How to Type Hebrew on a Mac, Windows, and iPhone

Typing Hebrew is one of those skills that feels frustrating for about ten minutes and then becomes automatic for the rest of your life. Once you figure out how to enable Hebrew input on your device and where the letters are on the keyboard, you're set. Here's the complete guide for Mac, Windows, and iPhone (and Android, as a bonus).

Mac

On a Mac, Hebrew is built into the system. You just need to enable it.

• Open System Settings.
• Click Keyboard.
• Go to Input Sources and click Edit.
• Click the + button and find Hebrew in the list. Choose Hebrew (Standard).
• Enable "Show Input menu in menu bar" so you can switch between keyboards.

To switch between English and Hebrew, press Ctrl + Space (or the shortcut you set up). Or click the small flag icon in the menu bar.

Windows

Windows also has Hebrew built in, but the menus are in a different place.

• Open Settings.
• Click Time & Language, then Language & Region.
• Click Add a language, search for Hebrew, and install it.
• Click the new Hebrew language in your list, then Options, then Add a keyboard. Choose Hebrew.

To switch between keyboards on Windows, press Alt + Shift or Windows key + Space. The current language will show in the taskbar.

iPhone and iPad

iOS has Hebrew support, and adding it takes about 30 seconds.

• Open Settings.
• Go to General, then Keyboard, then Keyboards.
• Tap Add New Keyboard.
• Scroll down and select Hebrew.

Now when you're typing, tap the globe icon (or long-press it) next to the space bar to switch keyboards. You'll see the Hebrew keyboard appear, with the letters laid out the Israeli standard way.

Android

Android handles it similarly:

• Open Settings.
• Go to System, then Languages & Input, then On-screen keyboard.
• Tap Gboard (or your keyboard app), then Languages, then Add keyboard.
• Search for Hebrew and add it.

Switch keyboards by tapping the globe icon on your keyboard.

The Hebrew keyboard layout

The Israeli standard Hebrew keyboard (QWERTY Hebrew) maps each Hebrew letter to a specific key. It's not alphabetical or visually intuitive. For example:

• The letter alef (א) is on the "T" key.
• The letter bet (ב) is on the "C" key.
• The letter shin (ש) is on the "A" key.

Memorizing the layout takes a couple of weeks of regular use. If you hunt and peck at first, that's totally normal. Most Israeli kids learn to touch-type in Hebrew by about age 12, just from daily use.

Sticker solution

If you're on a Mac or Windows computer and want to learn the layout faster, buy Hebrew keyboard stickers. They're cheap (about $5 on Amazon), and you stick them right over your existing keys. You can get transparent stickers that show both English and Hebrew letters. Most learners I know use them for the first few months and then remove them once they've memorized the layout.

Niqqud: the tricky part

Typing Hebrew letters is easy. Typing niqqud (vowel marks) is harder, because it's a second layer you have to enable. On most systems, you can toggle niqqud mode with a key combination:

• Mac: Option + the vowel key.
• Windows: Caps Lock + Shift + the number row.
• iPhone: Long-press a letter to see niqqud options.

You don't need niqqud for most daily texting. Israelis don't use niqqud in messages, emails, or social media. Save it for specific learning contexts.

Practice tip

The fastest way to learn to type Hebrew is to write your grocery list in Hebrew on your phone for a week. Every day, force yourself to switch keyboards and type the 10 items you need. By day seven, you'll know where the common letters live.

For more vocabulary to practice typing, our topics pages cover real-world themes, and our phrases section has sentences you can copy out.

Hebrew typing feels alien for a few days and then becomes second nature. Turn it on tonight and try.