diff --git a/src/emulator.rs b/src/emulator.rs
index 765af5f..127375e 100644
--- a/src/emulator.rs
+++ b/src/emulator.rs
@@ -117,6 +117,54 @@ pub fn parse_image_sysdir(config_ini: &str) -> Option<String> {
         .map(|v| v.trim().trim_end_matches('/').to_string())
 }
 
+/// Ensure an AVD `config.ini` enables the emulated hardware keyboard so the host
+/// (Mac) keyboard types into the guest. avdmanager's device profiles default
+/// `hw.keyboard=no`, which silently drops host key events — you tap a field, the
+/// on-screen keyboard shows, but typing on the Mac does nothing. Flipping it to
+/// `yes` forwards the physical keyboard; the soft IME still appears because the
+/// system images default `show_ime_with_hard_keyboard=1`.
+///
+/// Pure string transform: returns the rewritten file when a change is needed, or
+/// `None` if it already reads `hw.keyboard=yes` (so the caller can skip writing).
+/// Only the exact `hw.keyboard=` key is touched — `hw.keyboard.charmap`/`.lid`
+/// are left alone.
+pub fn with_hw_keyboard_enabled(config_ini: &str) -> Option<String> {
+    fn is_hw_keyboard(line: &str) -> bool {
+        line.trim_start()
+            .strip_prefix("hw.keyboard")
+            .is_some_and(|rest| rest.trim_start().starts_with('='))
+    }
+    let mut found = false;
+    let mut changed = false;
+    let mut out: Vec<String> = Vec::new();
+    for line in config_ini.lines() {
+        if is_hw_keyboard(line) {
+            found = true;
+            let value = line.split_once('=').map_or("", |(_, v)| v.trim());
+            if value == "yes" {
+                out.push(line.to_string());
+            } else {
+                out.push("hw.keyboard=yes".to_string());
+                changed = true;
+            }
+        } else {
+            out.push(line.to_string());
+        }
+    }
+    if !found {
+        out.push("hw.keyboard=yes".to_string());
+        changed = true;
+    }
+    if !changed {
+        return None;
+    }
+    let mut result = out.join("\n");
+    if config_ini.ends_with('\n') {
+        result.push('\n');
+    }
+    Some(result)
+}
+
 /// System images that are installed but referenced by no live AVD — i.e. safe
 /// to prune. Both lists are relative image paths (`system-images/<api>/<tag>/<abi>`).
 pub fn unreferenced_images(installed: &[String], referenced: &[String]) -> Vec<String> {
@@ -178,6 +226,45 @@ mod tests {
         assert_eq!(parse_image_sysdir(""), None);
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn hw_keyboard_flips_no_to_yes_and_leaves_siblings() {
+        let ini = "hw.dPad=no\n\
+                   hw.keyboard=no\n\
+                   hw.keyboard.charmap=qwerty2\n\
+                   hw.keyboard.lid=yes\n\
+                   hw.mainKeys=no\n";
+        let out = with_hw_keyboard_enabled(ini).expect("should rewrite");
+        assert!(out.contains("hw.keyboard=yes"));
+        // siblings untouched
+        assert!(out.contains("hw.keyboard.charmap=qwerty2"));
+        assert!(out.contains("hw.keyboard.lid=yes"));
+        // the old value is gone and the file still ends in a newline
+        assert!(!out.contains("hw.keyboard=no"));
+        assert!(out.ends_with('\n'));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn hw_keyboard_noop_when_already_yes() {
+        let ini = "hw.keyboard=yes\nhw.mainKeys=no\n";
+        assert_eq!(with_hw_keyboard_enabled(ini), None);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn hw_keyboard_appended_when_absent() {
+        let ini = "hw.dPad=no\nhw.mainKeys=no\n";
+        let out = with_hw_keyboard_enabled(ini).expect("should append");
+        assert!(out.contains("hw.keyboard=yes"));
+        assert!(out.ends_with('\n'));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn hw_keyboard_noop_does_not_match_charmap_only() {
+        // a config that has the sibling keys but no bare hw.keyboard= must append.
+        let ini = "hw.keyboard.charmap=qwerty2\nhw.keyboard.lid=yes\n";
+        let out = with_hw_keyboard_enabled(ini).expect("should append a bare key");
+        assert!(out.lines().any(|l| l == "hw.keyboard=yes"));
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn unreferenced_images_is_set_difference() {
         let installed = vec![
diff --git a/src/provision.rs b/src/provision.rs
index 039c2c0..7b80127 100644
--- a/src/provision.rs
+++ b/src/provision.rs
@@ -180,6 +180,7 @@ pub fn boot(sdk: &Sdk, cfg: &Config) -> Result<()> {
     }
     if !is_running(sdk) {
         clear_stale_locks(sdk, cfg);
+        enable_hw_keyboard(sdk, cfg);
         eprintln!("🚀 booting emulator ({})…", cfg.profile.avd_name());
         let log = sdk.home().join("emulator.log");
         let mut c = sdk.command(&sdk.emulator_bin());
@@ -222,6 +223,24 @@ fn boot_args(cfg: &Config) -> Vec<String> {
     args
 }
 
+/// Make the AVD type from the host (Mac) keyboard. avdmanager's device profiles
+/// leave `hw.keyboard=no` in the generated `config.ini`, which drops physical
+/// key events; patch it to `yes` in place before booting. Idempotent and applied
+/// on every cold boot so AVDs created by an older andro heal automatically. The
+/// on-screen keyboard is unaffected — the images keep `show_ime_with_hard_keyboard=1`.
+/// Best-effort: a missing/unwritable config.ini just leaves the AVD as-is.
+fn enable_hw_keyboard(sdk: &Sdk, cfg: &Config) {
+    let config = sdk
+        .avd_home()
+        .join(format!("{}.avd", cfg.profile.avd_name()))
+        .join("config.ini");
+    if let Ok(text) = fs::read_to_string(&config)
+        && let Some(patched) = emulator::with_hw_keyboard_enabled(&text)
+    {
+        let _ = fs::write(&config, patched);
+    }
+}
+
 /// Remove stale AVD lock files left by a crashed emulator. Only safe because the
 /// caller already checked the emulator is NOT running; clears the spurious
 /// "AVD is already in use" error so the next boot just works.