Kanachan is a Japanese keyboard where every kana is printed on a key and stays where you left it.
If you are learning Japanese, the standard iPhone keyboard asks you to memorise something you cannot see: on a flick keyboard each key hides four more kana in four directions, and you only find out which is which by holding the key down. Kanachan takes the opposite approach. Every kana has its own key, visible at all times. There is no hidden rule to learn — if you can read the kana, you can find it.
The layout is the JIS kana layout, the same arrangement used on Japanese computer keyboards. You do not need to know it in advance: every key is labelled.
▼ EVERY KANA ON SCREEN
- All the kana laid out as keys, with nothing hidden behind a swipe direction
- Katakana, dakuten and handakuten, and small kana from the same layout
- Type at the speed you can read, not at the speed you can recall a gesture
▼ KANJI CONVERSION, ENTIRELY ON YOUR DEVICE
- A 100,000-word dictionary built into the app
- Context-aware candidates, compound words, and verb and adjective conjugations
- No network connection is used to convert anything
▼ IT LEARNS FROM YOU
- Words you choose move up the candidate list
- You can reset the learning data whenever you want
▼ YOUR OWN DICTIONARY
- Add names, technical terms and anything else you type often
▼ PRIVACY
Conversion does not require Full Access. Kanachan converts by reading a dictionary file stored inside the app, so you can leave Full Access switched off and still type and convert normally.
Full Access is only needed if you want the keyboard to remember the words you pick and to use your own dictionary. Both of those write to a database on your iPhone. Full Access is an iOS permission to write to storage on your own device — it is not permission to send data off the device, and Kanachan never sends what you type anywhere.
▼ FREE TRIAL, THEN A ONE-TIME PURCHASE
Everything is free for 30 days after you install the app.
After that, the free version keeps working with a 5,000-word dictionary and up to 500 user dictionary entries.
Premium unlocks the full 100,000-word dictionary, compound word generation and an unlimited user dictionary. It is a one-time purchase, not a subscription: you pay once and keep it. The App Store shows the price in your local currency (¥1,480 in Japan).
▼ WHO IT IS FOR
- People learning Japanese who can read kana but would rather not memorise flick gestures
- Anyone who already types Japanese with a kana layout on a computer
- Anyone who wants a keyboard that works without a network connection
▼ REQUIREMENTS
iOS 17.0 or later. iPhone and iPad.
▼ SUPPORT
If you have a question or a request, please get in touch from the settings screen in the app.
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What's new in 1.4.2
CONVERSION IMPROVEMENTS
- Forms ending in として can now be converted, such as いんしょうとして to 印象として and けっかとして to 結果として.
- A verb followed by ため, ために, or ためには can now be converted, such as あげるために to 上げるために and あげるためには to 上げるためには.
- A verb followed by 限り can now be converted, such as できるかぎり to できる限り and 出来る限り, and しるかぎりでは to 知る限りでは.
- こたえあわせ can now be converted to 答え合わせ.
EMOJI KEYBOARD FIX
- Fixed an issue on iPhone with iOS 27 where the top row of the emoji keyboard was hidden under a band at the top edge and could not be tapped.
Version 1.4.2
The developer, Hiroaki SAWANO, indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .
Data Not Collected
The developer does not collect any data from this app.
Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More
Accessibility
The developer has not yet indicated which accessibility features this app supports. Learn More
Information
Seller
Hiroaki SAWANO
Size
326.1 MB
Category
Utilities
Compatibility
Requires iOS 17.0 or later.
iPhone Requires iOS 17.0 or later.
iPad Requires iPadOS 17.0 or later.
Mac Requires macOS 14.0 or later and a Mac with Apple M1 chip or later.
Apple Vision Requires visionOS 1.0 or later.
Languages
English and 5 more
English, French, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, Traditional Chinese