🛠 Installation Instructions

• The installation steps are very simple. You can install and start using Azhagi straightaway, within a minute. No need to restart your system.


• Well, once you have downloaded the .pkg installer file into the 'Downloads' folder, double-click it to launch it.
• Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation. That is all to it.


• Thereafter, click open 'Azhagi' from your 'Applications' folder.
• As Azhagi starts, a pop-up will appear asking you to grant 'Accessibility Access' for Azhagi. If the pop-up is hidden behind the 'Azhagi' screens, locate it and bring it to the front.
  
  
  (Note: You only need to perform the following steps once. These steps are not unique to Azhagi. On macOS, any application that requires Accessibility access must go through a similar process to be granted permission. It’s a normal, standard procedure.)
• Click the 'Open System Settings' button on the above pop-up.
• The 'Accessibility' screen will open.
• Depending on your macOS version:
  
  macOS Ventura (13) and later — including Sonoma, Sequoia and Tahoe:
  • Enable 'Azhagi' in the 'Accessibility' screen, by toggling it ON.
    
  • Type your system's login password if prompted.
  
  Only in macOS Monterey (12):
  • Look for the Lock icon 🔒 at the bottom-left corner of that Accessibility screen.
  • Click it to unlock the settings.
  • Type your system's login password if prompted.
  • Enable 'Azhagi' by ticking its checbox.
  • Click the 'Lock' button again to secure the settings.


• That is all to it.
• Have a Blessed time with your favorite 'Azhagi'. 😊
  (Well, whenever you install updated versions of Azhagi in future, you "may be" again prompted for granting 'Accessibility Access' to Azhagi. At such times, as a one-time operation, I suggest you remove the existing Azhagi entry from the Accessibility screen by selecting it and clicking the ‘–’ button (at bottom left). Then, add it again by clicking the ‘+’ button and choosing Azhagi from the 'Applications' folder.)
  
  

📋 Operational Instructions

• Well, how to type in Tamil (Hindi, Sanskrit, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, etc.) after starting 'Azhagi' successfully?

  Simple. The very starting screen of 'Azhagi' itself holds the necessary instructions. Please see screenshot below.
  
  
  



• How to type in Tamil font encodings other than Unicode?

  The process is again the same. The hotkey is the only difference. For example, to type in Stmzh_P encoding, the default hotkey is Alt+P.



• How to quickly and easily convert from one Tamil font encoding to another?

  You can use the inbuilt 'Tamil Fonts Converter' tool (accessible from the 'Tools' menu). All details about this tool are at tamil-fonts-converter-for-mac.php
  
  



• How to select, save and load "my own" preferred sets of LFKs?

  Tick the checkbox with caption "Choose your own set of LFKs" (at the top right corner of the 'Hotkey Manager' screen). The LFK filter will appear. Therein, you can choose your own sets of preferred LFKs - either manually or from a list of presets - and save them to 5 of your own sets - 'My Set 1' to 'My Set 5' - and load any of them (from the presets), whenever you wish to. Please see screenshots section to learn in detail about this. There are lots of explanatory screenshots therein. Just one of those screenshots alone hereunder for you to get a quick understanding.
  
  
  



• Languages and encodings

  • As of the present version, you can type directly in Tamil in any Mac app (Photoshop, Pages, TextEdit, Keynote, Numbers, InDesign, After Effects, Premiere Pro, Illustrator, etc.) - in 21 Tamil font encodings - SaiIndira, Unicode, Stmzh, Stmzh_P (specifically for typing in Photoshop), TA-Arul, Bamini, TamilBible, Shree, Shreelipi, LtTm, Ka, Vanavil, TAM, TAB, Tace, Tscii, KrutiTamil, ChenetPlatinum, SunTommy, Elango, TamilAiswarya - in 7 keyboard layouts - PhoneticTransliteration, Phonetic, Tamilnet99, TypewriterNew, TyperwriterOld, BaminiKBL and Inscript keyboard layouts.
  
  
  • For Unicode, Stmzh and Stmzh_P, you can type in Typewriter_km keyboard layout too. For Unicode, you can type in SanTamilPhonetics keyboard layout too.
  
  
  • You can type in Hindi, Sanskrit, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Gujarati, Marathi, Bengali, Punjabi, Oriya, Assamese, Sourashtra, Grantha too - in any Mac app - in phonetic transliteration mode.
  
  
  • Additionally, you can type in 100 other world languages - Arabic, Latin, Greek, Hebrew, etc.
  
  
  • 'Azhagi for Mac' is likely to evolve with more versions ahead.
  
  
  • 'Azhagi for iPhone' (iPad, etc.) may also emerge in the future.



