How do I use Google Input Tools on my Windows 11/10 PC?

On a Windows 11 or Windows 10 PC, you use Google Input Tools through the Google Input Tools extension in Chrome, inside Gmail and Google Docs, or on Google's online typing page.

Google no longer offers the old Windows desktop app, so this guide covers the browser routes, the built-in Windows keyboards that replace the desktop app in Word and other programs, and fixes for the common problems.

Using Google Input Tools on Windows 11/10

The Chrome extension is the closest thing to the old desktop app, because it works in text boxes on any web page you open in Chrome.

1. Open Chrome and go to the official Google Input Tools Chrome page, then select Download Chrome Extension.
2. On the Chrome Web Store page, select Add to Chrome, then select Add extension to approve its permissions.
3. Select the Google Input Tools icon to the right of the address bar and choose Extension options.
4. In the list on the left, double-click each input tool you want, such as Hindi transliteration, so it moves to the list on the right.
5. Select the extension icon again and pick the input tool from the drop-down menu. The icon turns fully coloured when a tool is on.
6. Click into any text box on a web page and start typing. If nothing changes, refresh the page.

Select Turn off in the same menu to go back to normal typing.

What is Google Input Tools?

Google Input Tools is Google's set of typing aids for writing in a language other than the one printed on your keyboard. It covers more than 80 languages and input methods, and it remembers your corrections in a custom dictionary.

Input tool	What it does	Coverage
Transliteration	Turns Latin letters into the target script by sound, so "namaste" becomes नमस्ते	More than 20 languages
Input method (IME)	Converts keystrokes into characters, for example Chinese Pinyin, Wubi, Zhuyin and Cangjie	Chinese, Japanese and other IME languages
Virtual keyboard	Shows an on-screen keyboard in the target layout that you click or type on	More than 100 keyboards for over 70 languages
Handwriting	Lets you draw characters with a mouse or trackpad and pick the match	More than 50 languages

Google Input Tools for Windows download: is the desktop app still available?

No. Google's former Windows page at google.com/inputtools/windows/ now returns a "404 Not Found" error, and the Get Google Input Tools list on Google's own site offers only the Chrome extension, Google services and Android.

The product home page still mentions Windows, but there is no Windows installer anywhere on it. Any Windows setup file offered on a third-party download site does not come from Google, so leave it alone.

Version	Status on Google's site	How to get it
Windows desktop app	No longer offered; the Windows page returns 404	Not available from Google
Chrome extension	Offered	Chrome Web Store, linked from google.com/inputtools/chrome/
Online page	Offered	google.com/inputtools/try/ in any browser
Google services	Offered	Built into Gmail, Google Docs, Drive, Translate, Search and YouTube
Android	Offered	Google Play, linked from the online page

Why use Google Input Tools?

Reason	What it means on a Windows PC
Type a script without learning its layout	Transliteration lets you spell words by sound on a standard English keyboard
Fuzzy spelling is accepted	Both "namaste" and "nemaste" offer नमस्ते as a candidate
Type on a borrowed or foreign keyboard	The virtual keyboard shows the layout of your own language on screen
Write characters you cannot spell	Handwriting input matches a character you draw with the mouse
Nothing to install in Gmail or Docs	Input tools are part of those services once you turn them on

How does Google Input Tools work?

Each tool shows a list of candidates as you type, and you choose one to place it in the text box. The keys below are the same in the extension, Gmail and Docs.

Action	Transliteration	Pinyin IME	Handwriting
Insert the first candidate	Space or Enter	Space inserts the highlighted candidate	Enter or Space
Pick another candidate	Click it or type its number	Click it or type its number	Click the character
Move through candidates	Up/Down arrows; Page Up/Page Down for the next page	Left/Right arrows; Up/Down flip pages	Not applicable
Type the Latin letters as-is	Turn the tool off with Shift	Press Enter	Switch to another tool

Google Input Tools Chrome extension vs Windows keyboard: which to use

Your situation	Use this	Why
You type mostly on websites in Chrome	Chrome extension	Works in input boxes on any web page
You type in Gmail or Google Docs	Built-in input tools	Nothing extra to install
You need a few lines quickly on any browser	Online page at google.com/inputtools/try/	No install and no sign-in
You type in Microsoft Word, Notepad or other desktop apps	A Windows keyboard layout, such as an Indic Phonetic keyboard	The extension only works inside Chrome, and the desktop app is gone
You need Hindi, Bangla, Tamil, Marathi or another supported Indian language system-wide	Windows Indic Phonetic keyboard	Phonetic typing like Google's transliteration, with no extra software

Google Input Tools keyboard shortcuts in Chrome

These shortcuts belong to the Chrome extension and save trips to the toolbar icon.

