Android Gboard New “Action Key” Feature (v16.6.1)

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📝 Key Points of This Article

• A new feature called “action key” appears to be coming to the Android version of the “Gboard” app.
• Analysis of the internal code in the Gboard for Android v16.6.1 update revealed the addition of descriptions regarding the new “action key” feature.
• Development seems to be progressing for a rollout that includes Japan.

A new “action key” feature appears to be rolling out to the Android version of Google’s keyboard service, “Gboard.”

Analysis of the in-app code for the Gboard for Android v16.6.1 update, released on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, revealed the addition of strings related to the new “action key” feature. While specific details about the “action key” remain unknown, it appears that the feature itself can be toggled ON/OFF, and it is expected to execute some kind of function when enabled.

Furthermore, since code for Japanese support has also been identified, development appears to be underway for a rollout that includes Japan.

<string name="_0_resource_name_obfuscated_res_0x7f14003e">action key</string>
<string name="_0_resource_name_obfuscated_res_0x7f14003f">action key enabled</string>

<string name="_0_resource_name_obfuscated_res_0x7f14003e">アクションキー</string>
<string name="_0_resource_name_obfuscated_res_0x7f14003f">アクションキーが有効です</string>

“Gboard” App Links