LeanType is for people who want a customizable keyboard on Android without ads or tracking. It is free, open source under GPL-3.0-only, and built on AOSP and HeliBoard. Version 4.3.0 is 12.9 MB and runs on Android 6.0 or newer.
Who a HeliBoard-based keyboard suits
The keyboard fits people who care about where their keystrokes go. It has no telemetry, no ads and no background tracking, and typed data stays on the device. The developer says it works without sensitive permissions such as contacts or location.
It also suits those who like to adjust small things. Tablet and foldable owners get one-handed and split layouts, and people who type with an external Bluetooth or USB keyboard get candidate selection and auto-correction.
Swipe typing, DPAD editing and a floating window
Typing covers gesture input with adjustable sensitivity and a preview. Multi-language typing comes with auto-correction and suggestions, and you can import a Gboard dictionary, which helps if you are moving away from Gboard.
For editing text, you can swipe across the spacebar to move the cursor or open a dedicated DPAD panel for selection. The floating keyboard can be dragged and resized, and the developer says it needs no overlay permission.
Looks are handled by Material You colour matching, dark and light themes, and a custom wallpaper with blur. Corner radius can be set separately for normal, function and action keys, and key gaps and padding are adjustable. Key sounds include Cherry MX, Vintage Typewriter, Retro CRT and Soft Velvet, plus imported custom packs.
Clipboard manager, math solver and Whisper voice input
The clipboard manager searches clips as you type, lets you edit text in the toolbar, pins favorites and gives a 5-second undo after a deletion. An inline solver answers equations such as 25*4= in the suggestion strip.
A text expander turns shortcuts into text with variables like date, time and clipboard content. Screenshot suggestions allow one-tap sharing and text extraction from recent captures. Backups can be exported and imported selectively for layouts, themes, dictionaries and clipboard history.
Voice typing runs on-device with Whisper models, and handwriting recognition uses an in-keyboard canvas. Camera and screenshot OCR are also mentioned.
Limits: unknown developer and missing release notes
The source code is public on GitHub at LeanBitLab/LeanType, released under GPL-3.0-only, and the keyboard is free with no ads. Reading the code is the most direct way to judge how it treats typed text.
Some features, such as Whisper voice input and OCR, are presented as modular plugins.
LeanType pros and cons
Pros
- Free, with no ads and no price
- Open source under GPL-3.0-only with a public GitHub repository
- Floating, one-handed and split layouts, plus hardware keyboard support
- Clipboard manager with search, pinning and 5-second undo
- Small 12.9 MB package for the feature list
Cons
- Developer is listed as unknown
- No independent security review is available
- Plugin requirements for voice and OCR are not clear from the listing
Is LeanType safe?
The APK for LeanType 4.3.0 is kept unmodified, and its SHA-256 checksum is e28a449c2e14a93dfb7c4df944df7dfcfd258e17ce1721cf30e58a49b61f3ee9. Compare it with the file you downloaded before installing. The GPL-3.0-only code is public, so anyone can read how the keyboard handles input. The developer is listed as unknown, which makes the checksum comparison worth doing.
How to install LeanType
- Download the APK with the button on this page and wait for it to finish.
- Compare the file with the SHA-256 checksum shown here if you want to confirm it arrived intact.
- Open the file on your phone and allow installs from this source when Android asks.
- Finish the install, then open LeanType from your app drawer.
