Typing Sami characters requires a specific keyboard layout on your computer or phone.

The Sami languages use the Latin alphabet but include several special letters not found on standard English keyboards.

Setting up your device to type these letters is a quick and easy process.

I’ll show you exactly how to install Sami keyboards on different devices and explain which fonts work best.

The special Sami characters

There are several different Sami languages, and each one has its own specific alphabet.

North Sami is the most widely spoken and has the most unique letters.

South Sami and Lule Sami share many of their special letters with the standard Norwegian and Swedish alphabets.

Here’s a quick reference table showing the special letters used in the three most common Sami languages.

How to type Sami on Windows

Windows has excellent built-in support for Sami keyboards.

You don’t need to download any external software to type in Sami on a Windows PC.

Here’s how to add the Sami keyboard layout:

• Open your Windows Settings and click on “Time & Language”.
• Select “Language & region” from the menu.
• Click the “Add a language” button.
• Search for “Sami” and select your specific regional variation (such as Northern Sami).
• Click “Next” and then “Install” to add the keyboard.

Once installed, you can easily switch between English and Sami by pressing the Windows Key + Spacebar.

Your regular keys will type standard Latin letters, while specific keys (usually near the Enter and Shift keys) will produce the special Sami characters.

How to type Sami on Mac

Apple also provides built-in keyboard layouts for the Sami languages on macOS.

Adding the keyboard only takes a few clicks in your system settings.

Here’s how to enable it on your Mac:

• Open “System Settings” (or System Preferences on older Macs).
• Scroll down and click on “Keyboard”.
• Under the “Text Input” section, click the “Edit” button.
• Click the small ”+” icon in the bottom left corner to add a new language.
• Type “Sami” into the search bar, select “Sami, Northern” (or your preferred variation), and click “Add”.

You can now toggle between your English and Sami keyboards using the input menu in your top menu bar.

You can also use the Control + Space shortcut to quickly swap between languages.

How to type Sami on iPhone and iPad

Typing Sami characters on an iOS device is incredibly straightforward.

Apple includes official Sami keyboards directly in the iOS operating system.

Follow these steps to add it to your iPhone or iPad:

• Open the “Settings” app and tap on “General”.
• Tap on “Keyboard” and then select “Keyboards” at the top.
• Tap “Add New Keyboard”.
• Search for “Sami” and select your specific dialect, such as Northern Sami.

When typing a message, tap the globe icon on your keyboard to switch to the Sami layout.

The special letters will appear directly on the screen for you to tap.

How to type Sami on Android

Android users can easily type in Sami by using Google’s official Gboard application.

Gboard comes pre-installed on most modern Android devices.

Here’s how to set up the Sami layout on Android:

• Open any app where you can type to bring up your keyboard.
• Tap the gear icon on the keyboard to open your Gboard Settings.
• Tap on “Languages” and then select “Add keyboard”.
• Search for “Sami” and pick the specific Sami language you want to learn.
• Tap “Done” to save your new layout.

You can switch to the Sami keyboard by long-pressing the spacebar and selecting it from the list.

Best fonts for Sami characters

Even with the correct keyboard installed, you need a font that actually supports Sami characters.

Most standard modern fonts handle Sami letters perfectly.

However, some older or highly decorative fonts will fail to display letters like Ŋŋ or Ŧŧ correctly.

When a font lacks support for a specific character, the letter will appear as a blank box or a question mark.

To avoid this issue, you should stick to widely used Unicode fonts.

Here are the most reliable fonts for typing in Sami:

• Arial
• Times New Roman
• Calibri
• Helvetica
• Segoe UI
• Tahoma

These standard fonts guarantee that every single Sami letter will be displayed beautifully on any screen.