Keybee Keyboard | Open Source

Discover how to type easy fast and ergonomic on smartphones touchscreen devices

Marco Papalia · it.keybeeproject.keybee

Not rated yet 50K+ downloads v2.1.1 8.4 MB Android 5.0+ PEGI 3 · Everyone

Download APK 8.4 MB All versions

Signature matches the Google Play version Details

Watch the Keybee Keyboard | Open Source trailer on YouTube

Keybee Keyboard | Open Source screenshot 1

Keybee Keyboard | Open Source screenshot 2

Keybee Keyboard | Open Source screenshot 3

Keybee Keyboard | Open Source screenshot 4

Keybee Keyboard | Open Source screenshot 5

Keybee Keyboard | Open Source screenshot 6

Keybee Keyboard | Open Source screenshot 7

Keybee Keyboard | Open Source screenshot 8

At a glance

Latest version: v2.1.1 (27)
Updated: Dec 31, 2025 (9 months ago)
APK size: 8.4 MB
Requires: Android 5.0+ (API 21)
CPU support: Any (no native code)
Category: Productivity (app)
Listed since: Jun 26, 2014 (at least)
Permissions: 26
Website: keybee.it
Developer contact: [email protected]
Privacy: Developer's privacy policy

About this APK

Keybee Keyboard | Open Source is an app by Marco Papalia in the Productivity category, listed since at least June 2014. It has no native code, so it runs on any Android processor.

Since version beta, the APK grew from 1.3 MB to 8.4 MB and the minimum Android version rose from 2.0 to 5.0. It asks for 26 permissions, none of them sensitive. Compared with version 2.1.0, it drops 1 permission: “Advertising ID”.

What's new in v2.1.1

First release as Open Source project.

Description

From the listing uploaded by “appupdater”.

We live in a World where the keyboard is the most used mobile application, but we type with a layout which belongs to something else. In 1863 Christopher Sholes wanted to fix the jams on typewriters. So he moved to the opposite the most frequent letters and letter-pairs to improve typing with both hands. The qwerty keyboard was invented. The success of qwerty was so huge that the same layout is still used today as input device on computer keyboard. In 2007 the mobile world became touch friendly. Smartphones became our daily pocket computer and the touchscreen was introduced to use the phone with one hand. But typing on a physical keyboard and on a touchscreen is not the same: - different number of fingers necessary to type: ten vs one - different gestures: no-swipe vs swipe So sharing the same qwerty layout is not efficient. This incompatibility created an usability problem because the device was adapted to the keyboard. How? - Less space: limited key size and useless gap between keys - Low speed: no swipe friendly, slow typing because floating fingers through the borders - Less comfort: no ergonomics and uncomfortable typing, we are forced to type with two hands or switch the phone to landscape. To fix this problem we adapted the keyboard to the device. How? - we optimized the space by using an hexagonal structure the most efficient structure in Nature, which increases the key size in the same device area up to 50% - we increased the typing speed up to 50% by making more swipe friendly connections between letters and letter-pairs and by removing the gaps between keys - we improved ergonomics by arranging the layout around the center of the screen to type easily with just one finger. No need for two hands for typing. Discover the new way of typing. For free. Forever. Thoughts from the founder The Qwerty on touchscreen is like using a steering wheel on a bicycle: just because I can turn it doesn’t mean that the controller should be like this. A bicycle needs a controller designed for it: the handlebar. A touchscreen needs a keyboard designed for it: Keybee Keyboard. I want to give Keybee Keyboard for free because the keyboard is the basic human - device interaction and because it is universal. It involves all People in the World, no matter the age they have, the language they speak or the place they live. And all the greatest tech innovations are free. I would like to thank all the Keybee Keyboard users who gave me the strength to continue this project even without external investments through their messages, reviews, previous subscriptions and purchases. From 2025 Keybee Keyboard became full free, ads free and Open Source with the permissive license Apache 2.0. I hope that the dev Community can make this project awesome and together we can reach the visibility that Keybee Keyboard deserves. I mean, we don’t have to go to Mars with the qwerty layout, right? Marco Papalia. Keybee Keyboard main features - Twipe typing gesture (swipe on adjacent keys) - 20+ Keybee themes - 1000+ Emoji compatible with Android 11 - 4 original layouts (English, Italian, German, Spanish) - Custom layout - Custom letter pop-up - Totally free and ads free

