Acti Launches Local-First Agentic Smartphone Keyboard Powered by Google Gemini Models
Singapore-based startup Acti has released an agentic keyboard for iOS and Android that handles multi-step tasks natively across mobile apps. Powered by Gemini, the keyboard allows users to configure plain-language 'Skills' that trigger automated actions and information retrieval.
Impact: Medium
Why it matters
By embedding agentic capabilities directly into the smartphone keyboard, Acti removes the friction of switching between multiple apps and chatbots, delivering AI assistance in-context.
TL;DR
- 01Acti is an agentic mobile keyboard for iOS and Android powered by Google Gemini.
- 02Users can create custom 'Skills' in plain language without coding.
- 03A local-first architecture keeps personal data on the device by default.
Key facts
- LLM Backend
- Google Gemini
- Built-in Skills Examples
- T (translate), C (meeting link)
- Target Platforms
- iOS and Android
- Pre-launch Skills Created
- 1,000+
The Plain-Language Skills Engine
Users don't need to know how to code to create a Skill; instead, they can simply describe what they want in plain language, and Acti builds it. For example, assigning a shortcut to a key can execute actions like sharing a meeting calendar link or fetching a stock ticker price. Testers built 1,000+ custom Skills in under two weeks.
Privacy Architecture
Because mobile keyboards record sensitive inputs, Acti utilizes a local-first paradigm. Key strokes, personal chats, and conversation history remain stored on-device. Network requests to Gemini and external APIs are restricted strictly to user-initiated agent skills, mitigating the typical data-scraping concerns associated with third-party keyboards.
✓ When to use
- When looking to consolidate AI workflows directly into text-based mobile communication.