Chinese keyboard

Add a Chinese keyboard to your device

Windows 11

Settings › Time & language › Language & region › Add a language › Chinese (Simplified, China), then Next and Install. Microsoft Pinyin comes with it. Switch keyboards with Windows + Space.

Mac

System Settings › Keyboard › Text Input › Edit… › + › Chinese, Simplified › Pinyin – Simplified, then Add. Switch with Control + Space or the Globe key.

iPhone and iPad

Settings › General › Keyboard › Keyboards › Add New Keyboard › Chinese, Simplified › Pinyin – QWERTY (add Handwriting too to draw). Switch with the globe key.

Android

Gboard: Settings › Languages › Add keyboard › Chinese (Simplified) › Pinyin (and Handwriting), then Done. Switch with the globe key or by holding the space bar.

How do I type Chinese without a Chinese keyboard?

Type the pinyin here, like nihao, and press the word you mean, 你好, or press Enter for the first. Can’t spell it? Switch to Draw and draw the character. Then press Copy and paste it anywhere.

Do I need to type the tones?

No. nihao, ni hao and ni3 hao3 all work; a word with the tones you typed comes first. Type v for ü, as in nv for 女.

Simplified or traditional?

Pinyin gives simplified characters, as mainland China and Singapore write. Draw finds both simplified and traditional characters.

Is what I type sent anywhere?

No. The words and characters are looked up in your browser, and nothing you type is kept.

More free tools

• Chinese typing test
• Chinese to pinyin
• Typing tone marks
• Handwriting input
• Simplified to traditional