Windows 10 to become cooler with GIFs, emojis on the touch keyboard and better voice typing

The new keyboard design is built on Microsoft’s on Windows 10X and brings in new key-press animations, sounds and the ability to search for and insert GIFs.

Windows 10 is also going to get an updated emoji picker. (The Verge)

Microsoft has some big plans for Windows 10. The company is planning to make the platform cooler with some significant changes to its built-in keyboard for Windows 10. The new keyboard design is built on Microsoft's on Windows 10X and brings in new key-press animations, sounds and the ability to search for and insert GIFs.

According to reports, Microsoft calls this the WonderBar for Windows 10X and the new design included better layouts that are optimised for typing. It also includes the ability to move the cursor through the space bar on the touch keyboard. This feature is very similar to how iOS allows users to operate the cursor - which is by placing a finger on the space bar and moving it around to navigate.

Windows 10 is also going to get an updated emoji picker. The emoji picker gets activated when you press the winkey + period, and this will soon include a new design that's based on Microsoft's Fluent Design system which brings together emoji search, animated GIF support and the “convergence of clipboard history and emoji input into a single interface”, explains The Verge.

Additionally, alongside these keyboard and emoji improvements, Microsoft is also announcing a new form of Windows dictation. Called Voice Typing, the voice-to-text interface that's built into Windows has been overhauled to include a modern design, auto-punctuation and an updated backend.

All of these changes are being tested with Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel this week and might not all show up for all testers. They're all a part of a bigger update that Microsoft is planning for Windows 10 for the first half of 2021.