I installed a new keyboard app on my Android phone but can’t figure out how to actually switch from the default keyboard to the new one. I’ve checked Settings but I’m not sure which menus or options to use, and I don’t want to mess up anything important. Can someone walk me through the steps to change the active keyboard safely and make it my default?
On Android this is a bit hidden, so you’re not the only one stuck on it.
Here is the clean way to switch to your new keyboard app:
- Open Settings.
- Go to “System”.
- Tap “Languages & input”.
- Tap “On-screen keyboard” or “Virtual keyboard”.
- Tap “Manage keyboards”.
- Turn on the toggle for your new keyboard. It may show a privacy warning. Accept if you are ok with it.
- Now open any app where you type, like Messages.
- Tap in a text box so the default keyboard shows.
- Look for a small keyboard icon in the navigation bar or in the notification shade.
- If you see a keyboard icon in the bottom right of the screen, tap it.
- Or swipe down the notification shade and tap “Choose input method” or similar.
- Pick your new keyboard from the list.
After that, Android remembers your choice.
If you do not see “System” in Settings, some brands put it in slightly different places:
Samsung:
- Settings.
- “General management”.
- “Keyboard list and default”.
- Enable your new keyboard.
- Tap “Default keyboard” and select it.
Xiaomi / Redmi:
- Settings.
- “Additional settings”.
- “Languages & input”.
- “Current keyboard”.
- Enable and select the new one.
If you still do not see it, check that the app installed fully and is not disabled. Rebooting the phone sometimes helps when the new keyboard does not show in the list.
One thing I’ll add to what @sterrenkijker said is that sometimes the “proper” Settings route is actually the most annoying way to do it in real life.
Two quicker tricks that usually work:
1. Use the spacebar or globe key
A lot of keyboards let you switch directly:
- Long‑press the spacebar
- Or tap/long‑press the globe
icon (if there is one)
You’ll often get a small pop‑up with all enabled keyboards. Pick the new one and you’re done.
If you don’t see your new keyboard there, then it’s not enabled yet and you do have to use Settings once to turn it on.
2. Use the “change keyboard” popup directly
Sometimes Android throws you a shortcut the first time you install a new keyboard and open any text box:
- Open a chat or notes app
- Tap into a text field so your current keyboard pops up
- Look at the navigation bar area or notification bar
You might see a little message like “Select input method” or an icon with a small keyboard. Tap that and choose your new keyboard.
If nothing shows up:
- Force close the current keyboard (from the “Recent apps” screen or in Settings → Apps → [your current keyboard] → Force stop)
- Then tap a text field again. Sometimes that nudges Android to show the input picker.
If the new keyboard still doesn’t appear in any list:
This is where I kinda disagree with just “reboot and hope”:
- Go to Settings → Apps → All apps
- Find your new keyboard app
- Check:
- It’s not disabled
- It has Storage permission and sometimes Full control over input devices or similar toggles on some brands
- If your phone has “App restrictions” or “Battery optimization,” make sure it isn’t being put to sleep.
If nothing works:
- Uninstall the keyboard
- Reinstall it from Play Store
- Open the keyboard app itself once, go through its setup wizard
- Then try the input method picker again
Yeah, Google really managed to make something simple look way more confusing than it needs to be, but once you get it to show up in that little “Change keyboard” pop‑up, swapping between them is only a long‑press on space away.
If the usual spacebar / globe tricks and the “Change keyboard” popup that @sterrenkijker and others mentioned are not cutting it, the bit that often confuses people is that Android treats keyboards as “input methods” hidden inside a couple of different settings layers. I slightly disagree with relying on force‑stopping or reboots; on some OEM skins that just delays things instead of fixing the actual toggle.
Here is what I’d focus on instead:
1. Use the keyboard’s own setup wizard
Most third‑party keyboards quietly ship their own “How to change keyboard on Android” walkthrough. Open the keyboard app directly from your app drawer and look for something like:
- “Enable in Settings”
- “Select input method”
- “Finish setup”
Those internal wizards usually jump you straight to the exact system page your phone brand buried: the “Manage keyboards” or “On‑screen keyboard” screen. That avoids hunting through menus.
If you skipped that the first time, uninstall and reinstall the keyboard and open it again. This is more reliable than just rebooting.
2. Check the exact path on your Android flavor
People often say “go to Language & Input” but the path is different on each skin. A few examples:
-
Google Pixel / near‑stock Android
Settings → System → Languages & input → On‑screen keyboard → Manage on‑screen keyboards → toggle your new one on -
Samsung (One UI)
Settings → General management → Keyboard list and default → turn on the new keyboard, then tap “Default keyboard” and choose it -
Xiaomi / Redmi / POCO (MIUI / HyperOS)
Settings → Additional settings → Languages & input → Current keyboard → Choose keyboard → enable and select
The important bit: there are always two steps
- Enable the keyboard in a “list & toggles” screen
- Set it as default in a “current / default keyboard” screen
People often do step 1 and forget step 2.
3. Fix “keyboard keeps reverting” behavior
If you manage to switch but Android randomly jumps back to the stock keyboard:
- Disable “Return to default keyboard” or similar options if your phone has them
- Turn off aggressive battery / power saving on the new keyboard
- Settings → Battery → Background limits / App power saving
- Remove the keyboard from any “sleeping” or “restricted” list
Some OEMs kill the third‑party keyboard in the background, so the system silently falls back to the built‑in one.
4. Use notifications instead of long‑presses
I do not fully agree that long‑pressing space is always the easiest route. On some OEM keyboards, that just opens language settings, not the system input picker.
Alternative:
- Open any app with a text field until a keyboard appears
- Pull down the notification shade
- Look for a “Change keyboard” or “Select input method” notification
- Tap it and select the new keyboard
This works even when the globe icon or spacebar trick is missing.
5. If your new keyboard never shows up anywhere
If it simply will not appear in any list, after you are sure it is installed:
- Check Settings → Apps → [keyboard name]
- Make sure it is not disabled
- Confirm it has whatever critical permissions it asks for on first launch (for some keyboards, if you deny permissions, they never finish setup)
- Clear data for the keyboard, then reopen it and complete its internal tutorial
- As a last resort, uninstall, reboot once, reinstall, then immediately open the app before trying to type
Reboots alone rarely fix the underlying issue. Completing the in‑app setup usually does.
About choosing a keyboard
If your goal is simply “How to change keyboard on Android” and be done with it, most mainstream keyboards behave similarly once enabled. Compared to what @sterrenkijker covered about shortcuts, I would pay more attention to these:
Pros of a typical third‑party keyboard:
- More themes and layout customizations
- Better gesture typing and prediction in some cases
- Often faster access to multilingual layouts
Cons:
- Can be heavier on RAM and battery than the stock keyboard
- Sometimes affected by OEM restrictions or updates, causing it to disappear or reset
- Privacy depends entirely on the developer, so always review permissions and data policies
Switching is mostly a one‑time pain. Once you have it enabled and set as default via the right system page, after that it is just the occasional tap on the input picker or a notification if you ever want to swap back.