• How to change hotkeys?

  The hotkey for any LFK ('Language + Font + Keyboard' combo) can be changed, using the 'Hotkey Manager'. Please see screenshots below. Once you click 'Set Hotkey', you can select/set your desired hotkey (in the 'Hotkey Selector/Setter' screen which appears) by either ticking the appropriate boxes OR do it dynamically too by pressing your desired hotkey in your keyboard. Once you click 'Confirm', you need to close the 'Hotkey Selector/Setter' screen.



• Typing without pressing any hotkey

  You need not necessarily press a hotkey to start typing in Tamil in external apps. If you prefer, you can just tick/untick the 'Active' checkbox in the hotkey manager too, to activate/deactivate 'direct Tamil typing' in external apps.



Note: If you wish to set function keys (F1, F2, etc.) as hotkeys, you may have to tick a setting in 'System Settings -> Keyboard'. Please see screenshot below. Tick the ‘Use F1, F2, etc. … .. .’ checkbox.

• 'Azhagi for Mac' is developed independently by me and offered completely free of charge to all. However, Apple requires developers to pay $99 (approx. Rs.9,000), every year, to sign and notarize apps for their seamless distribution to users. Heartfelt thanks to my loving wife for making this payment in December 2025. If not for this payment, users like you would encounter multiple warnings during the installation process such as “Azhagi cannot be opened because it is from an unidentified developer", "Apple cannot verify that this app is virus-free", etc., making the installation process less straightforward, especially for those who are not technically savvy.
• And, since the aforesaid payment is a mandatory requirement set by Apple for anyone wishing to develop iOS apps, it paves the way for developing 'Azhagi for iPhone' also, God willing, in times to come. Thanks a lot to Apple for all the wonderful facilities they provide to developers via their 'Apple Developer Program' account. I may not have the resources (time, health, etc.) to avail all of those facilities but happy for whatever I am able to avail and happy for all the other developers who are able to make use of all or most of those facilities.
• Please understand that your support only makes it possible for individual developers like me to keep building apps/tools that help the world society. Hence, keep providing that support by spreading the word about Azhagi free apps (which includes 'Azhagi for Mac', a signed and notarized app), whenever possible. That's all I am "primarily" requesting you. So, please spread the word.
• In the case of 'Azhagi for Mac', even a small act - like sharing this link 👉 https://azhagi.com/azhagi-for-mac.php#download - can make a big difference. It would help an increasing number of people in society become aware of 'Azhagi for Mac', so that among those who become aware, the ones who need 'Azhagi for Mac' can email me, obtain the download link from me, and benefit from using Azhagi on macOS also.
• If ever you feel you can do more, please see this page - your Non-monetary, Non-material contribution to Azhagi.

🙋 Your Feedback

• Feedback from users is always invaluable. So, at your convenience, I would be grateful to hear from you on what worked greatly, what enhancements you would like to have, etc. All feedback received so far has been 100% positive only. Users who shared their experiences have reported that 'Azhagi for Mac' is functioning 100% perfectly and flawlessly, and that they feel completely comfortable using it.

🌈 Sample Testimonials

• ஓம் நமசிவாய விஸ்வநாதன் ஐயா.
  'மேக் அழகி' இன்ஸ்டால் செய்து விட்டேன். அதில்தான் இப்பொழுது தட்டச்சு செய்து உங்களுக்கு முதல் செய்தியை அனுப்புகிறேன். உங்களுடைய உதவிக்கும், ஒத்துழைப்புக்கும், சேவைக்கும் கோடி கோடி நன்றிகள். உங்களுடைய பணி இனிதே தொடர இறையருள் எப்பொழுதும் அருள் புரியட்டும் என்று இறைவனிடமே வேண்டிக்கொள்கிறேன்.
  ஓம் நமசிவாய!


• Azhagi Software Creator, I received your link, and it’s fantastic while typing in our mother tongue. May God bless you and your family for this incredible work and for making this software available to everyone for free. Thank you again.


• சார், சூப்பராக வேலை செய்கிறது. நன்றி சார்...


• Typing in Tamil in Stmzh fonts in Adobe products (Photoshop, After Effects, Premier Pro, Illustrator, and InDesign) is working fine.


• மிக்க நன்றி சார். என்னுடைய விண்டோஸ் கணினிகளில் அழகி உதவியுடன் தமிழில் டைப் செய்தது போலவே, தற்போது மேக்புக்கிலும் அழகி துணைகொண்டு தமிழில் எழுதுவது மிகுந்த மகிழ்ச்சி அளிக்கிறது. கணினித்தமிழுக்காக இதுபோன்ற சிறந்த மென்பொருள் கருவிகளை உருவாக்கி, அவற்றை சமுதாய நலனுக்காக இலவசமாக வழங்கும் தங்கள் சிறந்த பணிகளுக்கு மீண்டும் பாராட்டுகளும் நன்றியும்.


