Comanche and Kiowa, two endangered Oklahoma languages, now have built-in iPhone keyboards

LAWTON, Okla. (Oct. 29) — Two critically endangered languages with deep roots in southwest Oklahoma can now be typed natively on iPhones.

Apple added keyboards for Comanche, also known as Nʉmʉ Tekwapʉ̠, and Kiowa in its iOS 27 software update last month, KOSU reported. Users can type each language's special characters and accent marks directly instead of relying on separate apps or copying and pasting.

The Comanche Language and Culture Preservation Committee, a nonprofit based in Lawton, told KOSU the change lets learners use the language throughout their day. Fewer than 50 fluent Comanche speakers and about 10 Kiowa speakers are alive today, according to KOSU.

The new keyboards are part of a longer effort. Cherokee became the first Native American language on the iPhone in 2010, and several other languages tied to Oklahoma tribes have been added since, KOSU reported. WIRED reported this month that the iOS 27 update also expanded support to Blackfoot and Northern East Cree.

Building a keyboard is more than translating words, WIRED reported. The work can take years and relies on community members' expertise. Some languages adapt an existing physical keyboard layout, while others need custom designs. Cherokee, which is written in a syllabary, has vowel keys that change to show the combinations available after a user types a consonant.

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. told WIRED that a language has to be accessible if it is going to be revitalized. Meeting young people on the screens they already use is the idea behind the keyboards.

The languages can be added from the Keyboard section of the iPhone's Settings app and then used across apps, according to KOSU.