How to Type in Telugu

Written by Jack Lloyd

Last Updated: March 10, 2023 Tested

This wikiHow teaches you how to install and use a Telugu keyboard on your computer, smartphone, or tablet. Windows, Mac, iPhone, and Android systems all support Telugu typing via the keyboard settings, though you can also use Google Translate to generate Telugu text if you're unable to change your computer's keyboard settings.

Method 1

Method 1 of 5:

On Windows

1
Open Start
. Click the Windows logo in the bottom-left corner of the screen. Doing so prompts the Start menu to pop up.
2
Open Settings
. Click the gear-shaped icon in the lower-left side of the Start menu. The Settings window will open.

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3
Click Time & Language. You'll find this option near the bottom of the Settings window.
4
Click Region & Language. It's a tab on the left side of the window.
5
Click Add a language. This option is near the top of the window. Doing so will open a window in which you can search for a language.
6
Type in Telugu. This searches for the Telugu keyboard.
7
Click Telugu. It's in the upper-left corner of the window. Doing so adds the Telugu keyboard to your computer's list of keyboards.
8
Wait for the Telugu keyboard to install. This should only take a couple of seconds. When the moving dots disappear from the right of the Telugu keyboard tab, you can proceed.
9
Open a text app. This can be anything from Microsoft Word to Notepad, though you can use the Telugu keyboard in most online text fields as well.
10
Switch to the Telugu keyboard. Click the abbreviation for your current keyboard's language (e.g., ENG for English) in the bottom-right corner of the screen, then click Telugu in the resulting pop-up menu.
11
Type as you normally would. Now that the Telugu keyboard is selected, you can use your keyboard like usual to type Telugu characters. This should work in virtually any text-based application on Windows, as well as on most websites.
- If you open a Microsoft Office program which doesn't have the proper font for Telugu, the font will immediately be downloaded when you switch to the Telugu keyboard.

Method 2

Method 2 of 5:

On Mac

1
Open the Apple menu
. Click the Apple logo in the top-left corner of the screen. A drop-down menu will appear.
2
Click System Preferences…. You'll find this option in the drop-down menu. This opens the System Preferences window.
3
Click Keyboard. It's a keyboard-shaped icon in the System Preferences window.
4
Click the Input Sources tab. This tab is at the top of the Keyboard window.
5
Click ＋. You'll see this in the lower-left corner of the Keyboard window. Doing so brings up a list of available keyboards.
6
Scroll down and click Telugu. It's in the "T" section of the list of keyboards.
7
Select a keyboard layout. In the right-hand pane, select the keyboard layout (e.g., QWERTY) to use with Telugu.
8
Click Add. It's a blue button in the bottom-right corner of the menu. This will add the Telugu keyboard to your Mac.
9
Check the "Use the Caps Lock key to switch" box. This option is at the bottom of the Keyboard window. Doing so will allow you to switch back and forth between your Mac's default language and Telugu.
10
Open a text app. This can be anything from Pages to the Notes app, though you can use the Telugu keyboard in most online text fields as well.
11
Tap the ⇬ Caps Lock key. Doing this switches your keyboard from its default language settings to Telugu.
- Pressing and holding the ⇬ Caps Lock key will allow you to type in your Mac's default language in all capital letters.
12
Type as you normally would. Now that the Telugu keyboard is selected, you can use your keyboard like usual to type Telugu characters. This should work in virtually any text-based application on your Mac, as well as on most websites.
- If you open a Microsoft Office or Apple Documents program which doesn't have the proper font for Telugu, the font will immediately be downloaded if you attempt to type with Telugu.

Method 3

Method 3 of 5:

On iPhone

1
Open your iPhone's
Settings. Tap the Settings app icon, which resembles a set of gears on a grey box.
2
Scroll down and tap
General. It's near the top of the Settings page.
3
Scroll down and tap Keyboard. You'll find this option near the middle of the General page.
4
Tap Keyboards. It's at the top of the screen. Doing so opens a list of your currently saved keyboards.
5
Tap Add New Keyboard…. This option is below the list of keyboards. Tapping it opens a list of available keyboards.
- If you have several keyboards saved, you may have to scroll down to find the Add New Keyboard... option.
6
Scroll down and tap Telugu. It's in the "T" section of the list of keyboards, which is near the bottom of the page.
7
Make Telugu your default keyboard language. Tap Edit in the top-right corner of the screen, then tap and drag the far-right side of the Telugu entry up to the top of the keyboard list. This will make Telugu your default keyboard setting.
- Skip this step if you don't want to use Telugu as your default keyboard language.
8
Access Telugu from your keyboard. If Telugu is your default keyboard language, you'll be able to type using it whenever your keyboard opens (e.g., when texting or filling out an online text box). If not, you'll need to do the following:
- Bring up the on-screen keyboard by tapping a text field or opening a text-based app.
- Tap and hold the
  Language icon in the bottom-left side of the keyboard.
- Drag your finger up to select తెలుగు, then release your finger.
9
Type as you normally would. Now that the Telugu keyboard is selected, you can use it like any other keyboard.

Method 4

Method 4 of 5:

On Android

1
Open your Android's Settings. Swipe down from the top of your Android's screen, then tap the "Settings"
icon at the top of the resulting drop-down menu.
- You can also tap the Settings app icon in the App Drawer.
2
Scroll down and tap Language & input. It's near the middle of the Settings menu.
3
Tap Languages. You'll find this option at the top of the page.
4
Tap Add a language. It's below any languages that you have currently installed on your Android.
5
Scroll down and tap Telugu. You'll find this option in the "T" section near the bottom of the menu. Doing so adds it to your Android.
6
Set Telugu as your default keyboard. Tap and drag the right side of the Telugu entry up to the top of the screen, then release it.
- Skip this step if you don't want to use Telugu as your default keyboard.
7
Access Telugu from your keyboard. If Telugu is your default keyboard language, you'll be able to type using it whenever your keyboard opens (e.g., when texting or filling out an online text box). If not, you'll need to do the following:
- Bring up the on-screen keyboard by tapping a text field or opening a text-based app.
- Tap the
  Language icon in the bottom-left side of the keyboard until the Telugu keyboard appears.
8
Type as you normally would. Now that the Telugu keyboard is selected, you can use it like any other keyboard.

Method 5

Method 5 of 5:

Using Google Translate

1
Open Google Translate. Go to https://translate.google.com/ in your computer's web browser. This opens the Google Translate website.
2
Click the far-left text box. Doing so will place your mouse cursor in it.
3
Type in the text that you want to translate. As you type, Google Translate will translate what you're typing into the default translation language (i.e., Spanish) on the right side of the page.
- You can set a specific language for your text, but the default option, Detect language, will most likely determine your text's language.
4
Change the translation language. Click
above the right-hand text box, then click Telugu in the resulting drop-down menu.
5
Copy the Telugu text. Click the Copy icon, which resembles two overlapping rectangles, below the Telugu text.
6
Go to the place where you want to type in Telugu. Open the app or web page in which you originally wanted to type in Telugu.
7
Paste in the Telugu text. Make sure that your mouse cursor is inside of the text field or area in which you want to type, then press Ctrl+V (Windows) or ⌘ Command+V (Mac). The translated text will appear in your selected location.