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Keebi vs SwiftKey on iPhone: Which Keyboard Should You Use?
By the llcloud team 5 min read
The short answer
Choose Keebi. It works fully without Full Access, needs no account, and its autocorrect never swaps a real word for another one. Microsoft says SwiftKey on iPhone needs Full Access to reach its language models and settings.
Keebi is the better pick if you want a private iPhone keyboard that leaves your words alone. It fixes clear typos, never replaces a real word, undoes any fix in one tap, and works completely without Full Access. Microsoft's own help page says SwiftKey on iPhone requires Full Access to share data with its app, and it offers a Microsoft account for backup and sync.
Microsoft SwiftKey is one of the best known third-party keyboards, on Android and on iPhone. Keebi is a newer iPhone keyboard with a narrow focus: autocorrect that fixes typos and keeps the words you meant. This comparison is as of October 2026 and uses SwiftKey's App Store listing and Microsoft's support pages for its facts.
Keebi vs SwiftKey at a glance
| Keebi | Microsoft SwiftKey | |
|---|---|---|
| Never replaces a real word with another | ✓ | Not stated |
| One-tap undo for every fix | ✓ | Not stated |
| Works without Full Access | ✓ | ✗ (required, per Microsoft) |
| Account | ✗ None | Optional Microsoft account for backup and sync |
| Number row | ✓ | Not stated |
| Search bar layout without stray dots | ✓ | Not stated |
| Swipe typing | ✓ Free | ✓ |
| Themes | ✓ (8 free, editor and photo themes in Pro) | ✓ ("dozens of themes") |
| Emoji and GIFs | ✓ (GIFs Pro, Full Access) | ✓ |
| AI rewriting | ✓ On your iPhone, with Apple Intelligence | ✓ Copilot and tone change |
| Dictation | Apple's dictation, built into iOS | Not stated |
| Needs iOS | 17 or newer | 15 or newer |
What does SwiftKey need Full Access for?
Full Access is the iOS switch that lets a keyboard reach the network and share data with its app. iOS warns you when you turn it on, because a keyboard with Full Access could send what you type.
Microsoft's help page says SwiftKey on iOS requires Full Access to share data with its "container" app on your phone. That app holds SwiftKey's language models, personal learning and preferences, and without the permission the keyboard cannot read or write them. Microsoft adds that no language data or words you type are transferred unless you create a SwiftKey account, and that with an account your predictions are backed up to its servers and synced.
Keebi was built to work fully without Full Access. Autocorrect, the undo chip, the number row, themes, layouts and almost all of Pro run with it off. Turning it on is a choice that adds clipboard history, GIFs, haptics, speak keys and syncing learned words to the app. Our guide to adding a keyboard on iPhone explains what the switch allows and when to leave it off.
Which one keeps the words you meant?
SwiftKey's listing describes a keyboard that learns your writing style, including slang and nicknames, and offers autocorrect and predictions. It does not describe a rule against swapping one real word for another, or how you undo a correction.
Keebi's whole design is that rule. It fixes clear typos and never replaces a real word with another real word, so "we'll" stays we'll. Every fix waits in an undo chip: tap it or press delete once and your word is back, and Keebi keeps it as typed from then on. It only changes the word you are typing, never one you already passed. If autocorrect on your iPhone has been changing correct words, our guide on stopping iPhone autocorrect changing words covers the built-in fixes too.
Where does the AI run?
SwiftKey's App Store listing leads with "Copilot | Emojis | Tone change" and describes help from artificial intelligence. Its privacy label lists your email address, a user ID and a device ID as data linked to you.
Keebi rewrites too, but on your iPhone. Its Rewrite button proofreads the message you are writing for free, and Pro adds friendlier, more professional, shorter, longer, rephrased and emoji versions. It uses Apple's on-device model, part of Apple Intelligence, so the text is not sent to a server, and it shows only on iPhones and iPads where Apple Intelligence is on. Keebi has no account. The keyboard has no analytics and no crash reporting. With Full Access on, the one thing it ever sends is your GIF search words, to GIPHY. Your typing, your learned words and your clipboard stay on your iPhone, and the privacy policy spells out the rest.
What else does Keebi do?
- A real number row and a search layout that keeps the period away from the space bar in address bars.
- Swipe typing for free, with other guesses in the bar.
- 91 autocorrect languages and layouts for more than 120, two at once for free, with Japanese, Korean and Chinese input.
- Emoji with search, kaomoji and fancy fonts, and GIFs in Pro with Full Access.
- Themes. Day, Night, Pure Black and Glass for free, with day and night switching. Pro adds more themes, the theme editor and photo themes.
- Clipboard history and text shortcuts in Pro. Clipboard history needs Full Access.
- Slide to correct, free and off by default: slide onto the key you meant before you lift.
- Backup and restore of settings, themes and words to one file.
Why choose Keebi over SwiftKey?
- No Full Access needed. Keebi works completely with it off.
- No account. Nothing about you sits on a server.
- Your words stay your words. Real words are never replaced, and every fix undoes in one tap.
- Words are final once you pass them. Nothing changes behind you or when you hit send.
- Rewrite on your device. Proofreading is free, every style runs on Apple's on-device model, and one tap undoes it.
- A free version with the whole promise. Pro by month, by year or once for life.
Still deciding? See Keebi vs Gboard and Keebi vs Grammarly Keyboard, or read the full feature list on the Keebi page.
Sources
Questions
Does SwiftKey need Full Access on iPhone?
Yes, according to Microsoft. Its help page says the SwiftKey keyboard on iOS requires Full Access to share data with the SwiftKey app on your phone, where its language models, learning and preferences are stored, and that without it the keyboard cannot read or write those files. Keebi works completely without Full Access, including autocorrect, undo, themes and most of Pro.
Does SwiftKey send what I type?
Microsoft says no language data or words you type are transferred unless you create a SwiftKey account, and that with an account your predictions are backed up to its servers and synced. Keebi has no account at all. Its keyboard has no analytics, and the only thing it sends is your GIF search words to GIPHY, with Full Access.
Does Keebi have AI rewriting like SwiftKey?
Yes, on your iPhone instead of a server. On iPhones and iPads with Apple Intelligence, Keebi's Rewrite button proofreads the message you are writing for free, and Pro adds rephrase, friendlier, more professional, shorter, longer and emoji versions. It uses Apple's on-device model, you see the result before it replaces anything, and one tap undoes it. Keebi has no Copilot chat. Its autocorrect still keeps the words you typed and fixes only clear typos.
Can I swipe type with Keebi?
Yes, for free. Glide from letter to letter, and the word appears with other guesses in the suggestion bar. Pro adds every theme, the theme editor and photo themes, other layouts, a third language and text shortcuts. Pro comes by month, by year or once for life.
How many languages can I type in at once with Keebi?
Two languages at once are free, and a third is Pro. Keebi autocorrects 91 languages and has layouts for more than 120. Switch with the language key, hold it to pick from your list, or swipe sideways on a letter key. You can also have the keyboard's own labels follow the language you type in.
