Google Updated the Gboard Spacebar and Users Hate It So Much

With any popular app or browser extension comes updates and improvements to its software to help with the user experience. While some updates have been great additions, some (a la Facebook) have driven users to the point of insanity. 

Gboard, a virtual keyboard app by Google, recently went through an update, but this one minor update to the spacebar has pissed so many people off. So much so that users are demanding a fix. 

The app features Google Search that includes web results and predictive answers, along with easy searching and sharing of GIF and emoji content. The keyboard app also provides a predictive typing engine suggesting the next word depending on the context.

Gboard quickly established itself as the leading keyboard app on Android, delivering a fast experience with some sensible Google integration as well. The app is also available for iPhone users. The Gboard was met with much satisfaction from users up until now. A new (and minor) tweak to the app has riled up plenty of users.

Reddit users noticed the change and quickly commiserated over their hatred for the update. One user wrote, “I might be in the minority but I hate it. It reminds me of Cable TV channels that plaster a huge logo in the bottom [forth] of the screen that remains on screen the entire time, sometimes even including the name of the show, like you're going to forget or something.”

Many noted that it was distracting and seemed like a desperate attempt for even more advertising for Google (as if we all didn’t use the search engine already). Another Reddit user wrote, “Can we get rid of it? It's like big brother is watching and who needs them in our faces constantly!”

The hatred for the update also blasted off on the Android Help forum. One user noted that they felt the logo was complete overkill. They wrote “Distracting and irritating, and it doesn't actually do anything as far as I can tell. Honestly what is the point of slapping that on the space bar when I have a Google account logged into a Google phone, running the Google operating system…” 

Another user joked on the forum, “It's their way to tell us that they own us.” While that commentary is funny, it's also kind of true.

The Google fanatics over at 9to5Google noted, “As far as we can tell, there is no way to remove the Google logo from Gboard’s spacebar at this time.”

They did, however, note one band-aid fix if you really hate the Google logo on the spacebar that much. If you enable a second language on Gboard, it will remove Google’s logo, and it will instead place a language indicator on the keyboard.” So there will still be something there on the keyboard, but hopefully, it won't annoy you as much as the word "Google."

With such an uproar, we’re sure Google will respond in some way to this backlash before even more users uninstall Gboard for alternatives.