MessagEase

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MessagEase is a touch-screen input method and virtual keyboard that uses a 3x3 grid. You type by tapping or swiping in up, down, left, right, or diagonal directions to access all keys and symbols. The most common letters are tapped directly, while less common letters are reached by sliding from the center key. For example, tapping the center square types an “o,” while sliding left from that square types a “c.” A green trail shows the finger’s path as you type.

The system supports multiple user dictionaries for word prediction and correction. It was developed and patented by ExIdeas in Belmont, California, and was first released in 2002 for the Palm, with a related paper published in 2003. The 3x3 layout is designed to minimize finger movement, making typing faster. In movement-based comparisons, MessagEase is significantly more efficient than a standard QWERTY keyboard and also faster than a multi-tap layout.

The nine most frequent letters in English—ETAONRISH—are placed for one-click access. The next 17 letters—DLFCMUGYPWBVKJXQZ—are arranged so they can be reached by a single move from or to the center key (O). For example, you type V by dragging from A to O, and D by moving from O to E. Special characters and punctuation (38 in total) appear when you drag the space bar upward.

A vertical bar on the side provides quick access to cut/copy/paste, a numeric keypad, uppercase/lowercase controls, and F1–F12, all activated by moving your finger between keys. Small gestures can perform tasks like capitalization or adding accents, and the keyboard can be resized; there is also a larger version with the numeric keypad on the side.

MessagEase is available for Android, iOS, and Apple Watch. It originally started on Palm and was aimed at rivaling T9 on a 12-key phone. Today, all characters are entered by tapping or swiping on a touch screen; there are no physical 12 buttons anymore. Some Android versions offered Thumb-Key on F-Droid and Google Play, while FlickBoard adds additional gestures on Izzysoft (and via F-Droid) and Google Play. In recent years, ExIdeas has moved toward paid access, with some users reporting subscription prompts.