Cannot switch to Chinese language virtual keyboard

rhimbo

I installed a Chinese language virtual keyboard on my Pixel 7a running Android 15, build 2024112700.
The linked screen grab shows that the Settings -> System -> Languages -> System Languages
I can switch to the English, French, Armenian virtual keyboards. However, I cannot switch to the Chinese virtual keyboard.
Do I need to modify any other settings? Do I need to actually download a language package or something like that?
![https://imgbly.com/ib/RWLTH6wcbV](https://)

de0u

rhimbo I installed a Chinese language virtual keyboard on my Pixel 7a running Android 15, build 2024112700.

It would be helpful to indicate which keyboard and how it was obtained.

stupidcreature

rhimbo In any case, if you want a good Chinese keyboard try out fcitx5-android! It supports pinyin and jyutping.

stupidcreature

rhimbo Update: just as I written this a new update came out, where the name of the app changed from fcitx5-android to 小企鹅输入法 for CN users. Anyhow, here is a link: https://github.com/fcitx5-android/fcitx5-android

rhimbo

de0u It's the one shown in the referenced screen grab. I 'installed' it via the standard Graphene OS settings menu found at the Settings path indicated in my original post.

rhimbo

stupidcreature Thank you.
But I would like to understand how Graphene is configured -- how it 'works'. When I select a Chinese keyboard as described in my original post, what is the system doing if not actually making available that keyboard.
For French and Armenian, I did not have to do anything else besides select the keyboard for the 'preferred' languages.
What is different about Chinese? Must I install fonts? When I was on a 'regular' Android phone previously, I never had to do anything such as install fonts, etc. I only had to select the 'preferred' language from the system settings menu for languages.

de0u

rhimbo Can you or anyone recommend from where to download trusted language support packages?

Unfortunately, I am not familiar with that landscape. I think earlier in the thread there is a recommendation from stupidcreature.

de0u

rhimbo It's the one shown in the referenced screen grab. I 'installed' it via the standard Graphene OS settings menu found at the Settings path indicated in my original post.

Adding a language to the list of languages authorized by the user does not by itself install software support for the language. GrapheneOS ships with fewer built-in languages than Google's OS (and probably also fewer languages than other Android variants).

DeletedUser87

rhimbo the referenced screen grab is a system language picker and has nothing to do with the keyboard. If you're using the AOSP keyboard, there's no support for Korean, Japanese and Chinese. You need to use a different, 3rd party keyboard, as other users have mentioned above.

rhimbo

de0u OK, thanks.
Can you or anyone recommend from where to download trusted language support packages?

rhimbo

DeletedUser87

Settings -> System -> Keyboard
[https://imgbly.com/ib/5Q5d2N8kTS](https://)

Settings -> System -> Keyboard -> On-screen keyboard
[https://imgbly.com/ib/aj9WXnInqG](https://)

When I install a 3rd party language package, will the keyboards appear in the "On-screen keyboard" menu thereafter?

And I presume that language packages such as Chinese and Japanese have their own associated input method editors? That being said, on the menu
Settings -> System -> Keyboard -> On-screen keyboard -> Keyboard Settings -> Languages

I see an "Active input methods" list. I'm confused about what Graphene thinks is an input method editor. For languages with phonetic alphabets, what is an input method editor? How does Graphene define an input method editor as opposed to an alphabetic keyboard?

The simplest case: English. Why does English appear on the list of "Active input methods" when the user can type any English word via the keyboard characters?
[https://imgbly.com/ib/vGwOWtGSHm](https://)

For accented languages such as French, I surmise that the IME could be the software that handles the long presses that bring up a dialog of all characters with the base character on the keyboard combined with all possible accents.

rhimbo

de0u No worries...! Thanks anyway for your help...!

stupidcreature

What do you mean by language support? Is it the fonts? In that case I recommend noto-cjk fonts, which have amazing support. If you mean the keyboard, then refer to fcitx5-android (小企鹅输入法).

rhimbo

stupidcreature

By "language support" I mean "support for a particular language." Based on the particular language in question, support would include

One or more virtual keyboards
Input method editor (IME)
Fonts
Other (for example, predictive completion)

For example, the French virtual keyboard contains the same letters as the English keyboard, but they are organized differently (not QWERTY, but AZERTY).

