Using handwriting to write in Assamese on your Android device

Your Android device (phone or tablet) has support for writing in the Assamese script using your handwriting. The words you handwrite will appear as if they were typed. You can use this feature as an alternative to typing letters on a traditional keyboard. This post details the steps necessary to enable and use this feature on your device.

Step 1: Ensure Gboard is on your device

Your Android phone or tablet can use one or more available keyboards (e.g. device-vendor specific keyboards like Samsung keyboard, or other keyboards like Swype or Gboard). To use Assamese handwriting on your device, you will need the Gboard keyboard installed and enabled on the device. If you don't have Gboard installed on your device, you can install that free app from the Google Play Store. Here is the direct link.

Once you are sure that Gboard is installed, here are the settings to check next:

1. Go to your device main screen and click on Settings
2. Tap on General Management
3. Tap on Keyboard list and default
4. Find Gboard in the list and enable it
5. Leave any other keyboards in the list as is
6. Tap on Default Keyboard
7. Select Gboard if it is not already selected
8. Exit Settings

Step 2: Turn on Assamese Handwriting

1. Open any app that you can type in, like Gmail or WhatsApp
2. Tap where you can enter text. Your keyboard will appear at the bottom of the screen.
3. If you see a at the top left of the keyboard, tap on it. Otherwise, skip this step
4. On the top of the keyboard, tap to go to Settings
5. If you don't see : Tap
6. Tap Languages Assamese.
7. Turn on Handwriting as shown in the screenshot below
8. Exit Settings

Step 3: Select the handwriting keyboard for writing

1. On your Android phone or tablet, open any app that you can type in, like Gmail or WhatsApp
2. Tap where you can enter text. Your keyboard will appear at the bottom of the screen.
3. Touch and hold Globe
4. Select the Assamese handwriting keyboard -- অসমীয়া (ভাৰত) হস্তলিপি as shown in the example screenshot below

Step 4: Use the handwriting keyboard

1. Once you have selected অসমীয়া (ভাৰত) হস্তলিপি in the step above, your keyboard will become a blank writing area where you can enter words as shown in the example screenshot below
2. With a finger or stylus, handwrite words in the Assamese script in that area
3. The words you handwrite will appear as if they were typed in the text area of your app