How to type Amharic on Android
It takes about two minutes. You install an Amharic keyboard, turn it on once in Settings, and from then on you can write አማርኛ in WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook, TikTok and every other app.
1. Install an Amharic keyboard
Install Addiyon Keyboard from Google Play. It is free and has no ads. You type Amharic with English letters, so you do not need to learn a new layout. (Other options are compared in Amharic keyboards for Android.)
2. Turn the keyboard on
- Open Addiyon Keyboard from your app list.
- Tap Enable in settings. Android opens its list of keyboards.
- Switch Addiyon Keyboard on, and tap OK on the notice Android shows for every new keyboard.
If you ever need to find that screen yourself, it is under Settings › System › Keyboard › On-screen keyboard on recent Android versions, or Settings › System › Languages & input › On-screen keyboard on older ones. Samsung, Tecno and Infinix put it somewhere else; see the Samsung and Tecno and Infinix guides.
3. Make it your keyboard
- Go back to Addiyon and tap Switch keyboard.
- Choose Addiyon Keyboard in the list.
Android remembers the choice. Every text box now opens with Addiyon.
4. Type Amharic
Open any chat and type the Amharic sound with English letters. As you type selam, the word appears as ሰላም, and the suggestion bar offers whole words from the Amharic dictionary. Tap a suggestion or press space to commit it.
selamሰላምyqrtaይቅርታbeTamበጣምamargnaአማርኛ
Need ጠ, ጨ or ኛ? The Amharic spelling rules explain which letters need Shift.
5. Switch to English and back
Tap the globe key beside the space bar to switch between the Amharic and English layouts. English has its own suggestions, so you can write mixed Amharic and English messages without leaving the keyboard.
Extra things worth knowing
- Ge’ez numbers: tap 123, then ፩፪, for ፩ ፪ ፫ ፲ ፻ and Amharic punctuation.
- Voice typing: tap the microphone to dictate through your phone’s speech service.
- Offline: typing and suggestions work without internet or mobile data.
- AI quick edits: Fix grammar, Professional, Shorten and five more, above the keys, free each day.
Common questions.
Does my phone already have an Amharic keyboard?
Usually not on the built-in keyboard. Samsung Keyboard does not include Amharic, and many Tecno, Infinix and itel phones ship without it. Gboard and Microsoft SwiftKey can add Amharic as a language, or you can install a dedicated Amharic keyboard such as Addiyon.
Android warns that the keyboard may collect what I type. Is that safe?
Android shows that notice for every keyboard that is not built in, because any keyboard could. Addiyon processes typing, transliteration and suggestions on the phone and sends text only when you tap an AI edit. Details are in the privacy policy.
Why do I see boxes instead of Amharic letters?
Your phone is missing an Ethiopic font. Every Android version since 5.0 includes Noto Sans Ethiopic, so this mostly happens on very old phones or inside apps that use their own font. Updating the app or the phone usually fixes it.
How do I switch between Amharic and English?
In Addiyon, tap the globe key next to the space bar. To change to a completely different keyboard, use the keyboard switcher, which appears as a small keyboard icon in the navigation bar or as a notification while you type.
Type Amharic in every app.
Addiyon Keyboard is free on Google Play. It turns English letters into Fidel as you type, works offline, and keeps your typing on your phone.