Version history

4 versions are listed, going back to vbeta. Since v2.1.0 it requires Android 5.0+.

v2.1.1 LATEST Dec 31, 2025 8.4 MB TRUSTED v2.1.0 Dec 11, 2024 8.7 MB TRUSTED v2.0.9 Dec 12, 2025 5 MB TRUSTED vbeta Feb 17, 2016 1.3 MB TRUSTED

All 4 versions

Security & authenticity

Security rating: Trusted

Signing certificate

Signature matches the Google Play version Checked by the source store on Dec 31, 2025.
Same certificate as the 2 other versions checked

Store checks and file details

Developer signature verified Dec 31, 2025
Validated against Google Play Dec 31, 2025
Signed byCN=Marco Papalia, OU=, O=, L=Genova, ST=Genova, C=IT
Signing certificate (SHA-1)DD:7E:E0:1F:1D:7E:4A:63:6B:71:43:72:4E:ED:2A:C9:00:3B:13:E8
File MD5d5dcc5aa21140ee4b309cf25858b67a1
Uploaded by “appupdater” Gold tier · 117,810 followers · uploading since 2020

Scans and ratings come from the source store; the certificate comparisons are AAPKs's own, made from the files' published signatures (2 other versions compared). AAPKs doesn't scan files itself — compare the MD5 and signer after downloading.

Permissions (26)

Keybee Keyboard | Open Source requests 26 permissions, none of them sensitive.

Badge read (custom) com.sec.android.provider.badge.permission.READ
Badge write (custom) com.sec.android.provider.badge.permission.WRITE
Badger badge count read (custom) me.everything.badger.permission.BADGE_COUNT_READ
Badger badge count write (custom) me.everything.badger.permission.BADGE_COUNT_WRITE
Control vibration android.permission.VIBRATE
Full network access android.permission.INTERNET
Home broadcast badge (custom) com.sonyericsson.home.permission.BROADCAST_BADGE
Home provider insert badge (custom) com.sonymobile.home.permission.PROVIDER_INSERT_BADGE
Internal broadcast protection (app-defined) it.keybeeproject.keybee.DYNAMIC_RECEIVER_NOT_EXPORTED_PERMISSION
Launcher change badge (custom) com.huawei.android.launcher.permission.CHANGE_BADGE
Launcher read settings (custom) com.htc.launcher.permission.READ_SETTINGS
Launcher read settings (custom) com.huawei.android.launcher.permission.READ_SETTINGS
Launcher read settings (custom) com.oppo.launcher.permission.READ_SETTINGS
Launcher update badge (custom) com.majeur.launcher.permission.UPDATE_BADGE
Launcher update count (custom) com.anddoes.launcher.permission.UPDATE_COUNT
Launcher update shortcut (custom) com.htc.launcher.permission.UPDATE_SHORTCUT
Launcher write settings (custom) com.huawei.android.launcher.permission.WRITE_SETTINGS
Launcher write settings (custom) com.oppo.launcher.permission.WRITE_SETTINGS
Prevent the device from sleeping android.permission.WAKE_LOCK
Push messaging (app-defined) it.keybeeproject.keybee.permission.C2D_MESSAGE
Read app badge android.permission.READ_APP_BADGE
Receive push notifications com.google.android.c2dm.permission.RECEIVE
Run at startup android.permission.RECEIVE_BOOT_COMPLETED
Run foreground services android.permission.FOREGROUND_SERVICE
Show notifications android.permission.POST_NOTIFICATIONS
View network connections android.permission.ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE

Required hardware & features

Basic touch input android.hardware.faketouch

Keybee Keyboard | Open Source APK: questions and answers

Is there a version of Keybee Keyboard | Open Source for older Android phones?

The current version needs Android 5.0 or later. Version 2.0.9 is the newest listed build that installs on Android 4.2 and later. It is an old build: apps that rely on online services may no longer connect when they are this old. Get version 2.0.9 · All versions

Can I install this APK over the version I already have?

Yes, if your installed copy is older. It is signed like the Google Play version, so Android installs it as an update and keeps your data.

Is the Keybee Keyboard | Open Source APK safe?

No one can promise that a file is safe, but some things can be checked. The source store rates this file Trusted. Its signature matches the Google Play version. It is signed with the same certificate as the 2 other versions checked. After downloading, check that the file's MD5 is d5dcc5aa21140ee4b309cf25858b67a1.