How to convert Kruti Dev text to Unicode Hindi (and back)
If you type Hindi in Kruti Dev and send the file to someone, there is a good chance they see something like Hkkjr ,d ds'k gS instead of "भारत एक देश है". Copy the same text into WhatsApp, Gmail or a website and the same thing happens. The fix is to convert the text to Unicode. This guide explains why and shows how.
Why Kruti Dev text breaks
Kruti Dev is a "legacy" font. It doesn't store Hindi letters at all: it stores ordinary English letters and draws Hindi shapes on top of them. The letter "H" is drawn as "भ", "k" as the "ा" sign, and so on. On a computer with Kruti Dev installed, it looks like Hindi. Anywhere else, the English letters show through.
Unicode is the modern standard. Each Hindi letter has its own code, so the text is real Hindi everywhere: on phones, in Google search, in emails, in PDFs and on websites. Fonts such as Mangal, Nirmala UI, Noto Sans Devanagari and Kokila are Unicode fonts.
Convert Kruti Dev to Unicode
- Open your Kruti Dev document, select the text and copy it. You will see English-looking letters when you paste it elsewhere; that is expected.
- Open the APS & Kruti Dev to Unicode converter and choose Kruti Dev → Unicode.
- Paste the text. The Unicode Hindi appears immediately.
- Copy the result into Word, Google Docs, a website or WhatsApp. In Word, choose a Unicode font such as Mangal or Nirmala UI.
- Read through it once. Unusual conjuncts (संयुक्ताक्षर) and symbols typed with special key combinations occasionally need a manual touch.
When you need the reverse (Unicode to Kruti Dev)
Some printing presses, DTP operators and older office templates still use Kruti Dev. If you have Unicode text from a website or an email and need it in a Kruti Dev file, choose Unicode → Kruti Dev in the same tool, then set the font of the pasted text to Kruti Dev 010 in your document.
Which one should you use?
| Use Unicode for | Kruti Dev only when |
|---|---|
| Websites, blogs, social media and WhatsApp | A press or office asks for a Kruti Dev file |
| Government portals and online forms | A typing test specifically requires Kruti Dev |
| Anything that should be searchable on Google | You are editing an old document that already uses it |
For new work, type directly in Unicode with Google Indic keyboard, Windows Hindi (Inscript or phonetic) keyboard or your phone's Hindi keyboard. It saves you from converting later.
APS and other fonts
APS DV-Priyanka and similar fonts used by many newspapers work the same way as Kruti Dev. The same converter handles APS to Unicode and APS to Kruti Dev.