When someone sends you a message in Yapiri and all you see is a row of empty boxes, it means your device does not have the Yapiri font installed. The script is there — your device simply does not know how to draw it yet. Installing the font fixes this permanently, and it takes about a minute on any platform.

The Yapiri font is available as a TrueType font (.ttf) and as a compressed WebFont (.woff2). For installation on your device, you want the .ttf file. The .woff2 is only needed for web development. Both are available free on the Download page.

Before you begin: go to yapiriscript.com/download and download Yapiri.ttf to your device. The steps below assume you have the file ready.

Once installed, the font works everywhere — in word processors, notes apps, messaging apps, design software, and any text field on your system. Any existing document that contains Yapiri characters will immediately render correctly too.

Windows

Windows 10 & 11

Windows makes font installation straightforward. The operating system handles everything through the standard file explorer — no additional software needed.

Note Applications that were already open when you installed the font may need to be restarted before the Yapiri font appears in their font lists. This is normal behaviour on Windows.

macOS

macOS

Mac uses Font Book, a built-in application specifically for managing fonts. The process is as simple as double-clicking a file.

Note Already have an older version of Yapiri installed? Font Book will ask whether to keep the existing version or replace it. Always choose Replace to ensure you have the latest glyph set with all corrections applied.

To verify, open TextEdit, create a new document, and select   (Yapiri Regular) from the font panel (⌘ T). Type a few characters using the key mappings from the web keyboard tool as a reference — they should render as Yapiri glyphs immediately.

Android

Android

Android does not allow custom fonts to be installed system-wide without root access. But this does not mean you cannot use Yapiri on Android — it simply means the approach is slightly different depending on what you want to do.

There are three practical options, arranged from easiest to most capable:

Option 1 — Use the web keyboard (no installation needed)

The simplest option for most users. Open yapiriscript.com/try in Chrome or any browser on your Android device. The web keyboard works fully in mobile browsers — tap the on-screen keys to type in Yapiri, then copy and paste the text wherever you need it. No font installation required because the website loads the font automatically.

Option 2 — Install the font inside a supported app

Several Android applications allow you to load custom fonts for use within that app specifically. WPS Office supports custom font installation from local storage — copy Yapiri.ttf to your device, open WPS Office, and add it through the app's font settings. This is ideal if you want to compose or view Yapiri documents on your phone.

Option 3 — Use the Keyman keyboard app

The Keyman for Android app is available free on the Google Play Store. It provides a full custom keyboard experience for your device — meaning you can type Yapiri in any app that accepts text input, including messaging apps, notes, and browsers. The Yapiri keyboard package for Keyman is available on the Download page. Note that whether the receiving app displays the characters correctly still depends on whether that app's font includes the Yapiri codepoints — which most will not, since Yapiri uses Private Use Area codepoints pending Unicode encoding. The web keyboard at yapiriscript.com/try always renders correctly regardless.

Note The reason Yapiri characters appear as boxes in most Android apps is that those apps use the system font, which does not include Yapiri's Private Use Area codepoints. This is not a bug — it is simply a consequence of Yapiri not yet being encoded in Unicode. Once Yapiri is accepted into Unicode (a goal actively being worked toward), rendering will become universal.

Verifying the Installation

Once you have installed the font, the simplest way to verify it is working is to visit the Script page on this website — it displays the full glyph chart using the web-loaded font, which is always correct. Then open a text editor on your device, select   (Yapiri Regular) as the font, and type a few keys. You should see glyphs like these:

 yapiri — the name of this script Type: y a p i r i using the Yapiri keyboard mapping

If you see boxes or question marks instead of glyphs, the font is not yet active. On Windows, try restarting the application. On Mac, try restarting Font Book and reopening your text editor. On Android, confirm you are using a supported app or the web keyboard.

What to Do After Installing

With the font installed, the next step for most users is setting up Yapiri input — a way to type in the script, not just display it. The web keyboard is the quickest way to start. For a native typing experience on Windows or Mac, the Keyman keyboard package on the Download page installs Yapiri as a system input method — letting you type in the script in any application, the same way you would switch to any other keyboard language.

If you run into any trouble during installation, the Community page is the right place to ask. Share your operating system version and what step the issue occurred at, and someone will help you through it.