Shortcut	What it does
Shift	Turns the current tool on or off (transliteration and IMEs only)
Alt + Shift	Switches to the next tool in your list; after the last tool it turns the extension off
Ctrl + G	Switches between the two most recently used input methods
Shift (Chinese IMEs)	Switches between English and Chinese mode
Shift + Space (Chinese IMEs)	Switches between single-byte and double-byte characters
Ctrl + . (Chinese IMEs)	Switches between single-byte and double-byte punctuation

Leveraging the Google transliteration website (Input Tools online)

Google's online page replaces the old transliteration site and works in Chrome, Edge or any other browser on Windows.

1. Open Try Google Input Tools online in your browser.
2. Choose your language from the language menu above the text box.
3. Choose the input tool, such as transliteration, a virtual keyboard or handwriting.
4. Type in the text box and pick a candidate for each word.
5. Select the finished text, press Ctrl + C, then paste it into Word, Notepad or any other app with Ctrl + V.

How to enable Google Input Tools in Gmail

Gmail input tools work in a browser only, not in the Gmail mobile app. You need a Google account, so create a Google account first if you do not have one.

1. Open Gmail in your browser and click Settings at the top right.
2. Click See all settings.
3. In the Language section, check the box next to Enable input tools.
4. Click Edit tools, select the input tools you want, and click Ok.
5. Click Save Changes at the bottom of the page.
6. Back in your inbox, click Select input tool in the bar below Settings and pick your tool.

How to use Google Input Tools in Google Docs

Docs shows the Input tools menu once the document uses a non-Latin language such as Hindi or Chinese.

1. Open the document in Google Docs.
2. Click File > Language and choose the language you need.
3. Click the down arrow next to the Input tools menu in the toolbar, or press Ctrl + Alt + Shift + K.
4. Choose phonetic input, keyboard input or handwriting input.
5. Type the word phonetically in Latin letters and click the best match, or draw characters in the handwriting panel at the bottom right.

In Google Sheets, set the language through File > Spreadsheet settings and pick the matching locale instead.

Manual setup of input languages on Windows

Windows has its own keyboards for most languages, and they work in every app, including Word. The steps below are for Windows 11; Windows 10 has the same options in a slightly different Settings layout.

1. Select Start > Settings > Time & language > Language & region.
2. If your language is not listed, select Add a language next to Preferred languages, choose it, select Next, then Install.
3. Select the … next to the language and choose Language options.
4. Under Keyboards, select Add a keyboard next to Installed keyboards and pick the layout, for example Hindi Phonetic.
5. Select the input language icon in the taskbar's system tray, or press Windows key + Space, to switch to the new keyboard.

Indic Phonetic keyboards cover Hindi, Bangla, Tamil, Marathi, Punjabi, Gujarati, Odia, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam. They transliterate by sound like Google's tool, so typing "namaste" suggests नमस्ते.

How to use Google Input Tools in MS Word

Google Input Tools cannot type into desktop Microsoft Word on Windows any more, because the extension works only inside Chrome and the desktop app is discontinued. Use a Windows keyboard in Word, or type in Google's online page and paste.

1. Add the keyboard for your language as shown in the previous section.
2. Open your document in Word and click where you want to type.
3. Press Windows key + Space until the taskbar shows your language's keyboard.
4. Type the word by sound and pick a suggestion from the candidate list.
5. Press Windows key + Space again to switch back to English.

How to check Google Input Tools is working

1. In Chrome, check that the Google Input Tools icon is fully coloured rather than grey.
2. Click a search box on any web page and type "namaste" with Hindi transliteration selected.
3. Confirm a candidate list appears and that pressing Space inserts नमस्ते.
4. In Gmail or Docs, confirm the input tools icon shows in the toolbar and turns darker grey when a tool is on.

Additional tips for effective usage

Tip	How it helps
Keep only the tools you use in the extension's selected list	Alt + Shift then cycles through fewer tools
Reorder selected tools in Extension options	Your most-used tool comes up first
Type your best guess of the pronunciation	Transliteration uses fuzzy matching, so close spellings still work
Use number keys to choose candidates	Faster than reaching for the mouse
Minimise the on-screen keyboard with the arrow at its top right	Frees up space while the tool stays on
Use Ctrl + G when writing in two languages	Jumps straight between your last two methods

Troubleshooting common issues with Google Input Tools

Google Input Tools does nothing on a web page

The page was open before the tool was turned on, or the tool is off.

1. Select the extension icon and confirm a tool is selected and the icon is coloured.
2. Refresh the page and click into the text box again.
3. Press Shift once in case the tool was toggled off.

Cannot install or add the Google Input Tools extension

Chrome does not allow adding extensions in Incognito or Guest mode, and work or school PCs may block some extensions.

