Arabic Learning Resources > Arabic Keyboards
Arabic script has 28 letters, runs right to left, and shares nothing with the Latin alphabet printed on your keyboard. Out of the box your computer cannot type it: you need to enable an Arabic keyboard layout, usually through a free language pack built into your operating system, and then some way of knowing which physical key produces which letter. Both problems are cheap to solve.
There are three broad approaches. A physical bilingual keyboard has Arabic and English printed side by side on every key - the most comfortable option if you type Arabic daily. Keyboard stickers or a silicone overlay add Arabic lettering to the keyboard you already own for a few dollars, though transparent stickers can shift or peel under heavy use. An on-screen (virtual) keyboard costs nothing: your operating system displays a clickable Arabic keyboard in a window, fine for occasional typing or for checking where a letter lives while you memorize the layout.
Setting up typing early does more for your Arabic than convenience alone. Typing a word forces you to pick each letter deliberately, which fixes the difference between similar pairs such as د and ذ or س and ش better than reading ever does. Once you can type, you can look words up in online dictionaries and message tutors or language partners between lessons instead of waiting for the next session.
How to choose
Start with what your device already includes. Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android all ship with free Arabic keyboard layouts - the Language Pack and Virtual Keyboard guides in the table below cover Windows, and on a Mac or a phone it is a one-minute settings change. Type on the free layout for a couple of weeks before spending money. Stickers are the cheapest upgrade, a bilingual keyboard is the most durable, and a silicone overlay is the practical choice on Mac laptops, where flat keys give stickers little to grip.
The other decision is what to type: proper Arabic script or Arabizi, the chat alphabet that spells Arabic in Latin letters and numbers (3 for ع, 7 for ح, 2 for ء). Arabizi is everywhere in casual texting, but commit to script from the start: dictionaries, news sites, subtitles, and course materials are all written in it, while Arabizi has no standard spelling. Every hour typed in Latin letters is an hour not spent getting faster at the real alphabet.
The table below lists the keyboards, sticker sets, and setup guides we recommend for typing in Arabic.
| Resource | Description | Extra Links |
|---|---|---|
| Transparent Keyboard Stickers | Clear Arabic overlay stickers for your keyboard. The stickers tend to move if you are a heavy user (i.e. play computer games) | Non transparent option |
| Keyboard | An Arabic and English keyboard. | |
| Language Pack | Add language pack to Windows so you can type the Arabic characters | |
| Virtual Keyboard | Learn how to configure a virtual keyboard for Windows | |
| Arabic overlay for Mac | A silicone overlay for your macbook pro keyboard. |
Frequently asked questions
Do I need Arabic stickers on my keyboard?
No. Stickers are a convenience, not a requirement - the Arabic layout works on any keyboard once the language pack is enabled. They help most in the first few weeks, when you would otherwise hunt for letters on an on-screen keyboard. Some learners skip them entirely, keeping a printed layout chart nearby until muscle memory takes over.
How do I type Arabic on Windows, Mac, or my phone?
On Windows, open Settings, go to Time and Language, then Language, and add Arabic; pressing the Windows key plus the spacebar then switches between layouts. On a Mac, add Arabic under System Settings, Keyboard, Input Sources. On iOS and Android, add an Arabic keyboard in your keyboard settings and switch with the globe key. All of these are built in and free.
Should I type in Arabizi or Arabic script?
Type in Arabic script. Arabizi (Arabic written in Latin letters and numbers) is handy for reading friends' text messages, but it has no standard spelling and dictionaries do not accept it. Typing in it also builds no familiarity with Arabic letterforms. Since script layouts are free on every device, there is little reason not to practice the real alphabet from your first typed word.
Related resources
- Arabic browser extensions, for reading and translating Arabic text in your browser once you can type it
- Arabic vocabulary resources, to build the word lists you will practice typing
- Arabic alphabet books, if you are still learning the letters before you start typing them
- Arabic learning resources, our full hub of Arabic courses, books, and tools