Source-backed analysis8
Review basis
Research-based review: the AppDuo Editorial Team compiled it from official pages, documentation, app stores, press and user feedback, without hands-on testing. Every claim links to a source with the date it was checked.
8 reference sourcesInformation updated Nov 10, 2026
How we review
Laban Key Review
VNG's Vietnamese keyboard with Telex and VNI, many themes, free on Android and iPhone
By AppDuo Editorial Team · Updated
- Android
- iOS
On this page
Decide at a glance
Our verdict
Laban Key suits people who want a keyboard built for Vietnamese, with enhanced Telex, themes and shortcuts. The trade-offs: Google Play lists ads and in-app purchases, the Vietnam App Store score (3.9/5) trails Google Play (4.2/5), and the privacy claims all come from the developer.
Best for: People typing a lot of Vietnamese on a phone who want Telex or VNI, consonant shortcuts and word prediction
Skip it if: Anyone who does not want ads in a keyboard app
Pros
- Over 50 million downloads on Google Play, 4.2/5 from about 320 thousand reviews
- Telex and VNI typing, tone marks placeable anywhere, auto-stop on non-Vietnamese words, and enhanced Telex (cc to ch, uu to ươ)
- Next-word suggestions, auto-correction, voice input and space-bar swipe for cursor control
Cons
- The Google Play page shows "Contains ads" and "In-app purchases"
- The Vietnam App Store rating is only 3.9/5 (14,915 ratings)
All pros and cons · Who is it for?
Pros
- A large theme store (the listing says thousands) with custom keyboard design, plus emoji and Zamoji/Zavatar stickers
Cons
- The developer states it collects feature-usage statistics and device IDs; no independent audit is cited here
Best for
- Users who like customizing the keyboard with themes or designing their own
Skip it if
- Users who want an independently audited or open-source keyboard for privacy
Problems it solves
Experience & key features
What is Laban Key?
Laban Key is a Vietnamese typing keyboard for phones from VNG, part of the Laban app family alongside Laban Dictionary and others. Quantrimang published an introduction on 27 December 2013 naming Phạm Kim Long, the author of Unikey, as developer. On the App Store it dates from 13 November 2014. Google Play lists the developer as Zalo Group, while the App Store lists VNG ONLINE CO.,LTD.
Key features
Per the Google Play description, Laban Key supports Telex and VNI, places tone marks anywhere and stops when you type non-Vietnamese words. Enhanced Telex lets you type cc for ch and uu for ươ; it adds next-word suggestions, auto-correction, voice input, a number row, and initial and final consonant shortcuts. Users pick themes from a store or design their own, and send emoji plus Zamoji and Zavatar stickers. The app uses Google Drive for configuration files.
Price and privacy
The app is free to download. Google Play shows ads and in-app purchases, while the App Store says free and lists none. On privacy, the developer says it does not collect personal information, and the iOS policy says typed input is processed only on the device. Google Play's Data safety section, however, says device IDs may be collected for advertising or marketing. These are all developer statements.
More analysis
Versus alternatives
Laban Key focuses on typing Vietnamese, while Gboard and Microsoft SwiftKey are multilingual keyboards. Its description also mentions no in-keyboard translation or AI writing tools. If you type mostly Vietnamese and like theming, Laban Key is one option; if verifiable privacy matters most, read each keyboard's policy closely.
Screenshots
Plans & pricing
Prices last verified Nov 10, 2026
Laban Key
PersonalFree
Free to download on Android and iOS. The Google Play listing says it contains ads and in-app purchases; the App Store page lists no in-app purchases.
- Free plan limits
- The sources reviewed state no feature limits. The Google Play page shows "Contains ads" and "In-app purchases" without saying what can be bought.
- Free trial
- No free trial
Cancellation & refunds
Not applicable to the free download; the sources reviewed state no refund policy for in-app purchases.
