What's the best Android keyboard that includes Katakana input?

EarleyGrave

May 2, 2020

I'm using the app on my Android phone, and I'm having trouble finding a good all-around keyboard for inputting Japanese. I'm getting used to the "12-digit" type keyboards, but the ones that have a button to convert Hiragana into Katakana either are paid versions, or their button goes and converts the entire string of text (even if I have a selection made, such as for the name ケニー).

Any help here? I don't want to have to buy one unless it's necessary. I even went and looked into purchasing one, but the entire purchase page was in Japanese and it "looked" like it was a subscription and not a lifetime purchase.

EarleyGrave

October 16, 2020

Hmm, I forgot I posted this… 5 months ago. Guess no one had any ideas in all that time, lol. I have Simeji in case of emergencies now but I mostly stick with SwiftKey and its Japanese input. It will mostly let you convert Hiragana to Katakana, though sometimes you need to put a space (unnatural in Japanese) between the words so that it can convert the correct string.

Emma-Rocket-Languages-Tutor

May 17, 2021

こんにちは (Konnichiwa) EarleyGrave,

Sorry we missed your post!

We've recently released an updated version of the app on iOS and Android that now includes Sort It! This should eliminate the need for you to have to input any Japanese using your keyboard.

We hope this helps!

勉強を頑張ってください！ (Benkyō o ganbatte kudasai!)

JohnH197

May 27, 2021

I don't know if the Sort It necessarily helps answer the question. Yes, no physical inputs of Hiragana, Katakana or Kanji are necessary when using RocketJapanese on mobile, or PC however there are other legitimate reasons as to why people might want to do so.. That being said, I haven't looked into it as yet, but probably will sooner or later. If/when I do I'll update this topic with my thoughts and experiences.

EarleyGrave

May 27, 2021

It's actually been a while since I had any issue with which keyboard to use. The thing is that there are a lot of third-party keyboards for Android… but I've found the best to simply be the default 12-key and romaji keyboards you get when you install Japanese on your Android phone. I really haven't had any issue with them. Sure they don't have a dedicated katakana key, but the katakana choices always come up at the top anyway (just like word suggestions for any other keyboard), so it doesn't really matter. Thanks for the reply. :)

ssorgatem

June 10, 2021

I just use Multiling O Keyboard.
I already use it for other languages and IPA, and its Japanese layout lets you write hiragana (lowercase) or katakana (uppercase) and also lets you choose among a selection of kanji

What's the best Android keyboard that includes Katakana input?

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