---
title: "Chinese Keyboard Online: Type Chinese With Pinyin or Handwriting, FreeDrawing pad"
description: "Type Chinese online with nothing to install: type pinyin (nihao) and pick 你好, or draw a character you can’t spell. Copy in one press. Plus how to add a Chinese keyboard to Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android."
canonical: "https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-keyboard"
author: "Mandarin The Wild"
---

Free tool · Nothing to install

# Chinese keyboard

Type pinyin and pick the word, or draw a character you can’t spell.

## 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](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-typing-test)
- [Chinese to pinyin](https://mandarinthewild.com/pinyin-converter)
- [Typing tone marks](https://mandarinthewild.com/pinyin-tone-marks)
- [Handwriting input](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-handwriting-input)
- [Simplified to traditional](https://mandarinthewild.com/simplified-to-traditional)

Words from our own dictionary; strokes from Make Me a Hanzi (Arphic Public License).