Privacy
The Google Play description pledges not to collect personal information; the app uses Google Drive to read and write configuration files in your account and collects statistics on feature-usage frequency for improvement and technical support. The Google Play Data safety section says the app may collect app activity and crash logs for analytics, and device or other IDs for analytics, advertising or marketing and account management; the developer says it does not share data with other companies, data is transferred over a secure connection, and a deletion request option exists. VNG's iOS policy says typed input is processed only on the device and not sent to remote servers, and Full Access is requested only to apply settings from its configuration screens. The App Store privacy label reads "Data Not Collected" per the developer's own declaration (not verified by Apple). These are all developer-published statements; no independent audit is cited here.
Laban Key alternatives
7.5/10Microsoft SwiftKey
Microsoft's predictive keyboard with swipe typing, Copilot, 700+ languages
7.5/10Gboard
Google's free keyboard with glide typing, voice, translation and emoji on Android and iOS
Frequently asked questions
Is Laban Key free?
Free to download on Android and iOS. Google Play notes ads and in-app purchases but does not say what is sold.
Who makes Laban Key?
The iOS privacy policy and the official landing page belong to VNG. Google Play lists Zalo Group as developer and the App Store lists VNG ONLINE CO.,LTD.
Does Laban Key collect what I type?
VNG's iOS policy says typed input is processed only on the device and not sent to servers. The Google Play description says feature-usage statistics are collected. These are developer statements.
Does Laban Key work on iPhone?
Yes. It is on the App Store; the latest version is 26.09.01 (30 September 2026), with an English and Vietnamese interface.
Review evidence & sources8
Scores
- Ease of use
- 7.8
- Features
- 7.4
- Value for money
- 8.0
- Performance
- 7.0
- Support
- 6.0
- Privacy & security
- 6.3
Why this score
Installs like any keyboard, with shortcuts and swipe gestures. User ratings: 4.2 on Google Play, 3.9 on the Vietnam App Store.
Why this score
Telex and VNI, word prediction, auto-correction, voice input, themes, emoji and stickers. Below Gboard and SwiftKey because the description mentions no multilingual typing, in-keyboard translation or AI writing tools.
Why this score
Free to download, but Google Play flags ads and in-app purchases without detailing what is sold.
Why this score
The iOS build is 178.2 MB; the sources reviewed have no latency or battery figures, so the score rests mainly on store ratings.
Why this score
The official landing page offers only a contact form; no dedicated help center appears in the sources reviewed.
Why this score
The developer pledges no personal data collection and on-device processing of typing (iOS), but Data safety lists device IDs used for advertising or marketing in an ad-supported keyboard; no independent audit.
What users say
- App Store (Vietnam)3.9/5 · 14,915
- Google Play4.2/5 · 320,000
Sources
- Vendor-providedOfficial Laban Apps landing page (VNG)Nov 10, 2026
- Vendor-providedOfficial iOS privacy policy (VNG)Nov 10, 2026
- storeGoogle Play listingNov 10, 2026
- storeGoogle Play Data safetyNov 10, 2026
- storeApp Store listing (Vietnam)Nov 10, 2026
- pressQuản Trị Mạng (2013-12-27)Nov 10, 2026
- pressSforum / CellphoneS: Laban Key la gi (2023-03-26)Nov 10, 2026
- pressHoàng Hà Mobile: Laban Key (2024-03-28)Nov 10, 2026
Specs & compatibility
- Developer
- VNG
- Headquarters
- Vietnam
- Launched
- 2013
- Category
- Utilities
Capabilities
- Mobile app
Platforms
- Android
- iOS
Interface languages
- Vietnamese
- English
Integrations
- Google Drive
- Zamoji
- Zavatar
Support
Change history
- Feature.Latest update on Google Play and the App Store (iOS 26.09.01, noted as bug fixes and performance improvements).
- Launch.iOS release date listed on the App Store.
- Launch.Quantrimang publishes an introduction to Laban Key on Google Play, naming Phạm Kim Long (Unikey's author) and a team as developers.
About the author
Reviews & comments
Written by readers with a verified email address.
No reviews yet. Have you used Laban Key? Share your real experience.
Reader reviews are counted separately and do not affect the Editorial Team’s score.
No comments yet. Be the first to share your experience.
Comments are readers’ opinions, not content from the AppDuo Editorial Team.