launching today, the Search Extension will combine the power of web search with the convenience and immediacy of the keyboard to deliver results faster.

“We couldn’t be more thrilled to partner with Yahoo in building the Search Extension,” said Kosta Eleftheriou, Co-founder and CEO of Fleksy. “This marks a major milestone for us. Due to the keyboard’s high engagement, opened 180 times a day on average, and its position at the front line of mobile interaction, we believe contextual search on the keyboard can present a transformative experience. Delivering Extensions with market leaders such as Yahoo is the first step in advancing that goal. ”

Fleksy’s keyboard for iOS and Android is available for download at:
iOS: http://fleksy.com/getios
Android: http://fleksy.com/getdroid

About Fleksy
Fleksy is a next generation keyboard that makes typing on any smart device fast and incredibly customizable. Fleksy has seen over 3 million downloads in a little over 12 months and ranked highly as the #1 paid app in 25 countries.

Officially the fastest smartphone keyboard in the world (Guinness World Record, May 2014 & November 2014), Fleksy is already used by millions of people in over 170 countries. It features the world’s most powerful typing technology, an award winning design, and is the only keyboard with fun and useful Extensions.

Winner of the CES Award for Design and Engineering, the South by Southwest (SXSW) Award, and a 2014 Golden Stevie Award for Innovation, Fleksy is the world’s most innovative keyboard company. It was the first keyboard to enable blind typing on a smartphone (Access Award by the American Foundation for the Blind), the first keyboard to be deployed on a smartwatch, and the first keyboard to enable typing in a 3D augmented reality platform (Leap Motion).

Fleksy is backed by venture capital including Highland Capital Partners and Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers.

To learn more about Fleksy, visit http://www.fleksy.com.

Chris Smith Senior Writer

Chris Smith has been covering consumer electronics ever since the iPhone revolutionized the industry in 2008. When he’s not writing about the most recent tech news for BGR, he brings his entertainment expertise to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and other blockbuster franchises.

Outside of work, you’ll catch him streaming almost every new movie and TV show release as soon as it's available.