In addition to the basic alphabet for a given language (supported by a suitable keyboard), there are the input method editors (IME). Both English and French keyboards have pop up menus that display extended Latin characters (with accents) in response to a 'long press' of certain keys such as the 'a' or 'e' keys. French requires it; English does not. I'm guessing the English language support includes the accented characters just for typing proper names, but that is just a guess.

Support for Chinese language must include the first 3 items from the list above (#4 is optional but often present). Previously when I used both iOS and Google's OS, I could use various combinations of keyboards, fonts and IMEs. For example, I successfully used the following combinations:

bopomofo (注音符號) keyboard and IME, display of traditional Chinese characters
pinyin keyboard and IME, display of traditional Chinese characters
pinyin keyboard and IME, display of simplified Chinese characters

I hope to be able to configure this capability on Graphene OS. I'll look around for packages as you suggested. It's unclear to me at this point whether I would need to install the components separately:

fonts
IMEs
keyboards

I was just curious how Graphene OS is designed/architected with respect to language support. I know it wasn't the topic of my original post; I was just curious after trying to understand the system menus under "Languages" and "Keyboard".

Thanks for the replies....

stupidcreature

rhimbo fcitx5-android supports both bopomofo and pinyin. Predictive input is necessary to type with either. Also, an IME is usually included with the keyboard. This means that fcitx5-android has #1, #2, and #4. Support for simplified character is included with the CJK font I have sent to you, though, on my device, I didn't need to install any fonts and all characters were supported as is.

rhimbo

stupidcreature
OK, thanks much.
I downloaded fctix5-android. But I'm doing something wrong or missing something. I 'activated' it (or 'enabled' it) on the Settings -> Keyboard -> On-screen keyboard menu. Thereafter it was the default keyboard that appeared (I tried a few different apps). But only an English keyboard was available.
What do I need to do in order to get different keyboards? Must I download fonts such as the noto-CJK fonts you referenced on Github?
I have already enabled the languages under Settings -> Languages -> System Languages

stupidcreature

rhimbo Hello, as you seem to be a Putonghua speaker, it must mean that you want pinyin support. Luckily for you, it is already included in the app, all you need to do is open the fcitx5 app and go to Input Methods, then press the blue plus button and add Pinyin or another variant you like and you should be ok to go.
If you want support for bopomofo, then you need to download the chewing "plugin". Basically, a plugin is a separate .apk file (application) which you need to install, that has the functionality you need. Go to the releases page on the fcitx5-android Github page and download the "org.fcitx.fcitx5.android.plugin.chewing-0.1.0-0-g78c03d12-arm64-v8a-release.apk" file (or if you're using Obtanium, add the link for the app again, but this time, instead of selectiong the usual version of the app, select the chewing plugin). Don't forget to add the bopomofo input method after downloading the plugin, it will not be done automatically.

I hope you have a good journey with GrapheheOS :)

rhimbo

stupidcreature Well, noooo....! I'm not really a fluent speaker... just know enough to get myself into trouble.... ;-)

I mostly know the traditional characters. But I would not mind having the simplified characters installed as well.

I'd like both keyboards: pinyin and bopomofo, the latter just so I can practice so I don't forget the phonetics.
I will try to configure per your suggestions. If I have a problem, I'll write again here.

rhimbo

stupidcreature So does the Pinyin IME support only simplified characters? Can I input traditional characters using the Pinyin keyboard? Or, must I get the bopomofo keyboard and IME? I'm just curious. I am perfectly comfortable typing zhu yin fu hao phonetics...

By the way, I did get the Pinyin working. I only see simplified characters.
Thanks for your guidance...

stupidcreature

rhimbo It is just that for trad. characters people prefer jyutping because unless you're speaking canto (or hokkien? idk guess that is an exception) why would you need trad. characters? Majority of people don't use canto pinyin either. Canto bopomofo isn't a thing anymore either so either you learn jyutping (genuinely not that hard) and try using the jyutping plugin (it is literally called jyutping-plugin) or learn cangjie (good luck).

P.S. there may be some other input method I am not aware of. I have no idea what Shuangpin or Wubi are so maybe try those and see if they work.