I use Gboard, as I’m on Android.
Do you use Gboard or the clipboard feature? Or use a similar feature of an other keyboard app?
Do you use apps like NetGuard or TrackerControl to restrict net access to the keyboard apps?
Have tried some FOSS apps some years ago, but didn’t stay on them because, Malayalam(my mother tongue) and the handwriting mode(which is quite good), is not available in most other apps.
I had thought about turning on the clipboard history option and am thinking about the privacy/security aspect behind it. As per Gboard, it remembers history for 1 hour and there seems to be no sync option. So it seems sort-of safe. Thinking about such things since I do copy-paste OTP’s.
I just use defaults.
Because the idea is, if my phone’s manfacturer wanted to spy on me, they could do so regardless of what keyboard I use.
I use a samsung phone so its just the samsung default keyboard. I do go to settjngs and turn off any telemetry stuff and just have to hope they aren’t lying when I turn off telemetry stuff.
I do use clipboard history, but if I ever copy a password or some sensitive data, I have an app that I can use afterwards that overwrites the clipboard data with random data.
But most of the time, never really need to copy passwords since I use bitwarden and it directly inputs passwords, bypassing the clipboard history completely.
Also OTPs are one time only so doesn’t really matter if they get leaked.
Thank you.
Because the idea is, if my phone’s manfacturer wanted to spy on me, they could do so regardless of what keyboard I use
I use a Chinese smartphone. And use GBoard on it.
I turn off the telemetry stuff too.
My concern was me enabling clipboard history maybe taken as consent to send it to some online server for sync/backup or later use.
Wanted to know what other people were doing about such risks.
App to overwrite clipboard
Cool. What is that?
https://f-droid.org/en/packages/com.paranoiaworks.unicus.android.sse/
Its main function is not the clipboard cleaner, but its an open source app for encrypting files/folders or just text. The text encryption is quite interesting, since unlike a txt file, you can send encrypted ciphertext over sms messaging. There’s also a way to hide a string of text in a photo. It’s just a cool app I just kinda have on my phone, but I found the overwrite clipboard function be quite useful on its own. Its under “Other Utilities”>“Clipboard Cleaner”
since I do copy OTP’s
OTPs*
At the moment I don’t use any keyboard app. I haven’t found any that I really like. I used to use gboard which was nice before I became privacy concious and realised gboard could be tracking every key press I make.
If I am going to use a keyboard app I wouldn’t use anything unless it is FOSS software.
So how do you use your phone? Every time you type something you use a keyboard app. It might just be the one that was shipped with android (Samsung keyboard, gboard, etc)
FUTO keyboard
Just installed it today. Significantly improved voice typing over Google and its processed locally on your device, not server side like everything Google.
You can upgrade your voice typing model anytime over their website.
Microsoft Swiftkey no matter what mobile device I’m on (iOS or android). It has a very forgiving autocorrect and great memory. It’s super crashy whenever a new iOS update comes along. But they fix it real fast.