• The application is great, overall no problem, easy to understand.
  


• ஐயா வணக்கம், நான் மதுரை மாவட்டத்தில் உள்ள சிறிய கிராமத்தில் வசித்து வருகிறேன். ... .. . நான் 6 ஆண்டுகளாக அழகி மென்பொருளை பயன்படுத்தி பத்திரங்களை பதிவு செய்து வருகிறேன். எனது வாழ்க்கை ஆதாரத்திற்கு அழகி மென்பொருள் உள்ளது. நான் தற்பொழுது ஆப்பிள் மடிக்கணினி வாங்கியுள்ளேன். அதில் அழகி மென்பொருள் இயங்குவதற்கு வெர்சன் 21 தேவைப்படுகிறது. எனவே தாங்கள் தயவுகூர்ந்து அதற்கான பதிவிறக்கம் பக்கத்தை அனுப்புமாறு மிக மிக தாழ்மையுடன் கேட்டுக்கொள்கிறேன்.
  
  ஐயா வணக்கம், அழகி 21 version மின் அஞ்சல் மூலம் கிடைத்துவிட்டது. ... .. . மிகவும் எளிமையாகவும் நன்றாகவும் இயங்குகிறது. உங்களுக்கு நன்றி என்ற ஒரு வார்த்தை போதாது. ... .. . வாழ்க வளர்க உங்களது தொண்டு.
  
  
• Dear Sri Vishwanathan, Hari Om. Salutations. Am grateful for receiving the Mac Azhagi. Have installed it and it works very well. I also see that you have some excellent free apps, which I shall explore in due course of time. My prayers for your continued good work and wishes for your good health. Do explore these links from Chinmaya International Foundation: ... .. . If you are interested in a particular Home Study Course/Svadhyaya Series Courses or a Shravana Mangalam album or a publication, do let me know. Will send it to you as a token of appreciation and gratitude.
  In Shri Guru Smriti,
  ... .. .
  
  
• All in all best, sir.
  
  
• I have been using Mac Azhagi, and my experience with it has been fantastic. It is working flawlessly for me, and I am able to type in STMZH fonts using Bamini font / Typewriter New very comfortably and seamlessly. I am really very happy with it. Thank you once again for developing and providing such a wonderful and useful tool. ... .. . I am extremely happy with it. It has made typing in STMZH fonts on the Mac very convenient for me.
  
  Thank you very much for all the effort and dedication you have put into Mac Azhagi and for your kind support.
  
  God Bless you and your family. May God's Blessings be upon all.
  
  

  ---

  Note: If you are new to Azhagi (becos you never worked in Windows systems), then testimonials for Azhagi’s windows apps are here.
  

For all the testimonials Azhagi free apps have received so far, As Ever, All Glory and Thanks to the Lord Almighty Only, Forever....
Azhagi apps are God's Own Apps. I am not their author, in reality. I strive to remain a non-entity.

📢 Spread the Word

• Whenever possible, kindly spread the word about 'Azhagi for Mac'. Even a small act - like sharing this link 👉https://azhagi.com/azhagi-for-mac.php#download - can make a big difference. It would help an increasing number of people in society become aware of 'Azhagi for Mac', so that among those who become aware, the ones who need 'Azhagi for Mac' can email me, obtain the download link from me, and benefit from using Azhagi on macOS also.


• If not aware, Azhagi.com provides 15 world-class unique freeware (https://azhagi.com/all-free-apps.php) as of today, with some of them (e.g. Azhagi++, I AM That Word) carrying a suite of beneficial/powerful tools (many of them being unique). Kindly spread their news too, whenever possible.
  

🙇 A Humble Request

I request you to kindly read the following short extract from the note section of my contacts page (you may read this note in full too, if and when possible)

I reside in Chennai. I develop/enhance Azhagi free apps, provide support for them, and maintain azhagi.com – alone#, from my home – ever since 1999/2000 onwards, amidst various health challenges. ... .. .

(#) In reality though, one can never say that Azhagi free apps are due to a one-man software team, because, without my well-wishers and their timely moral support and encouragement, I (an utter non-entity) could never have prodded along alone for these many years (since 1999), amidst various health challenges. And, Azhagi free apps would never have reached worldwide. I ever remain indebted to my well-wishers. And, since 2021, ... .. .

Related page: My better half