1. Close the Incognito or Guest window and open a normal Chrome window.
2. Install the extension from the Chrome Web Store again.
3. On a managed PC, ask your administrator to allow it.

Input tools menu missing in Google Docs

The document language is Latin-based, or the file is a Word file open in Office editing mode.

1. Click File > Language and choose a non-Latin language.
2. If the file is a .docx, convert it to Google Docs format first.

Handwriting input is missing in a work or school Google account

In Google Workspace, handwriting needs an admin setting turned on.

1. Ask your administrator to turn on access to additional services without individual control in the Admin Console.

Windows says "IME is not ready yet" after adding an Indic Phonetic keyboard

The keyboard dictionary is still downloading through Windows Update.

1. Select Start > Settings > Time & language > Language & region.
2. Select the … next to the Indic language and choose Language options.
3. Under Language features, select Download next to Basic typing.

Windows key + Space does not switch keyboards

Only one keyboard layout is installed.

1. Add a second keyboard as shown in the manual setup section.
2. Press Windows key + Space again.

The Google Input Tools Windows download page shows a 404 error

Google no longer offers the Windows desktop app.

1. Install the Chrome extension, or use the online page at google.com/inputtools/try/.
2. For desktop apps, add a Windows keyboard for your language instead.

Best practices for using Google Input Tools

Practice	Reason
Get the extension only from the link on google.com/inputtools/chrome/	That link goes to Google's own Chrome Web Store listing
Review the permissions before you select Add extension	The extension needs access to the pages you type on
Avoid setup files from download sites	Google publishes no Windows installer, so any file claiming to be one is not Google's
Turn the tool off before typing passwords	Transliteration would change what you type
Pick a Windows keyboard for desktop apps	It works in every program and survives browser changes

How to turn off or remove Google Input Tools in Chrome

1. To pause it, select the extension icon and choose Turn off.
2. To disable it, open Chrome and select More > Extensions > Manage extensions.
3. Turn off the switch on the Google Input Tools card, or select Remove to uninstall it.
4. To remove a Windows keyboard, open Language options for its language, select the … next to the keyboard, and choose Remove.

Google Input Tools for Windows FAQ

Can I use Google Input Tools on Windows 11?

Yes, through a browser. Install the Google Input Tools extension in Chrome, turn on input tools in Gmail or Google Docs, or use the online page at google.com/inputtools/try/. The standalone Windows desktop app is no longer offered by Google.

How do I download Google Input Tools for PC?

Google offers no Windows download now; its former Windows page returns a 404 error. On a PC, add the Chrome extension from the link on google.com/inputtools/chrome/ instead. Setup files on third-party download sites do not come from Google.

How do I install Google Input Tools?

Open google.com/inputtools/chrome/ in Chrome, select Download Chrome Extension, then select Add to Chrome and Add extension. Open the extension's Extension options page and double-click the input tools you want to add to your list.

How do I enable Google Input Tools?

In Chrome, select the extension icon and pick an input tool so the icon turns coloured. In Gmail, open Settings, See all settings, check Enable input tools in the Language section, choose tools and click Save Changes.

How do I use Google Input Tools in MS Word?

You cannot type into desktop Word with Google Input Tools any more, because the desktop app is gone and the extension only works in Chrome. Add a Windows keyboard such as Hindi Phonetic instead, or type on Google's online page and paste into Word.

Does Google Input Tools work in Google Docs?

Yes. Set the document language with File, then Language, and choose a non-Latin language. The Input tools menu then appears in the toolbar, and Ctrl + Alt + Shift + K opens it on a PC.

Can I use Google Input Tools in Microsoft Edge?

Edge can add extensions from the Chrome Web Store after you select Allow extensions from other stores. Google documents the Input Tools extension for Chrome only, so Chrome is the supported choice. The online page and Gmail input tools work in Edge as websites.

Is there a Google Input Tools website?

Yes. Google's online page at google.com/inputtools/try/ lets you choose a language and input tool and type in a box without installing anything. Copy the result into any app with Ctrl + C and Ctrl + V.

How many languages does Google Input Tools support?

Google says the tools cover more than 80 languages and input methods. Transliteration covers over 20 languages, virtual keyboards over 70 languages, and handwriting over 50 languages, with Google's supported languages page listing each one.

Bottom line: should you use Google Input Tools on Windows 11/10?

Use the Google Input Tools Chrome extension for web pages and the built-in input tools in Gmail and Docs, and add a Windows keyboard for Word and other desktop apps. Google has dropped the Windows desktop app, so the browser routes are the only official Google Input Tools on a PC, while Windows keyboards cover every other program.

To read or translate printed text instead of typing it, use Google Lens on your PC.