Likho Tamil Keyboard logo Likho Tamil Keyboard
In testing
Tour & user guide - v1.0.1, in testing

Type Tamil your way - and keep what you type on your phone.

Likho is a Tamil keyboard with three ways in: Tamil letter keys, English letters that turn into Tamil (“nandri” becomes நன்றி), and handwriting. Suggestions, learning and the Tamil engine all work offline. There are no ads, no analytics and no account, and the only download is an optional handwriting model you are asked about first. This page is the whole product: a five-stop tour, then a reference for the details, including what it does not do.

Coming soon to Google Play Android 8.0+ · 1-day free trial, then ₹199 once
Ways to type Tamil
Keys, English letters, handwriting
Typing
Works offline
Ads
None, ever
Only download
Handwriting model, ~3 MB, optional
The tour

Five stops, from a plain phone to typing Tamil three ways.

Work through these five and you have seen how Likho fits together.

1Setup

Turn it on

Android makes you switch on a new keyboard yourself.

  • Switch Likho on in Android's keyboard settings, then choose it as your keyboard.
  • Android warns that a keyboard can collect what you type. It shows the same warning for every keyboard you turn on - here is what this one does.
  • The app's home screen has a Try your keyboard here box, and a card showing your free day with Unlock and Restore purchase.
2Tamil keys

Tamil letter keys

Tamil letters on the keys, with vowel signs that join.

  • அ ஆ இ ஈ and க ங ச on the keys.
  • Vowel signs join the letter you just typed: கி, கீ, கு. After a consonant, the vowel row shows the joined forms.
  • A long press gives the pure consonant and common pairs: க், க்க, ந்த.
  • Tamil word suggestions sit above the keys as you type.
3English letters

Tamil from English letters

Type it the way you would in a chat, get Tamil.

  • Type “nandri” and get நன்றி; “vanakkam” and get வணக்கம்.
  • Space writes the Tamil word. Backspace straight after brings your letters back.
  • One tap on the அ key switches to plain English and back.
4Handwriting

Handwriting and voice

Write with a finger, or speak through your phone's voice typing.

  • Handwriting: write a word with your finger and it turns into text.
  • The first time, Likho asks before downloading Google's Tamil handwriting model, about 3 MB. After that your handwriting is read on the phone.
  • Voice: the mic switches to your phone's own voice keyboard, such as Google voice typing. It shows only when one is turned on.
5Looks

Themes and extras

A calm keyboard to start with, colour when you want it.

  • The plain Likho Classic, plus 21 colourful themes in groups such as Minimal, Neon, RGB and Galaxy, with search.
  • Your own photo behind the keys, and ＋ opens an editor to design your own. Saved designs go in My Themes.
  • Text Art and Wallpapers tabs, with wallpapers to match your keyboard.
!

Voice typing is your phone's, not Likho's. Likho does not ask for the microphone. If no voice keyboard such as Google voice typing is turned on, the mic button does not appear - see voice.

The guide

Reference, by topic.

Everything from the tour in more detail, plus what a keyboard owes you in writing: what it can see, what it keeps, what it sends, and what it leaves out.

Getting started

First run

Android makes you turn a new keyboard on yourself, then choose it.

1. Turn it on
Switch Likho on in Android's keyboard settings. Android shows its standard warning that keyboards can collect what you type; here is what this one actually does.
2. Switch to it
Choose Likho from Android's list of keyboards.
3. Try it
Tap Try your keyboard here in the app and type a few words.
4. Your language
The app's own screens come in English and Tamil.

What it sees and keeps

Honest

Every keyboard sees what you type, because typing is how text gets into the app in front of you. What matters is what it does next.

What it does

  • Passes your text to the app you are typing in
  • Reads the word you are typing and the text before the cursor, to suggest words and turn English letters into Tamil
  • Learns the words you type and pick, such as your name, and the Tamil spelling you choose for a word in English letters. Settings can turn this off or forget them
  • Keeps what you copy for one hour, unless you pin it. Settings can turn this off or clear it
  • Keeps your theme, saved designs, favourites, settings, recent emoji and background photos on the phone

What it does not do

  • Keep your messages or a log of your typing
  • Suggest, learn or keep clipboard copies in password fields
  • Learn from fields that ask keyboards not to, such as private browsing
  • Send what you type or write by hand anywhere
  • Show ads, or run analytics or crash reporting
  • Ask for contacts, storage, microphone, camera or location
i

Backup is off. Android's automatic cloud backup is switched off for Likho, so what it holds is not copied to a Google account. Uninstalling the app removes everything it holds. The full detail is in the privacy policy.

What it sends

One download

Unlike FunKeyboard and Lighting Keyboard, Likho does hold an internet permission. It has one use.

The handwriting model
If you choose handwriting, Likho asks before downloading Google's Tamil handwriting model, about 3 MB, from Google's servers, once. That request contains no text you have typed or written.
Nothing else
Typing, suggestions, learning and the Tamil engine work without the internet. There is no account, no cloud sync, no analytics, no advertising and no crash reporting.
Blocked
Usage statistics that the handwriting library would otherwise send to Google are blocked inside the app.
Permissions
Vibration, for key presses; setting the wallpaper, only when you tap a button on the Wallpapers tab; and internet and network status, only for the download above.

Tamil letter keys

அ க
The letters
Three rows of eleven keys: the vowels, starting அ ஆ இ ஈ, then the consonants, starting க ங ச. Below them is a row with a wide pulli key (்), ஃ, ஔ, க்ஷ and ஸ்ரீ.
Vowel signs
They join the letter you just typed: கி, கீ, கு. After a consonant the vowel row shows the joined forms, so after க it reads கா கி கீ கு, and after ண it reads ணா ணி ணீ ணு.
Long press
Gives the pure consonant and common pairs: க், க்க, ந்த.
Suggestions
Tamil words above the keys as you type: வண brings up வணிக, வண்ணம், வண்டி.

Tamil from English letters

nandri
How it works
Type a Tamil word in English letters: “nandri” gives நன்றி, “vanakkam” gives வணக்கம். The choices sit above the keys - partway through, “nandr” offers நன்றாக and நன்று.
Space
Writes the Tamil word.
Changed your mind
Backspace straight after brings your English letters back.
It remembers
The Tamil spelling you pick for a word written in English letters, on the phone only.
Plain English
One tap on the அ key switches to English and back.

Handwriting

On the phone
Writing
Write a word with your finger in the writing area and it turns into text.
The first time
Likho asks before downloading Google's Tamil handwriting model, about 3 MB. If you say no, nothing is downloaded, and the keys, English letters and voice still work.
Where it is read
On your phone. Your strokes are never sent.

Voice

Your phone's
The mic
Tap it to speak, using your phone's own voice typing. It hands over to a voice keyboard such as Google voice typing.
When it shows
Only when a voice keyboard is turned on in Android's settings.
Who hears you
The voice keyboard, a separate app with its own policy. Likho does not ask for the microphone and records nothing.

Suggestions

Offline
Tamil words
Suggestions as you type, and completions for long words.
Learning
Learns the words you choose, like your name, on your phone only. Learn my words in Settings turns it off; Forget learned words clears it.
Your own words
Add them in Settings.

Everyday typing

Included
Tamil digits
௧௨௩, if you want them.
Swipe typing
For English: slide across the letters without lifting.
Emoji
With search by English names and Tamil words in English letters: “anbu” finds the heart.
Clipboard
History of what you copy, kept for an hour unless pinned, with one-tap paste of copied numbers.
Stylish fonts
Normal, Script, Bold and more, from the row above the keys.
Stickers
Text stickers you can send as pictures.
Key sounds
Which you can switch off.

Themes and looks

21 themes
To start
Likho Classic, a clean, calm light keyboard.
Themes
21 colourful themes in groups such as Minimal, Neon, RGB and Galaxy - Neon Night, Cyber City, Synthwave, Rainbow Rings, Aurora and more - with search.
Your own
Your own photo behind the keys, picked through Android's photo picker, and an editor to design your own, opened with ＋. Saved designs and favourites are in My Themes.
Text Art
A tab of text art, alongside Themes, My Themes and Wallpapers.
Wallpapers
Wallpapers to match your keyboard, set from the Wallpapers tab.

Settings

Your choice

Tap ⚙ Settings at the top of the app.

Learning
Learn my words on or off, Forget learned words, and your own words to add.
Clipboard
Clipboard history on or off, and Clear clipboard history. Turning it off also deletes what it kept.

What it does not do

Honest

The list a keyboard's store page usually leaves out.

It does

  • Type Tamil with Tamil keys, English letters or handwriting
  • Switch to English with one tap
  • Suggest and learn words offline
  • 21 themes, your own designs, text art and wallpapers
  • Work with no account and no ads

It does not

  • Type languages other than Tamil and English
  • Do its own voice typing - the mic uses your phone's voice keyboard
  • Read handwriting until you agree to the one download
  • Sync your words or designs to another phone

What it costs

One payment

Likho is free to install, with one free day of everything, then a single payment. These prices apply once it reaches Google Play.

1-day free trial
Use all of it for a day, counted from the first time you use the keyboard.
Then one payment
₹199 in India, as a single purchase through Google Play. No subscription, no ads and no tiers: everything is included.
After the trial
When the day is up, the keyboard stops typing until you unlock it, or you switch to another keyboard.
Paying
The purchase runs through the Google Play app on your phone. Likho never sees your payment details. Restore purchase in the app checks with Google Play again.

Frequently asked

Expectations

Does Likho need the internet?

Not for typing. Typing, suggestions and the Tamil engine all work offline. The one download is Google's Tamil handwriting model, about 3 MB, and Likho asks before fetching it, only if you choose handwriting. See what it sends.

Does Likho record my voice?

No. Likho does not ask for the microphone. The mic button switches to your phone's own voice keyboard, such as Google voice typing, which is a separate app with its own policy. The mic shows only when such a voice keyboard is turned on.

Android warned me that a keyboard can collect what I type. Should I worry?

Android shows that warning for every keyboard you did not get with the phone. Likho does see what you type, as any keyboard must. It keeps no messages or typing log, only learned words on the phone, which you can turn off. Nothing you type or write by hand is sent anywhere.

Is Likho Tamil Keyboard on Google Play?

Not publicly yet. Version 1.0.1 is in testing, and this page will link to the listing on the day it is published.

What does it cost?

It is free to install, with one free day of everything, then one payment of ₹199 in India through Google Play. When the free day ends, the keyboard stops typing until you buy it or switch to another keyboard. There is no subscription and there are no ads - see what it costs.

Status

In testing
v1.0.1
The version in testing: Tamil letter keys, Tamil from English letters, handwriting, voice through the phone's voice keyboard, offline Tamil suggestions, Tamil digits, swipe typing for English, emoji search, clipboard history, stylish fonts, text stickers, 21 themes, the design editor, text art and wallpapers.
Status
In testing, and coming to Google Play. The screens on this page come from the v1.0.1 test build on a Samsung Galaxy S24.