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Here's the heartwarming story of why the Gboard Morse Code option exists

The Gboard Morse Code input method may seem like a joke, but here's the story about why it is there and how it has changed lives.
By
July 11, 2018
An image of the Gboard Morse Code input.
TL;DR
  • Google just released a new set of tools for Morse Code, including a game that can help you learn the method.
  • Google Gboard for Android has had a Morse Code entry method, and now the feature is here for iOS.
  • Using Morse Code, people with limitations that prevent them from using other input methods can communicate easier.

While smartphones have certainly made many aspects of life easier for people with limited abilities, there is always room for improvement. That’s why Google introduced a Morse Code entry method in Gboard for Android back in May: to give everyone options.

Today, Google announced on its blog that iOS Gboard users are finally getting the Morse Code entry method, and the company is also rolling out a set of tools to make learning and integrating Morse Code easier than ever.

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One of the new Morse Code tools is actually a game that helps anyone learn how to type using the method Samuel Morse developed in the mid-1800s.

Google asked Tania Finlayson — a woman with cerebral palsy who uses Morse Code as her primary communication tool — to help announce today’s news. In her blog post on the matter, she explains how learning Morse Code changed her life, and how she’s developed multiple ways to integrate Morse Code into other aspects of her life. Check out the video below to hear Tania’s heartwarming and inspiring story:

To push the limits of Morse Code, Google is imploring hackers and communication enthusiasts to experiment with Morse Code in different ways. If you head to this page, Google has a bunch of ready-made tools for you to start playing around with. The aforementioned Morse Code game is there, as well.

NEXT: Gboard testing smart replies for Snapchat, WhatsApp, more