Support

Getting set up, and what to do when something is not working.

Setting up

1. Turn the keyboard on

Open the iOS Settings app, then General, then Keyboard, then Keyboards, then Add New Keyboard, and choose Steno Keyboard. To switch to it while typing, press and hold the globe key.

2. Add a dictionary

Steno Keyboard needs a dictionary to translate your chords into words. Open the Steno Keyboard app, go to Get Dictionaries, and download a starter dictionary. You can also import your own Plover JSON or RTF/CRE dictionary from the Files app.

Until you add one, the keyboard will tell you so in the bar above the keys.

3. Start writing

Press several keys at once and release to form a chord. In Translate mode you press the Translate key to commit a chord; in lift to send mode the chord is sent when you lift your fingers. Both are in Settings under Input mode, and you can switch between them by holding the Translate key.

Common questions

Nothing translates, I just get letters like KAT

That is raw steno, and it means no dictionary has an entry for the chord you wrote. Either the chord is not in your dictionary, or no dictionary is loaded. Check the Steno Keyboard app to see that at least one dictionary is present and enabled.

Do I need to allow Full Access?

No. Typing and translation work without it. Full Access is only needed if you want the keyboard's Lookup page to copy an outline to the clipboard, because iOS does not let a keyboard touch the clipboard without it. See the privacy policy for details.

Where can I find dictionaries?

The Get Dictionaries screen in the app links to the main free options and can download them for you. Any Plover format JSON dictionary will work, as will RTF/CRE files exported from most CAT software.

Can I add my own words?

Yes. Use the Define button on the keyboard, or Add Entry in the app. The Lookup tool shows you how an existing word is written and explains what an entry's formatting codes do.

Are the iPhone and iPad versions the same app?

They are two separate apps, each with its own App Store page. The iPhone app is built around chording with the Translate button. The iPad app is the full steno machine experience: the wide proportioned layout and multi-key finger zones, sized for a screen you can plant both hands on. Buying one does not include the other.

My dictionary is huge and the keyboard feels slow

Large dictionaries are expected and supported, including ones with hundreds of thousands of entries. If typing feels sluggish, try disabling dictionaries you are not using in the app. If it persists, please get in touch and say roughly how many entries you have.

Reporting a problem

Email support@stenokeyboard.app. It helps to include your device, your iOS version, and what you did just before the problem appeared.