Google unveils a rotary-dial keyboard with discs instead of keys

Google’s Japan unit has created an unusual keyboard called the Gboard Dial Version, which replaces traditional keys with rotary dials. The announcement was made in the company’s official blog.

The keyboard works much like an old rotary telephone — to type a character, users turn the corresponding dial. According to Google Japan’s engineers, this design not only helps prevent accidental presses and ensures more reliable input, but the return time of the dial also gives users a brief pause to consider the next character.

The project is fully open source: technical documentation, STL files for 3D printing, and firmware are available on GitHub for anyone who wants to build their own.

This isn’t Google Japan’s first eccentric project. In 2024, the team built the 208-key Möbius keyboard for three-person typing; in 2023, they introduced a keyboard cap; in 2022, the walking stick–style Gboard Bar; and in 2021, a mechanical keyboard integrated into a tea mug.