I type without looking at my fingers on my desktop/laptop keyboard. I trained myself to do this with the help of a desktop program (Typing Master) a few years back.

However, I type horribly on my smartphone. I was amazed to see some teens typing with their fingers on smartphones, with the speed of a typing master. Led me to believe I could train myself to type faster on my Android smartphone too.

If you’re looking for a fun way to improve your typing speed and accuracy while having fun, ZType is a great way to do that. It’s a space typing & spelling game for Android, iOS and the Web (any platform). ZType is designed to challenge your reflexes and improve your typing skills in a fun yet educative way.

ZType for Android

Here’s the problem though. For some reason, ZType for Android isn’t available on the Google Play Store anymore. The game was published on Google Play and available up until Nov 29, 2016 when the last version, ZType 1.1.0 was still downloadable. Since this isn’t an app/game that poses security risks, I tend to believe that Google Play simply added increasingly difficult requirements for devs to follow, to the point where the developer (PhobosLab) simply gave up.

Get this, the game is still available on the iOS Appstore, and also on the Web. If there was an issue with it, Apple would’ve also removed it. Anyway, you can still install ZType on your Android device using an APK file of an older version.

What is ZType for Android?

ZType for Android has, or better said had, a short slogan: Space Typing & Spelling. I think this summarizes best what the game is about, basically a fast-paced typing game where you defend a spaceship by typing the words or letters that appear on approaching enemies. The better and faster you type, the stronger your defenses.

Key features of ZType:

  • Addictive gameplay. A seamless blend of typing and arcade-style space shooting keeps you hooked while keeping you trained.

  • Educational benefits. It really does improve your typing speed, accuracy, and spelling in a fun and engaging way. It uses gamification to train your fingers to type faster and better, which isn’t bad.

  • Challenging levels. There are a lot of levels/waves that get progressively harder, testing your reflexes and most importantly your ability to recognize words and type better.

  • Minimalistic design. Clean and visually appealing graphics that overall create a great gaming experience.
  • Offline play. No internet? No problem! Play ZType wherever you are because it also works in offline mode. Oh and in the APK version I didn’t see any ads, which is amazing.
  • Settings. ZType for Android has an option that allows you to select what type of keyboard layout you’re using (i.e. QWERTY – us/uk, QWERTZ – de or even DVORAK)

How to install the ZType APK on your Android device

Since ZType isn’t available on the Google Play Store, you’ll need to download and install its APK file from a trusted source. Here’s a step-by-step guide to safely install an APK file on your Android device:

  • Download the APK file. It is available on various trusted APK sources, I prefer APKPure which is the biggest APK download library, but it’s also on Uptodown. You can download it here: ZType for Android (APK)
  • Open your phone’s Settings.
  • Go to Apps and tap Special App Access > Install Unknown Apps.
  • Select your preferred browser or file manager, and toggle the setting to Allow from this source.
  • Locate the downloaded APK file in your file manager or browser’s download folder.
  • Tap on the file to start the installation process.
  • Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the installation.

That’s it, once installed, open ZType and dive into the action. As a caution, only download and install APK files from trusted sources, meaning websites that are very popular and that have already reviews for what you’re downloading. It’s also highly recommended to have an antivirus installed on your smartphone, as it’ll automatically scan the APK you’ve downloaded and warn if there are viruses.

Whether you’re a typing enthusiast, a student looking to enhance spelling, or a gamer wanting a unique experience, ZType offers something for everyone. It transforms typing practice into a thrilling gaming session that keeps you coming back for more.

ZType for iOS

ZType is also officially available on the iOS Appstore. Still puzzles me why Apple keeps it and Google Play didn’t, but I guess it has something to do with Google being too demanding. You can find it officially here: ZType for iOS.

The advantage over the APK version of ZType for Android is the fact that on iOS you do get the latest version, which right now is 1.4. The iOS version has ads, and you can remove those for $0.99. It’s developed by PhobosLab, which in turn I see it’s the game dev studio of a dev called Dominic Szablewski and they have other apps on the appstore (Xibalba, Super Blob Blaster, Magic Webcam), though I think ZType is the most popular one.

ZType for the Web

Now, both the Android and iOS versions of ZType are targeted for mobile devices. The disadvantage of these is the fact that you won’t be able to type on a regular keyboard, even if you’ve connected a Bluetooth one to your mobile device. That’s why it’s better that the dev released ZType for the web. Basically the same gameplay you have on Android/iOS, but one that you can play in your browser no matter what your platform is (i.e. Windows, Linux, Mac, …).

Not to mention that if you prefer not to install the ZType for Android APK, you can play it from your Android device in the browser without installing any game. It’s available here: ZType for the Web.

There is one key difference between ZType for the web and those for iOS/Android. With ZType for the web you can load any text you’d like to train on from another website or your own copy/paste text. It even has some suggestions, and quite a fun one – some are easy, some are medium, some are hard but the one that’s labeled as “incomprehensible” is Donald Trump’s speech. Hilarious!