How to Type Punjabi (Gurmukhi) on Your Phone

To type Punjabi (Gurmukhi) on your phone, add a Punjabi keyboard in your settings, then switch to it with the globe key. On an iPhone: Settings → General → Keyboard → Keyboards → Add New Keyboard → Punjabi. On Android: add Punjabi inside Gboard's Languages. The whole thing takes about two minutes.

How to Type Punjabi on Your Phone: Step by Step

The process is the same idea on every phone — here it is in five steps, with device-specific details below.

1. Open your phone's Settings and find the keyboard settings.
2. Choose to add a new keyboard or language.
3. Search for and select Punjabi (ਪੰਜਾਬੀ) — the Gurmukhi script.
4. Tap the globe key (🌐) on your keyboard to switch to Punjabi.
5. Start typing — tap a consonant, then its vowel sign to build each syllable.

On an iPhone or iPad (iOS)

1. Open Settings and tap General.
2. Tap Keyboard, then Keyboards.
3. Tap Add New Keyboard…
4. Scroll down and tap Punjabi (ਪੰਜਾਬੀ).
5. You're done — switch to it anytime with the 🌐 globe key next to the space bar.

On Android (Gboard)

These steps use Gboard, Google's keyboard. The exact wording can vary slightly by phone and Android version.

1. Open Settings → System → Languages & input.
2. Tap On-screen keyboard → Gboard → Languages.
3. Tap Add keyboard and search for Punjabi.
4. Pick the Punjabi (Gurmukhi) layout — or choose the transliteration option to type phonetically.
5. Tap Done, then use the 🌐 globe key to switch to Punjabi.

On Samsung phones, go to Settings → General management → Samsung keyboard → Languages and types → Manage input languages and download Punjabi instead.

Switching to the Punjabi Keyboard

Once Punjabi is added, you don't need to go back into Settings. While typing, tap the globe key (🌐) — usually next to the space bar — to cycle to the Punjabi keyboard, and tap it again to switch back to English. On many phones you can press and hold the globe key to jump straight to a specific language.

Typing Tips for Gurmukhi

• Build syllables consonant-first. Type the consonant, then add its vowel sign (laga matra) — for example ਕ (ka) + the "i" sign makes ਕਿ (ki).
• Long-press a key to reach related characters, subscripts, and the bindi/tippi nasal marks.
• Try transliteration if the layout is new. Gboard's Punjabi transliteration lets you type sat sri akaal in English letters and converts it to ਸਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਅਕਾਲ — the gentlest way to start.
• Learn the letters alongside. Typing clicks faster once you can read the script — start with our beginner's guide to the Gurmukhi alphabet.

Bonus: Typing Punjabi on a Computer

• Windows: Settings → Time & Language → Language & region → Add a language → Punjabi (Gurmukhi).
• Mac: System Settings → Keyboard → Text Input → Input Sources → + → Punjabi.

Once that's working, try writing your name in Punjabi as your first bit of real practice.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I add a Punjabi keyboard to my iPhone?

Go to Settings → General → Keyboard → Keyboards → Add New Keyboard… and tap Punjabi (ਪੰਜਾਬੀ). Switch to it while typing using the 🌐 globe key.

How do I type Punjabi on Android?

In Gboard, go to Languages → Add keyboard, search for Punjabi, and add the Gurmukhi layout. You can also choose the transliteration option to type Punjabi using English letters.

Can I type Punjabi using English letters?

Yes. Gboard's Punjabi transliteration layout lets you type phonetically in the Latin alphabet (e.g. "pyaar") and converts it to Gurmukhi (ਪਿਆਰ) — handy while you're still learning the keyboard.

Start Reading and Writing Punjabi with Alfaazo

A keyboard is most useful once the script feels familiar. Alfaazo teaches Gurmukhi with stroke-by-stroke guides, native audio, and bite-sized lessons you can finish in five minutes a day. Free on iOS and Android.