Android: switch to a different IME programmatically

Switching to the previous input method from the current input method is:

//final String LATIN = "com.android.inputmethod.latin/.LatinIME";// 'this' is an InputMethodServicetry {    InputMethodManager imm = (InputMethodManager) this.getSystemService(Context.INPUT_METHOD_SERVICE);    final IBinder token = this.getWindow().getWindow().getAttributes().token;    //imm.setInputMethod(token, LATIN);    imm.switchToLastInputMethod(token);} catch (Throwable t) { // java.lang.NoSuchMethodError if API_level<11    Log.e(TAG,"cannot set the previous input method:");    t.printStackTrace();}

If you want to switch to a particular input method whose ID you know, you may do as the commented-out lines suggest.

EDIT @pRaNaY suggested a single .getWindow() in a silent edit (click "edited" below to see the history). I remember that it did not work for Android 2.3; if you consult the docs, you will see that the first call, InputMethodService.getWindow() returns a Dialog (which is not a subclass of Window), and the second call, Dialog.getWindow() returns a Window. There is no Dialog.getAttributes(), so with a single .getWindow() it will not even compile.

You cannot change the user's currently active IME through code for security reasons, sorry.

However, you can show a system provided dialog to allow the user to select one of the other enabled ones.

InputMethodManager imeManager = (InputMethodManager) context.getSystemService(Context.INPUT_METHOD_SERVICE); if (imeManager != null) {    imeManager.showInputMethodPicker();} else {    Toast.makeText(context ,"Error", Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();}

If you have rooted device, you can use /system/bin/ime utility.

List all installed input methods: # ime list -a

Set google's keyboard as default:

ime set com.google.android.inputmethod.latin/com.android.inputmethod.latin.LatinIME