You can now hide comma, period keys on Gboard
What's the story
Google's popular keyboard app, Gboard, has received a new update that allows users to hide the period and comma keys. The feature was spotted in the latest version of Gboard for Android (16.0+) and is being rolled out widely on both beta and stable channels. To access it, users have to head over to Gboard Settings > Preferences where they will find toggles for "Comma key" and "Period key: Show on keyboard for applicable languages."
Feature details
How to remove period and comma keys
The new toggles for the comma and period keys are enabled by default. This has been the standard layout of Gboard for years. However, if you prefer a cleaner look, you can disable these keys from the keyboard settings. Once disabled, Gboard's bottom row will only show the ?, '123' and enter key, giving more space to the space bar.
Alternative option
Double-tap on space bar inserts period
While the new update lets you hide the period and comma keys, there's still an alternative to insert a period. You can double-tap on the space bar for this purpose. The decision to allow the removal of the comma key is a curious move. You can always disable that while keeping the Emoji key (an option available for some time now) for a more symmetrical design with the period key.