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I want to have both english and german prediction and auto correction at the same time for the stock keyboard (Jelly Bean here).

My use case:
Multi-tasking between english and german domains on my tablet where I both need the keyboard (e.g. Google Talk with my german friends and editing/answering questions on Android Enthusiasts in english). Problem: I don't want to switch off prediction/auto-correction nor do I want to switch to an alternative keyboard. At the moment I have to manually switch between en/de keyboards when I switch tasks (from Google Talk to the browser and back). This is annoying. I don't mind the keyboard layout (QUERTZ or QUERTY) but would prefer the english one.

How can I have simultaneous multi language prediction/auto-correction in the stock keyboard?

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  • 1
    android.stackexchange.com/questions/662/…
    – RvdK
    Sep 11, 2012 at 11:08
  • Thanks, missed that despite conducting a site:local google search before posting. Anyways, there's maybe something one can do on Jelly Bean: Install add-on dictionaries, e.g. for Emoji support (source here). However there's only English (UK) available as an addon yet (I guess it contains additional words only). I'll give that a try.
    – ce4
    Sep 11, 2012 at 11:24
  • These are the supported packs so far: English (US) Emoji for English words, English - Main dictionary, English, English (UK), Hrvatski, Cestina, Nederlands, Emoji pour mots francais, Francais, Deutsch, Italiano, Norsk bokmål (Norwegian), Portugês (Brasil), Portugês (Portugal), Pyccknn (Russian), Español (according to XDA)
    – ce4
    Sep 11, 2012 at 11:39

8 Answers 8

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The stock keyboard in Jelly Bean (4.1 or 4.2) does not support multiple languages simultaneously. However, SwiftKey, a third party keyboard, supports advanced predictions with up to three languages simultaneously.

SwiftKey Official Website
SwiftKey on Google Play

Note that SwiftKey is a paid app. You can find the non-trial versions of the application in the Play Store. If you are looking for Swype-like functionality, note that an upcoming version of SwiftKey also includes it.

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  • Is this still the only available solution for a simultaneous multi language keyboard, presently?
    – red-o-alf
    Aug 29, 2015 at 15:40
  • Looks like it. Personally, I just Google's keyboards and switch language whenever I need to via the notification panel or space key. They're more stable and faster than SwiftKey too.
    – Etienne Levesque Guitard
    Apr 20, 2016 at 21:32
  • Well when you constantly have to switch from English to another language and viceversa inside a single sentence many times then it's not a sustainable solution...
    – red-o-alf
    Apr 22, 2016 at 0:30
  • I agree. Used to do that a lot. Pretty sure the software has actually shaped the way I chat to people a little bit. More single language now.
    – Etienne Levesque Guitard
    May 5, 2016 at 2:29
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I don't know how to use them simultaneously, but yes, you can have 2 languages. Make sure the second language is installed under settings. Then under keyboard make sure you tick the setting an extra key should appear when using multiple languages. Then when you are typing, let's say in whatsapp or so, go to your menu and tick the box of the second (installed) language under settings and voila, an extra button appears next to the space bar and on the space bar you see which language you are using.

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This is how I solved this problem on my HTC One:

Go to Settings-> Languages and Keyboard.

On this list is a "Swype" setting that shows it's set to "Swype". Not informative. But press your finger on it anyway.

Bam! The most useful menu that I never knew existed appears. You can add a language that will be in use simultaneously with your primary language. Spelling correction and word prediction comes up for both languages. Espanol was on there by default, there was an option to download more languages.

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Solution to multiple and simultaneous languages on Motorola DROID RAZR and Android version 4.4.2:

Settings; Language and input; KEYBOARD & INPUT METHODS; Default; Android Keyboard - you see the 'option' menu selection to the right. Tap it. Input languages sub-menu displayed. Select 'Input lanaguages' to list the languages available and those you want enabled. In the same Input languages sub-menu you have multiple options including Add-on dictionaries which if you select it you can see which are installed or not.

Operation: When entering text you will see the language currently selected displayed on the spacebar. And to left of the spacebar you see a 'world' icon used to swith languages to type and voice input and with word prompting and spell check correction.

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    This is not simultaneous.
    – red-o-alf
    Aug 29, 2015 at 15:41
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This doesn't directly answers your question, but this explains how to use several keyboards/dictionaries at the same time and how to create custom keyboard/dictionaries.

Another Stackoverflow question about using multiple keyboards on Android: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/20197421/adding-a-second-dictionary-to-the-spell-check-in-android-4-3/44033793#44033793

Here is how for example to have a French keyboard with French dictionary + French keyboard with English dictionary

Go to Android settings > Language & Input > Gboard (Google default keyboard).

Then in Languages, you can tick all the keyboards you want. In my case, French (France) and English (UK).

This will give you the usual AZERTY French keyboard and the usual QWERTY English keyboard.

If you want the English dictionary with a French AZERTY keyboard, you can go to Preferences > Personalised input styles and create a new keyboard Language: English (UK) Layout: AZERTY, then in the Languages menu, you will have a new keyboard in the list, English (UK) (AZERTY). Tick it.

You now have 3 keyboards in your list: French (France), English (UK) and English (UK) (AZERTY).

While using the keyboard, you can then switch from one keyboard to another either with the special button or by holding the Space bar. The Space bar also shows the current language being used.

Using multiple dictionaries at the same time: In Text correction, there is an option called "multilingual suggestions", this will use several dictionaries at the same time, recognising as valid all words from the selected languages. If active, the Space bar will show something like FR-EN, to indicate that several languages are active at the same time. I personally don't like it.

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The same problem happened to me a few days ago, which was resolved thusly :

  • Go to the keyboard settings : Settings>Language and Input>Virtual Keyboard>Samsung Keyboard
  • Check that your languages are selected in 'Languages in types'
  • Make sure that the "Predictive" option is activated.
  • Make sure that the "Auto replacement" option is activated.
  • Restart the app on which the keyboard was used so new settings are applied

That last point is the one that made it work again for me so I can type ugly things like "Holà yeah le clavier marche again" without having to slide the space bar.

This was suggested to me by the French Samsung support which answered (within a day !) the following :

En effet, pour apporter une solution à votre demande, nous vous proposons d'effectuer les manipulations suivantes dans les "Paramètres" du clavier :

  • ajouter le français et l'anglais dans "Langues et types" ;
  • cocher le "Texte intuitif" ;
  • cocher "Vérif. orthographe auto." ;
  • Fermer et redémarrer l'application sur laquelle vous avez fait le reparamétrage du clavier.
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this is how to do it 8 years later on a Samsung phone in germanp

This is how to do it 8 years later on a Samsung phone in German. Hope this still helps.

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    Oct 29, 2021 at 20:39
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In Android keyboard settings there is an option to slide your finger along the space bar to change languages.There you can selec the languages you want to use.

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    He's not asking how to change language but rather to have two languages simultaneously.
    – Peanut
    Jan 8, 2013 at 15:17
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    Yep. I'm a native german speaker and switch to english back and forth frequently (e.g. to contribute here in english while chatting in german on my tab using multi tasking). It's ugly to each time switch the input language or get nasty auto corrections else. I also use lots of english (technical terms) in german, so ideally i'd like to have both languages "active" at the same time.
    – ce4
    Jan 8, 2013 at 15:26

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