Your keyboard sees everything. Your Emirates ID number. Your IBAN. The passport line you paste into a WhatsApp chat with your PRO. The visa reference you send your landlord at 11pm.
Most of us never think about it. We just tap. And for years, Gboard has been the tap most Android users in the UAE reach for. It’s fast, it’s free, and it’s already on the phone.
But “free” and “already there” are not the same as “private.” So let’s do the honest comparison: Relay vs Gboard, on the one thing that matters most when you’re handling sensitive documents in the Gulf: who sees your data.
With Relay, you’re the customer, not the product.
Living and working in the UAE means you paste sensitive details constantly:
These aren’t things you type once. They’re things you’re asked for again and again, which is exactly why where they live and who can read them is worth thirty seconds of thought.
The details people keep asking for, one tap away. That’s the job Relay was built to do, without asking you to trust a data-hungry account to do it.
(Not sure how risky casual sharing really is? Read WhatsApp Document Security: The UAE’s Hidden Risk.)
| Gboard | Relay | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Google’s keyboard | Privacy-first keyboard + encrypted vault |
| Account needed | Works best signed into a Google account | No account required |
| Your saved details | Personalisation tied to Google’s ecosystem | Stored in a vault that’s end-to-end encrypted |
| Business model | Free; part of Google’s data-driven ecosystem | You’re the customer, not the product |
| Best for | General typing, autocorrect, search | Storing and pasting sensitive info privately |
| The everyday win | Convenience | Convenience and control |
Gboard isn’t “bad.” It’s excellent at what it’s designed to do. The question is simply whether a keyboard built around a data-driven business model is where you want your Emirates ID and IBAN to sit.
You don’t need something to hide to want something kept private. You lock your front door, you don’t share your salary at brunch, and you wouldn’t hand a stranger your passport to photocopy “just in case.”
Your keyboard should hold the same standard. Privacy isn’t secrecy. It’s just your information staying yours.
No jargon. Here’s the actual tap:
That’s it. The privacy is the quiet part working in the background; the speed is the part you feel every day.
(Want the step-by-step? See How to Store Your Emirates ID Securely on Android and How to Share IBANs Without Compromising Privacy.)
If you love Gboard for typing, keep enjoying it. This isn’t a fight over autocorrect.
But if you’re the person who pastes an Emirates ID or an IBAN several times a week, it’s worth having those details in a keyboard that was designed, from the first tap, to keep them private. That’s the gap Relay fills.
Relay is live now on Android and Windows, with an iOS/Mac beta you can join today.
No account required. Your vault, end-to-end encrypted. The details people keep asking for, one tap away.
Questions? We read every message: info@relaykeyboard.com
Q: Is Gboard bad for privacy?
A: Gboard is an excellent keyboard from Google, built to learn from what you type and tied to your Google
account and wider ecosystem; whether that’s where you want your Emirates ID and IBAN to sit is the
question.
Q: How is Relay different from Gboard?
A: Relay is a privacy-first keyboard with an encrypted on-device vault; your vault is end-to-end encrypted
and no account is required. You’re the customer, not the product.
Q: Do I need an account to use Relay?
A: No. No account required at all to use Relay.
Q: Is Relay free, and on which devices?
A: Relay is live now on Android and Windows, with an iOS/Mac beta you can join; try it free. No account,
no catch.
Download for your device below. Same encrypted vault everywhere, no account required.
On iPhone or Mac? Join the beta and we'll email you the moment it lands.
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