What comes around No one asked for this: Google is testing round keys in Gboard A lot of Gboard beta users are suddenly remembering they joined the beta. Ryan Whitwam Mar 6, 2025 3:32 pm | 0 Credit: Google Credit: Google Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreMost Android phones ship with Google's Gboard as the default input option. It's a reliable, feature-rich on-screen keyboard, so most folks just keep using it instead of installing a third-party option. Depending on how you feel about circles, it might be time to check out some of those alternatives. Google has quietly released an update that changes the shape and position of the keys, and users are not pleased.In the latest build of Gboard (v15.1.05.726012951-beta-arm64-v8a), Google has changed the key shape from the long-running squares to circle shapes. If you're using the four-row layout, the keys are like little pills. In five-row mode with the exposed number row, the keys are collapsed further into circles. The reactions seem split between those annoyed by this change and those annoyed that everyone else is so annoyed.Change can be hard sometimes, so certainly some of the discontent is just a function of having the phone interface changed without warning. If you find it particularly distasteful, you can head into the Gboard settings and open the Themes menu. From there, you can tap on a theme and then turn off the key borders. Thus, you won't be distracted by the horror of rounded edges. That's not the only problem with the silent update, though.The wave of objections aren't just about aestheticsthis update also moves the keys around a bit. After years of tapping away on keys with a particular layout, people develop muscle memory. Big texters can sometimes type out messages on their phone without even looking at it, but moving the keys around even slightly, as Google has done here, can cause you to miss more keys than you did before the update. Left: the traditional square keys. Right: The new rounded keys. Credit: Google Left: the traditional square keys. Right: The new rounded keys. Credit: Google Importantly, this update is being released for beta usersthose are people who signed up to get the latest features first. In that instance, you can't be entirely surprised when parts of your software change overnight. If you're the type to get up in arms about unexpected updates, the beta channel is not for you. The problem, however, is that Google makes it very easy to join betas and very hard to leave themthe current version of the Play Store doesn't even include a list of all your beta app subscriptions. People may join the beta for a Google app and continue getting beta updates for years without realizing it until suddenly, one day, Gboard has rounded keys.If your phone has been visited by the round key fairy, you can go back to the old look at least temporarily. You'll just need to leave the Gboard beta in the Play Store listing. After opting out of the beta, you must then uninstall Gboard and reinstall it to get the latest stable build. However, you may have no choice in key shape soon. Barring a change in course, this design change will eventually make its way to the stable version of the app. Anyone who is particularly stubborn or allergic to circles can disable automatic Gboard updates and just never install new versions. That's a rather extreme reaction to more rounded shapes, though.Ryan WhitwamSenior Technology ReporterRyan WhitwamSenior Technology Reporter Ryan Whitwam is a senior technology reporter at Ars Technica, covering the ways Google, AI, and mobile technology continue to change the world. Over his 20-year career, he's written for Android Police, ExtremeTech, Wirecutter, NY Times, and more. He has reviewed more phones than most people will ever own. You can follow him on Bluesky, where you will see photos of his dozens of mechanical keyboards. 0 Comments