How to Type Morse Code on Google (Gboard)

Using the Gboard Morse keyboard

The Morse layout replaces the QWERTY keys with two large buttons: a dot on the left and a dash on the right. Tap them in sequence to spell a character; for A you tap dot, dash. After a short pause Gboard commits the letter and shows word predictions in the suggestion strip, so you rarely have to spell whole words. A row of small keys gives you space, delete, return and the language switch. Timing and sensitivity are adjustable in Gboard settings under the Morse code options, where you can change the character timeout (how long a pause ends a letter) and enable or disable sounds and vibration.

There is a learning curve of a few minutes if you already know the alphabet and a few days if you do not. Our Morse code alphabet and practice quiz cover the alphabet part; the keyboard does the rest.

Google's Morse Typing Trainer

Alongside the keyboard, Google published a free browser game called Morse Typing Trainer at morse.withgoogle.com. It teaches the alphabet with picture mnemonics (each letter drawn as an object that matches its dots and dashes), then has you type words with the dot and dash keys. It works on a phone, where it can use Gboard, and on a desktop, where you type dots and dashes with the keyboard. It is a good way to learn Gboard Morse in an afternoon, though for real listening fluency you will still want audio practice.

Why Google built it: Tania Finlayson

The Morse keyboard was launched in 2018 and developed with Tania Finlayson, a Morse code user and accessibility advocate who has cerebral palsy. Tania does not speak and cannot use a regular keyboard; since childhood she has communicated in Morse code using two head-operated switches, first with a custom device built by her father and later with a system her husband engineered that converts her Morse into speech. She worked with Google so that anyone could type Morse on an ordinary phone instead of specialized equipment. Her story is the reason the layout exists, and it is why the keyboard supports external switches as well as on-screen taps.

Morse code and switch access

For people who have reliable control of only one or two movements, Morse is one of the fastest ways to write: two switches, one for dot and one for dash, give access to every letter, number and punctuation mark without scanning through an on-screen grid. Android's Switch Access feature can be used with the Gboard Morse layout, so a head switch, a sip-and-puff switch or a single button becomes a complete keyboard. Google's accessibility documentation explains how to pair switches; the keyboard steps above are the same.

Does Google Translate do Morse code?

No. Google Translate does not include Morse code as a language, because Morse is not a language but an encoding of letters (see is Morse code a language?). Searching Google for "Morse code translator" shows a list of websites rather than a built-in tool. To translate text to Morse or Morse to English, use our Morse code translator, which also plays the audio, or the decoder for pasted dots and dashes. For typing Morse on your phone, Gboard is the tool.

Tips for faster Gboard Morse

• Lower the character timeout once you are confident; the default pause is generous and slows experienced users.
• Use the suggestions. Type the first two or three letters and accept the predicted word.
• Turn on key sounds. Hearing dit and dah as you type reinforces the rhythms you will need for reading Morse by ear.
• Learn the Koch way. If the whole alphabet feels like a lot, learn it in the order described in our learning guide, a few characters at a time.
• Try the trainer on a tablet for kids; the picture mnemonics suit younger learners.