You don't need to install a Persian keyboard or change any phone setting to type Persian on a phone. Open kactyl.com/persian/ in your browser, tap the letters, copy, and paste into any app. But the on-device options are worth understanding too:
iOS Gets Farsi ی/ک Right — Android Varies
The iPhone’s Persian keyboard correctly outputs the Farsi ی (yeh) and ک (keheh). Some Android keyboards — especially if you picked “Arabic” instead of “Persian” — output the Arabic ي and ك, which quietly makes your Persian non-standard. Choose the Persian keyboard specifically, or use Kactyl, which always uses the correct Farsi characters.
Don’t Use the Arabic Keyboard for Persian
It’s tempting to type Persian on the Arabic keyboard since the letters look alike, but the four extra Persian letters (پ چ ژ گ) aren’t there, and ی/ک come out in their Arabic forms. On a phone that means switching to a dedicated Persian keyboard; in the browser, Kactyl’s Persian keyboard has all of it built in.
Persian Numerals and the ۴ ۵ ۶ That Differ From Arabic
Persian uses Eastern numerals (۱ ۲ ۳) but draws ۴, ۵ and ۶ differently from Arabic — a detail phones sometimes get wrong if you're on an Arabic keyboard. Kactyl's Persian keyboard uses the correct Persian digit forms.
Essential Persian Phrases to Text From Your Phone
The messages you'll actually send — in Persian script, with romanization so you can say them too. Tap any of these on the Kactyl Persian keyboard and paste them into a chat:
| English | Persian | Romanized |
|---|---|---|
| Good morning | صبح بخیر | sobh bekheir |
| Good night | شب بخیر | shab bekheir |
| How are you? | چطوری؟ | chetori |
| I'm fine | خوبم | khoobam |
| Thank you | ممنون | mamnoon |
| You're welcome | خواهش میکنم | khahesh mikonam |
| See you tomorrow | فردا میبینمت | farda mibinamet |
| I'm on my way | دارم میام | daram miyam |
| Call me | بهم زنگ بزن | behem zang bezan |
| I miss you | دلم برات تنگ شده | delam barat tang shode |
| Happy birthday | تولدت مبارک | tavalodet mobarak |
| Congratulations | تبریک میگم | tabrik migam |
| Take care | مراقب خودت باش | moraghebe khodet bash |
| What's your name? | اسمت چیه؟ | esmet chie |
| Where are you? | کجایی؟ | kojaei |
| I love you | دوستت دارم | dooset daram |
| Please | لطفاً | lotfan |
| Sorry | ببخشید | bebakhshid |
| Welcome | خوش آمدید | khosh amadid |
| Good luck | موفق باشی | movafagh bashi |
The Browser Method (iPhone & Android)
On iPhone open Safari, on Android open Chrome, and go to kactyl.com/persian/. Tap the Persian letters, tap Copy, then long-press in any app and Paste. On iPhone you can add the page to your Home Screen (share → "Add to Home Screen") to open it like an app.