Windows Guide Β· 2025

How to Add an Input Language or Keyboard Layout in Windows

A complete step-by-step guide for Windows 10 and Windows 11 β€” add new languages, switch layouts instantly, and customize language hotkeys without needing a technician.

⊞ Windows 10 ⊞ Windows 11 🌐 Multiple Languages ⌨️ Keyboard Layouts ⏱ 5 min read
Introduction

What Is a Keyboard Input Language and Layout?

A keyboard input language tells Windows which language you are typing in, while a keyboard layout defines the physical mapping of keys to characters. These two concepts are related but distinct β€” you can have multiple layouts for a single language, and a single layout can serve multiple languages.

For example, English (United States) uses the QWERTY layout by default, while German uses QWERTZ, and French uses AZERTY. Some users prefer alternative layouts like Dvorak or Colemak for ergonomic typing, regardless of their spoken language.

Term What It Controls Examples
Input Language Which language Windows expects you to type English (US), EspaΓ±ol, Deutsch, ζ—₯本θͺž
Keyboard Layout Physical key-to-character mapping QWERTY, AZERTY, QWERTZ, Dvorak
Language Pack System UI translation + input tools Full localization of menus, dialogs
IME Input Method Editor for complex scripts Chinese Pinyin, Japanese Hiragana
πŸ’‘
Good to Know Adding a new keyboard layout does not change your system display language. You can type in French while keeping all Windows menus in English.
Background

Why Add a New Input Language or Keyboard Layout?

There are many practical reasons to configure additional keyboard languages in Windows. Whether you are a multilingual professional, a student, or someone who simply needs special characters, the built-in Windows language settings make this easy to manage.

βœ“ Common Reasons To Add

  • Type in a second or third language regularly
  • Access special characters not on your physical keyboard
  • Use an ergonomic layout like Dvorak or Colemak
  • Work with right-to-left scripts (Arabic, Hebrew)
  • Enter logographic characters via IME (Chinese, Japanese, Korean)
  • Match the layout of a different physical keyboard

βœ— Potential Drawbacks

  • Accidental layout switches can cause confusion
  • Some apps may not respect the active layout
  • Language pack downloads require internet access
  • Too many installed layouts can clutter the taskbar switcher
πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ English πŸ‡©πŸ‡ͺ Deutsch πŸ‡«πŸ‡· FranΓ§ais πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ EspaΓ±ol πŸ‡·πŸ‡Ί Русский πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ ζ—₯本θͺž πŸ‡¨πŸ‡³ δΈ­ζ–‡ πŸ‡ΈπŸ‡¦ Ψ§Ω„ΨΉΨ±Ψ¨ΩŠΨ© + 300 more
Windows 11 Guide

How to Add an Input Language or Keyboard Layout in Windows 11

Windows 11 places language settings inside the Settings β†’ Time & Language β†’ Language & Region panel. The interface has been refreshed compared to Windows 10, but the underlying functionality is the same.

πŸ“‹ Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. Open Windows Settings. Press Win + I on your keyboard, or right-click the Start button and select Settings.
  2. Navigate to Time & Language. In the left sidebar, click Time & language, then click Language & region in the right panel.
  3. Add a preferred language. Under the Preferred languages section, click the Add a language button (it shows a + icon).
  4. Search and select your language. In the search box, type the name of the language you want (e.g., "French", "German", "Russian"). Click on it in the results and then click Next.
  5. Choose installation options. Select whether you want the full Language pack, Text-to-speech, Speech recognition, and Handwriting. At minimum, the keyboard layout installs automatically. Click Install.
  6. Wait for the installation. Windows will download and install the selected components. This requires an active internet connection for full language packs.
  7. Verify the new language appears in your Preferred languages list. You will now see the language switcher icon in the taskbar (bottom right corner, near the clock).
⚠️
Important Note If you click "Set as my Windows display language" during installation, the entire Windows UI will switch to that language. Only do this if that is your intention.

⌨️ Adding an Extra Layout to an Existing Language in Windows 11

If you want to add a different keyboard layout for a language already installed (for example, adding Dvorak alongside QWERTY for English):

  1. Go to Settings β†’ Time & language β†’ Language & region.
  2. Find your existing language in the list and click the three-dot menu (…) next to it.
  3. Select Language options.
  4. Under the Keyboards section, click Add a keyboard.
  5. Choose the desired layout from the dropdown list and click it to add it.
Windows 10 Guide

How to Add an Input Language or Keyboard Layout in Windows 10

In Windows 10, language settings are split between the modern Settings app and the older Control Panel. Both paths work, but the Settings app is recommended for most users.

πŸ“‹ Method 1 β€” Via Settings App (Recommended)

  1. Open Settings. Press Win + I, or click the Start menu gear icon.
  2. Go to Time & Language. Click the clock icon labeled Time & Language.
  3. Click "Language" in the left sidebar. You will see your currently installed languages listed under Preferred languages.
  4. Click "Add a preferred language" (the button with a + sign). A search dialog will appear.
  5. Search for your language by name or region. Select it from the results and click Next.
  6. Select optional features and click Install. The keyboard layout is always included automatically.
2
Via Control Panel (Advanced Users)
Useful for older-style layout management and IME settings
  1. Open Control Panel (search for it in Start menu).
  2. Go to Clock and Region β†’ Region β†’ Administrative tab β†’ Change system locale.
  3. Alternatively: Control Panel β†’ Language β†’ Add a language.
  4. Select your language from the list and click Add, then configure keyboard options.
βœ…
Pro Tip The quickest way to reach language settings on any Windows version: press Win + R, type ms-settings:regionlanguage and press Enter. This opens the language panel directly.
Layout Only

Adding a Keyboard Layout Without Installing a New Language

Sometimes you need a specific layout β€” like Dvorak, Colemak, or a regional variant β€” without adding a full new language to your system. Windows supports this via the Language Options for your existing language.

πŸ“‹ Steps for Any Windows Version

  1. Open Settings β†’ Time & language β†’ Language & region (Win 11) or Settings β†’ Time & Language β†’ Language (Win 10).
  2. Find your current primary language (e.g., English United States) in the list.
  3. Click the options button (three dots on Win 11, or click the language name on Win 10).
  4. Select Language options or Options.
  5. Under Keyboards, click Add a keyboard.
  6. Scroll through the list and select the layout you want (e.g., United States β€” Dvorak, United States β€” Colemak, United States-International).
Layout Name Best For Key Difference
QWERTY (Default) Standard English typing The universal baseline
US β€” International European accented characters Dead keys for Γ©, ΓΌ, Γ±, etc.
Dvorak Ergonomic / RSI prevention Vowels on left home row
Colemak QWERTY users wanting ergonomics Only 17 keys differ from QWERTY
Workman Reduced lateral finger motion Optimized for common digraphs
Switching Layouts

How to Switch Between Keyboard Layouts and Input Languages in Windows

Once you have multiple layouts installed, Windows provides several ways to switch between them quickly β€” without opening Settings each time.

πŸ–±οΈ Method 1 β€” Taskbar Language Bar

After adding a second language, a language indicator appears in the system tray (bottom-right corner of the taskbar). It shows the abbreviation of the active layout (e.g., ENG, DEU, FRA). Click it to open the language switcher and select any installed layout.

πŸ–₯️ Taskbar Language Switcher The language indicator appears near the clock in the system tray area

⌨️ Method 2 β€” