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How to Add Cangjie & Quick Keyboards on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android

ECJ.hkUpdated 2 min read

Step-by-step settings to enable Cangjie or Quick on Windows 11, macOS, iPhone and iPad, and Android, plus how to switch input methods quickly.

Key takeaways

  • You do not need to download anything: Cangjie and Quick are built into Windows, macOS, iOS and Android.
  • Add the keyboard under the Chinese (Traditional) or Chinese (Hong Kong) language settings.
  • Use the system shortcut to switch keyboards, and keep English available for passwords and URLs.
  • Menu names change between versions. If a step looks different, search the settings for “keyboard” or “input”.

Windows 11

  1. Open Settings → Time & language → Language & region.
  2. If Chinese (Traditional, Hong Kong SAR) is not listed, choose Add a language and add it. You can untick extras such as speech and handwriting if you only need the keyboard.
  3. Next to the language, open ⋯ → Language options.
  4. Under Keyboards, choose Add a keyboard and select Microsoft Changjie (Cangjie) or Microsoft Quick.
  5. Switch keyboards with Windows key + Space. Within the Chinese keyboard, Shift usually toggles between Chinese and English input.

Microsoft’s keyboards have options for character set and candidate behaviour: right-click the input indicator in the taskbar and choose Settings.

macOS

  1. Open System Settings → Keyboard.
  2. Under Text Input, click Edit… next to Input Sources.
  3. Click +, choose Chinese, Traditional, then select Cangjie or Sucheng (Quick), and click Add.
  4. Switch with the Globe key 🌐 or Control + Space. Caps Lock can also be set to switch input sources in the same settings.

iPhone and iPad

  1. Open Settings → General → Keyboard → Keyboards.
  2. Tap Add New Keyboard…, choose Chinese, Traditional.
  3. Tick Cangjie and/or Sucheng, then tap Done.
  4. When typing, tap or hold the globe key to switch keyboards.

The iPhone Cangjie keyboard shows the radicals on the keys, which is a helpful study aid.

Android

Most Android phones use Gboard:

  1. Open the Gboard settings (from the keyboard’s gear icon or the Gboard app).
  2. Go to Languages → Add keyboard.
  3. Search for Chinese (Hong Kong) or 中文（香港）.
  4. Choose the Cangjie or Quick layout and tap Done.
  5. Switch keyboards with the globe key or by long-pressing the space bar.

Samsung and other manufacturers’ keyboards also offer Cangjie under their language settings.

Checking your setup

Type OOS on the new keyboard. If you get 作, your keyboard uses Cangjie 5 codes for this character; if you need OHS, it follows Cangjie 3. See Cangjie 3 vs 5. If you can’t install anything, for example on a shared computer, use the online Cangjie input method in your browser.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to download a Cangjie input method?

No. Windows, macOS, iOS and Android all include Cangjie and Quick. Third-party input methods exist but are optional.

How do I switch between English and Cangjie?

Windows: Windows key + Space, or Shift within the Chinese keyboard. Mac: Globe key or Control + Space. Phones: the globe key on the keyboard.

Can I type Cangjie without installing anything?

Yes, use the online Cangjie input method on this site and copy the text.

What is Cangjie?

How the shape-based Cangjie system turns any Chinese character into a code of up to five letters, and why Hong Kong typists still swear by it.

Cangjie 3 vs Cangjie 5

Why the same character can have two Cangjie codes, the systematic changes between the third and fifth generations, and a table of common characters that differ.

Punctuation & symbols in Cangjie

Full-width Chinese punctuation, corner quotes 「」 and book-title marks 《》 with Cangjie: keyboard shortcuts plus the Z-key symbol codes.

How to learn Cangjie (30-day plan)

A realistic day-by-day plan that takes you from memorising the radicals to typing everyday Chinese, with the drills that actually build speed.

← Learn Cangjie