When Google rolled out their individual apps into the Google Play Store, and no longer made them just part of the larger operating system, faster updates were one of the things promised (and expected). That’s absolutely been the case ever since, as Google routinely updates their apps, both in small and large portions. The newest update to the Google Keyboard may seem small, but the new features it brings will probably make more than a few people happy.

Many companies see the art of typing on a digital keyboard a thing of the past, and we’re now moving into an age where we just tell our devices what we want to send to someone else in a message. Voice typing isn’t new by any means, but it’s certainly seeing a rise in attention as of late. That’s the case with the newest update to the Google Keyboard, which not only sees the position of the microphone change on the keyboard itself, but it will now also let you speak emojis at your phone.

No more will you need to type a long-winded smiley face, or spend extra seconds typing out individual pieces of a frown to really sink in that bad news. Now, according to findings from Android Police, certain hot words are now supported to insert those things with just your voice. Through testing, “smiley face,” “tongue face,” and “sad face,” are all supported, and will give you these results, respectively: :-); ;-P; and :-(, all resulting in their corresponding emoji.

The microphone has moved, based on applications that do not use the inline search box voice input button, so keep an eye out for that, just in case that’s an option you use quite a bit. There are also more languages supported for voice input: Indian English, Basque, Galician, Swiss Italian, and Latin American Spanish.

The update is rolling out now for those who have the keyboard installed. If you don’t have it downloaded, you can head through the Google Play Source link below to find the free download waiting for you.

Do you like the Google Keyboard, or do you prefer another ‘board?