Tamil Keyboard on Mac: Add and Switch Input Sources

தமிழ் தட்டச்சு

Add Tamil in System Settings, then switch sources from the menu bar or keyboard.

Short answer

Open System Settings > Keyboard. Under Text Input, click Edit, click +, search for Tamil and add your preferred source. Select it in the Input menu. Control + Space returns to your last used source.

Choose Anjal, Tamil 99 or Transliteration

Apple lists three Tamil input sources: Tamil (Anjal), Tamil (Tamil 99) and Tamil (Transliteration). The picker may group the shorter layout names under Tamil. Choose Anjal if you already know Anjal’s phonetic key positions, Tamil 99 if you learned Tamil99, or Transliteration if you want to enter words using English letters.

A source’s name matters more than the Tamil language label alone. Anjal and Transliteration both relate English keys to Tamil sounds, but their rules and editing behaviour are not interchangeable. Add one to begin with, test it in a document, then add another if you want to compare.

Add a Tamil Input Source

Open Apple menu > System Settings > Keyboard. Scroll the sidebar if Keyboard is not visible.
1. Find Keyboard in the System Settings sidebar. Illustration of the macOS screen
Under Text Input, click Edit.
2. Select Edit beside Input Sources under Text Input. Illustration of the macOS screen
Click the add button (+) and search for Tamil.
3. Use the add button below the source list. Illustration of the macOS screen
Select the Tamil input source or sources you want, then click Add.
4. Search for Tamil and add your chosen source. Illustration of the macOS screen
Use the Input menu in the menu bar to select the new Tamil source before typing.
5. Select Tamil 99 from the menu bar. Illustration of the macOS screen

Switch Without Reopening Settings

Press Control + Space to return to the last input source you used. Press Control + Option + Space for the next source. Hold Control and press Space repeatedly to inspect the chooser. The Input menu is useful when you have more than two sources installed.

You can also set the Fn or Globe key to change input sources in Keyboard settings. These instructions are for System Settings; an older Mac using System Preferences has a different settings interface.

TextEdit-style document showing the Unicode Tamil word தோட்டம் outlined in green — 6. Test a short word in a text document. Illustration of the macOS screen

Check the Keys Before You Write

Tamil 99

Select Tamil 99, then choose Show Keyboard Viewer from the Input menu. Refer to the displayed keys while typing. Our online Tamil99 keyboard lets you practise the layout before changing an app’s input source. Keep macOS on English when using that online practice tool so it can read the expected physical keys.

Anjal

Choose Anjal if that is the phonetic layout you learned. Use Keyboard Viewer to inspect its current key assignments and Shift layer. The Anjal developer’s guide, linked below, explains the layout family. Do not follow an InScript chart or assume the keys match Tamil99.

Transliteration

Select Transliteration for English-letter entry. Test a short word and review the resulting Tamil before writing a long paragraph. Our online Tamil typing tool offers another English-letter workflow, with its own documented spelling rules. A spelling accepted by one engine is not a promise about another.

What About InScript?

Apple’s current Tamil language list names Anjal, Tamil 99 and Transliteration. It does not list a built-in Tamil InScript source. You can use our online InScript keyboard in the browser without installing a system input source.

Fix Mac Input Problems

Tamil Is Added but English Still Appears

Adding a source does not select it for your document. Click inside the document and check the Input menu. Choose the full Tamil source name. If you have several sources, Control + Space returns to the last one, which may not be the one you intended.

The Input Source Is Dimmed

Apple says a dimmed input source is unsupported by the current app. Test in another text-editing app. This helps separate an app limitation from a missing source.

Control + Space Does Not Switch

Use the Input menu first. Confirm that more than one source is installed. Review the Input Sources shortcuts under Keyboard > Keyboard Shortcuts if another app or a custom shortcut uses the same keys.

The Keyboard Viewer Shows the Wrong Layout

Select the source you want before opening Keyboard Viewer. The viewer follows the current source. A chart for Anjal cannot explain a document entered with Tamil 99.

Questions People Ask

Do I need to install a Tamil keyboard on a Mac?

The Tamil sources listed here are built into macOS. Add them through Keyboard settings. Open System Settings > Keyboard > Text Input > Edit, add your preferred Tamil source, then select it in the Input menu. Start with one source so you can learn its rules without accidentally switching between layouts.

Which Tamil keyboards does macOS include?

Apple lists Anjal, Tamil 99 and Transliteration under Tamil. Choose Tamil 99 if you already know Tamil99 positions, or compare the two English-letter methods with a short practice phrase. Check the full source name because Anjal and Transliteration do not promise the same key sequences.

What is the Tamil keyboard shortcut on Mac?

Control + Space selects the last source used. Control + Option + Space selects the next source. These commands are useful when several sources are installed. If a shortcut has been customised or intercepted by an application, select Tamil from the Input menu and inspect the Input Sources shortcuts in Keyboard settings.

Does adding Tamil change my Mac interface language?

Input sources control typing. You do not need to select Tamil as your Mac display language to use these steps. Select Tamil from the Input menu when composing a passage and switch back for English. Review display-language preferences separately if you ever want to translate the interface itself.

Can I practise without adding a Mac input source?

Yes. Use our online Tamil99 or InScript keyboard with the Mac input source set to English. Follow the chart on the chosen page and copy the resulting Unicode text into your document. This browser workflow does not add a system-wide source or change how keys behave inside other programs.

How do I see the Tamil keys for my current Mac input source?

Open the Input menu in the menu bar and choose Show Keyboard Viewer. Select the Tamil source you want to inspect, then use the viewer as your reference. Its labels follow the current input source. This is more reliable than following a Windows chart while a different Mac layout is selected, particularly for Shift characters and unfamiliar signs.

How do I make the Mac input menu visible?

Open System Settings > Keyboard > Text Input > Edit and enable Show Input menu in menu bar. Use that menu to select your Tamil source and access Keyboard Viewer. Check the source name before typing a practice line. The input menu controls typing; it is separate from changing the language used for the Mac’s menus and dialogs.

Can the Globe or Fn key switch my Mac to Tamil?

Yes, when configured to change the input source. In System Settings > Keyboard, set the Press Globe key to or Press fn key to option to Change Input Source. You still need to add Tamil first. Check the Input menu after switching so you know which of your installed Tamil sources is active.

Why does my Mac choose a different input source in another document?

Check the option that automatically switches to a document’s input source in Keyboard > Text Input > Edit. When enabled, macOS can remember a document’s source. Turn it off if you prefer to choose manually, then select Tamil from the Input menu and test again. This setting is separate from the key sequence used to switch between English and Tamil.

Is Mac Tamil Transliteration the same as Anjal?

No. Apple lists Tamil Transliteration and Anjal as separate input sources, alongside Tamil 99. Select the source you actually want and practise a short phrase before composing a long document. If you learned Anjal, follow its own guide rather than copying another transliteration engine’s spelling rules. Our online phonetic editor is another independent system and may handle the same English-letter sequence differently.