If you are learning a new language, communicating with international business clients, or texting bilingual family members, trying to type foreign words on a standard English keyboard is an exercise in frustration. The autocorrect system will constantly try to “fix” your foreign words by turning them into English gibberish, and you won’t have access to the necessary accented characters or alternative alphabets.
Fortunately, you don’t need to download any sketchy third-party keyboard apps. Your iPhone has dozens of international keyboards built directly into the operating system, complete with their own native dictionaries and autocorrect algorithms.
This guide explains how to add and switch between different language keyboards on your iPhone.
How to Add a New Language Keyboard
You can add as many different keyboards as you need via the Settings app.
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Tap on General.
- Scroll down and select Keyboard.
- Tap on Keyboards at the very top of the screen. (You will see a number next to it indicating how many you currently have active).
- Tap Add New Keyboard…
- Scroll through the alphabetical list or use the search bar at the top to find the language you want (e.g., Spanish, French, Japanese).
- Tap the language to add it. For some languages, you may be asked to choose a specific regional layout (e.g., Spanish (Mexico) vs. Spanish (Spain)); select the one that fits your needs and tap Done.
How to Switch Keyboards While Typing
Now that the keyboard is installed, you can switch back and forth between languages instantly without leaving your chat app.
- Open any app where you can type, such as Messages or Notes, to bring up the on-screen keyboard.
- Look at the bottom left corner of your screen, directly below the keyboard. You will see a small icon that looks like a Globe (or a Smiley Face if you only had the Emoji keyboard installed previously).
- To switch instantly: Tap the Globe icon once. Your keyboard will immediately cycle to the next language in your list. The spacebar will briefly display the name of the new language to confirm the change.
- To choose from a list: Press and hold the Globe icon. A small menu will pop up showing all your installed keyboards. Slide your finger up to the language you want and release it.
When you switch to a foreign keyboard, your iPhone’s autocorrect engine seamlessly switches to that language as well, ensuring your spelling and grammar checks remain accurate.