What is Schnelle Umlaute?
A native Fcitx5 addon for Linux. Type German umlauts, French accents, or any Unicode character using the same hold + space gesture as Windows PowerToys Quick Accent. System-wide, lightweight, no root needed.
Does it work on Wayland?
Yes. Natively on both X11 and Wayland, no extra configuration. It integrates directly with Fcitx5.
Does it touch the clipboard?
Never. Unlike xdotool-based workarounds, Schnelle Umlaute uses Fcitx5's commitString() API: direct insertion, clipboard untouched.
What characters can I type?
German umlauts by default (ä ö ü ß Ä Ö Ü). With unlimited configurable mappings: French accents, Spanish, Portuguese, Braille Unicode, emojis, math symbols, full text snippets.
Which distros are supported?
Supported on Arch Linux, Ubuntu/Debian, Linux Mint, Fedora, and openSUSE. Works on any distro with Fcitx5.
Can I adjust the timing?
Yes, in the bundled editor (schnelle-umlaute-editor), the same app you use for mappings, leader keys and profiles. Default: 400ms lowercase, 700ms uppercase, adjustable from 50ms to 2000ms to match your typing speed. You can also set a minimum hold, so a quick tap stays a plain letter and only a deliberate hold opens the accent window.
Can I use it for text snippets?
Yes. Map any key to a full phrase, e.g. hold m + Space to insert your email address, g for a Vim command like ggVGy (select all + yank), or u for sudo apt update. Works with any length of text.
What leader keys are available?
Space (default), Arrow keys, Alt/AltGr, or up to two custom keys of your choice. Multiple leader keys can be active at the same time. Custom leaders support dual hand-split mode for ergonomic typing.
Does it work with my keyboard layout?
Yes, with any layout. QWERTY, QWERTZ, AZERTY, Dvorak, Colemak and others: Schnelle Umlaute reads the character a key actually produces instead of assuming a fixed key position, so where a letter sits on the board does not matter. A custom leader is stored as the physical key that was pressed, so it survives a layout switch, and Shift does not change it. Programmable and self-built keyboards (QMK, ZMK, split, ortholinear) work as well, as long as they send standard key codes, which is the default.
Can I disable it in specific apps?
Yes. The App Filter lets you set a blacklist (disable in listed apps) or a whitelist (enable only in listed apps). Useful for games, password managers, IP/number-only fields, or apps with conflicting shortcuts.
Can I switch between languages quickly?
Yes. Group your mappings into named profiles (one for German, one for French, one for Emoji) and switch the active one with a hotkey or cycle through your favorites. 47 ready-made language and symbol presets (German, Français, Español, Português, Braille, Emoji, Math, IPA, and more) are included, so you rarely start from scratch.
Is there an on-screen indicator when cycling?
Optionally, yes. A cycle overlay shows the accent variants as you step through them, anchored at the mouse pointer, at the text caret where you type, or a fixed grid position, with an optional timing progress bar. It uses the Wayland wlr-layer-shell protocol (KDE Plasma, sway, Hyprland, …); the caret mode also works on X11. Every other feature works without it.
