iOS 27 adds multilingual keyboards and typing upgrades
▼ Summary
– iOS 27 will add support for new keyboards, including Afrikaans, Basque, Baybayin, Galician, Guarani, Indigenous languages (e.g., Blackfoot, Comanche, Cree), Luxembourgish, Xhosa, and Zulu.
– Typing improvements include automatic punctuation on multilingual keyboards, faster emoji and sticker loading, and faster multilingual handwriting processing.
– New or updated UI languages will be added for English (Canada) and English (Philippines), along with a new keyboard layout for Slovenian and Estonian.
– Smarter typing features include onscreen context for Chinese and Japanese suggestions, punctuation suggestions in Chinese, and smart language/keyboard configuration.
– QuickPath and typing suggestions will be added for the Vietnamese VNI keyboard, and conversion from phonetic scripts like Pinyin and Kana is improved for Simplified Chinese and Japanese.
Almost two decades since its debut, Apple continues to refine the typing experience on its mobile devices. With iOS 27, the company is rolling out a fresh batch of virtual keyboards and typing enhancements designed to serve a more diverse global audience.
While new keyboard layouts don’t typically steal the spotlight during major software updates, they represent a meaningful improvement for users whose native languages have been overlooked. This year, Apple is expanding support for several languages, including a focus on Indigenous and regional tongues.
The complete list of new keyboards in iOS 27 includes: Afrikaans, Basque, Baybayin, English (Philippines), Galician, Guarani, Luxembourgish, Xhosa, and Zulu. Notably, Apple is also adding support for several Indigenous languages such as Blackfoot, Comanche, Cree, Kiowa, and Tsuut’ina.
Beyond the new layouts, iOS 27 introduces a range of typing improvements aimed at making text input faster and more intuitive. Key upgrades include automatic punctuation when switching between multiple languages on a multilingual keyboard, Châizi typing support, and faster loading times for emoji and sticker keyboards. The update also brings quicker multilingual text processing for handwriting input across several languages.
For users typing in Simplified Chinese and Japanese, Apple has improved conversion from phonetic scripts like Pinyin and Kana. The update also adds new keyboard layouts for Slovenian and Estonian, as well as new UI language options for English (Canada) and English (Philippines). Onscreen context will now provide more relevant typing suggestions for Chinese and Japanese users, while the Vietnamese VNI keyboard gains support for QuickPath and typing suggestions. Additionally, punctuation suggestions appear as you type in Chinese, and the system offers smart language and keyboard configuration suggestions.
Does your native language make the cut this year? Share your thoughts in the comments.
(Source: 9to5Mac)