Finally, Apple has included Bangla keyboard in iOS 8.1, meaning you will be able to write Bangla on iPhone without having to install third-party software. It is certainly a big deal for Bengali/Bangla speaking community around the world. If you have bought an iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus or iPad Mini 3 or newer devices, you will have the keyboard pre-installed on your device. However, if you have an older device such as iPhone 4S, iPad Mini 2, you will have to update your device to have the in-built Bengali keyboard.
I have previously written about how you can write Bangla on iPhone with Ridmik Keyboard. (Ridmik Keyboard is also available on Android. Read our detailed tutorial as to how to write Bangla on Android using Ridmik.)
Since the Ridmik Keyboard is often considered the easiest tool to write Bangla on a smartphone, you might want to use Ridmik Keyboard to write Bangla on iPhone. However, I caution using Ridmuk Keyboard on older devices (such as iPhone 4/4s) that have smaller RAMs because that might slow down your devices. In that case, I would strongly recommend you to use the default or in-built Bangla keyboard to write Bangla on iPhone or iPad and get used to it gradually.
Time needed: 5 minutes.
Instructions to write Bangla on iPhone with default Bangla Keyboard
- Check eligibility if you have an old device
If you have iPhone 4S/iPad Mini 2 or Apple smartphone with older iOS, then please update your device to iOS 8.1.1. Check if your Apple device is eligible to install iOS 8.1.1 at all.
- Add Bangla keyboard on iPhone
Assuming you have either newer devices or have updated your older devices, navigate: Settings >> General >> Keyboard >> Keyboards >> Add New Keyboard
- Find and select Bangla keyboard
After navigating the abovementioned path, select Bangla.
- Use the ‘globe’ icon to switch to Bangla keyboard
Now go to anywhere in your device and start typing. The English keyboard will still appear first. Use the ‘globe‘ icon to change the keyboard to Bangla.
Please note that the methods described above will be applicable for iPad devices, too.
