If you're a Gboard user on Android, there's a handy trick to quickly access an "undo" key. This tip surfaced in a Reddit thread discussing the underrated nature of Apple's shake-to-undo gesture on iOS. While Android apps like Google Docs and Keep have their own undo/redo features, it's not a system-level capability.
To implement this workaround in Gboard, add a Japanese keyboard. If you accidentally delete something, switch from your language to Japanese and tap the key in the top-left corner to quickly undo the deletion. This provides a swift way to recover content without the need for a system-level undo feature.
The "undo" key introduced by adding a Japanese keyboard in Gboard has a robust memory, allowing users to undo actions even after exiting and returning to the app. This functionality has been tested successfully in various apps, including Google Messages and Chrome. It provides a convenient way to undo actions across different applications, enhancing user convenience and flexibility.
- Open Gboard Settings > Languages
- “Add keyboard”
- Search “Japanese” and select
- Pick the first option in the carousel [12キー] and hit “Done”
To access the "undo" key in Gboard by adding another keyboard, follow these steps:
- Adding another keyboard will introduce a globe key to the left of the space bar. If you find that this shrinks the bar and prefer an alternative method, navigate to Gboard Settings > Preferences > Toggle "Show language switch key." If turned off, you can use the system language/keyboard key in the bottom-right corner of the screen or Gboard's "Next language" shortcut, which can be added to the top row.
While this workaround provides a dedicated undo key, a more optimal solution would be for Gboard to include its own undo button in the suggestions strip. Fortunately, Google is actively working on this feature, as it was identified in development in July. However, it is not yet available for users.
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