Saturday, July 7, 2012

** The below tutorial is outdated (iOS 5). For iOS 7 and above, please visit Read / Write Amharic (Ge'ez) on any iOS Device (iPhone & iPad) **


I recently tried to look at my website from my iPhone 4 and see what it looks like.  I was really disappointed that some of the Amharic fonts appeared to be just boxes on my iPhone 4 and some of the posts that contained large number of Amharic text weren’t making much sense. I tried to install Amharic font from cydia (My iPhone is jailbroken) but it didn’t help much. So I set out to find a way to read Amharic fonts on my iPhone and also write Amharic letters on Notes and Messages. Whether sending sms and email messages in Amharic is a good idea or not, it’s up to you to decide but as a programmer, I can’t let go of something unless I make it work.

Anyways, after days of searching and trying out some applications, I found a way to not only to read Amharic fonts on my iPhone but also to write Amharic using an Amharic Keyboard. This tutorial is for all iPhones which are above iOS5. iOS is the operating system of an iPhone or iPad and other apple products. To check which version of iOS your iPhone has, go to Settings  General  About. Then look at the Version. Mine is currently 5.0.1.
Here is a list of things  you need before trying out this tutorial.
1.    Internet Connection
2.    JailBroken iPhone. (Cydia Installed)
Here are the steps needed to read Amharic font on an iOS5 iPhone.
1.    Open Cydia, Go to Manage --> Sources --> Edit--> Add
2.    Then a small window pops up, then write this iamharic.myrepospace.com. Then Click Add Source and wait for it till it adds the appropriate files.
3.    Then go to Search (on Cydia) then write Amharic on the search bar.
4.    From the search results, find and click on Amharic Keyboard-ios5. Then click install  Confirm.
5.    Wait for it to install and once it finishes installing, it will re-spring you iPhone.
6.    Then go to Cydia --> Search and then search for ‘Ethiopia Jiret Slant’ Bytafont. When you find it, install it. This might re-spring you iPhone.
7.    Then on the list of applications, find BytaFont and open it. Go to the Advanced Tab and then select System --> Then select Ethiopian Jiret Slant font. Do the same for Keyboard and Notes. Then go back and Click on Apply and re-spring. This will re-spring you iPhone.

Now you are able to read Amharic fonts on your iPhone or iPad.
To test that you can read Amharic on your iPhone or iPad, open safari and visit this post. If the next sentence comes as small boxes then you're not there yet.
hh
ይሄ ከተነበባችሁ ይሰራል ማለት ነው::

To Write Amharic on Notes and other Applications, use the following steps.

Go to Settings --> Notes--> select ‘Helvetica’ font.
Then go to Settings --> General--> Keyboard --> International Keyboards --> Add New Keyboard --> select Amharic Keyboard.

To test if you can write Amharic on notes, go to Notes and start writing. The keyboard will be an English keyboard but there will be a small circular globe icon to the left of the space bar just below the letter ‘Z’. Click it to switch to Amharic or English Keyboard.

Leave us your comments if you have any problems or you can't find certian charcters. Trust me, it might happen! If you found this tutorial useful, please like our Facebook Page.
Watch the video tutorial for extra tips and tricks.

24 comments:

Johnny said...

Great Tutorial, Thanks!

Tamrat said...

Nice one, works like charm on iPad 2 iOS 5.1.1.

The only downside for me was the system's english font when amharic Jiret font was applied. it doesn't look good and gives the iPad a cheap look. Is there any other font like the one Android ICS uses for Amharic?

Ethio 24/7 said...

@tamrat, i tried to change the jiret font but there aren't many ethiopian fonts we can use. Our option is very limited. To tell u the truth, I didn't like the font at first, but now it has grown on me. Besides many iPhones have the default font and my iPhone looks unique. :-)

Sel said...

this is little confusing, the video tutorial at Dezetube.com was much easier! Keep up the good work.

Mesfin said...

Thank you very much. It also worked for me except that I couldnt get the Amharic key board from the list of international key boards. I made sure that helvetica is selected but no change. Did I miss anything?

Anonymous said...

Thanks this helps me. How can i install apps from app store when i try to create id from store it finally ask me for a credit card the prob is i dont have credit card so with out id i cant install apps ;( pls help me what should i do

Ethio 24/7 said...

If you are trying to install iPhone applications that are NOT FREE, then they will ask you for your credit card information so that they can charge you. :)
If you are asked for your credit card if your trying to install a Free application, then maybe i can help you with that.

Anonymous said...

Its for free app

Anonymous said...

I love you! This is awesome n very helpful.

abiy said...

Bless you bro,i am proud of you as my ipad2 workinf fully with amharic fonts.

Anonymous said...

Hey, when open the source i just added (iamharic) i don't see anything. I tried to search in cydia and there is only amharic keyboard, no keyboard for ios5 i installed it anyway but it didn't work. If you have any other source or solution please reply. Thank You.

Bibi said...

Amharic Keyboard-ios5 does no more exist in iamharic.myrepospace.com. Someone has this either in ipa or deb file format ?

Bibi said...

Amharic Keyboard-ios5 does no more exist in iamharic.myrepospace.com. Someone has this either in ipa or deb file format ?

Ethio 24/7 said...

@Walid Ali
I just checked and i still can see Amharic Keyboard-ios5.
You have to write the full source name ( iamharic.myrepospace.com)
Check that you have added the proper source.

Ethio 24/7 said...

@Bibi
I just checked Today (September 16, 2012) and i still can see Amharic Keyboard ios5. check the source.

Anonymous said...

Could you give me deb file?

Anonymous said...

Could you give me deb file?

Anonymous said...

tried it on my iphone 4s and it worked. Thanks man

Muller said...

No Amharic keyboard ios5 in cydia

Anonymous said...

I checked today and I can't find the amharic keyboard ios5. Can any one give me an alternative Repo?

Unknown said...

I had installed the source and when I opened it there is nothing there, its on iOS 5.1.1 iPhone 4 and iPad 3. Is anyone else having this problem

Anonymous said...

ሰላም i have been trying to install this for a while now but i am not seeing Amharic Keyboard ios5 on cydia also when i got to the sources and select iamharic.myrepospace.com there is nothing inside it.

በጣም ደስ የሚል hack ነው

Anonymous said...

How do you jail break your IPad?

Anonymous said...

Great! Thanx for sharing. i have 4S 6.1 version and i couldnt find the keyboard. is it working with 6.xx family?

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