Singapore-based Acti has introduced an agentic keyboard for iOS and Android, aiming to place AI assistance directly inside the app users already rely on most: the smartphone keyboard. Instead of switching between chatbots and other apps, the keyboard is designed to help complete tasks where conversations are already happening.
Founded by Young Wang, the startup says its approach is built around a simple idea: text on a phone is no longer just input, but a signal of intent. With that in mind, Acti can surface context-aware actions in email, messaging, social platforms, and other everyday mobile spaces.
The product runs on Google Gemini models and includes a feature called Skills. These act like customizable shortcuts that can trigger multi-step actions with a single key. Examples include translating a message, sharing a meeting link, or inserting useful information such as a local recommendation or a live stock price into a conversation.
Acti also follows a local-first design, keeping personal context on the device by default. The company says private messages and sensitive context are not accessed or stored unless a user explicitly activates a feature that requires outside processing.
Wang, who previously helped grow Baidu's Facemoji Keyboard to more than 300 million daily active users, says the launch reflects a broader shift in how people may interact with AI: not through separate apps, but through the interfaces they already use every day. Acti says early testers created more than 1,000 Skills in under two weeks, and the company is planning subscription tiers for advanced models and expanded usage. The startup has also raised $5.3 million in seed funding led by BITKRAFT Ventures.
As AI becomes more embedded in everyday tools, products like Acti could help define a faster, more intuitive future for mobile computing.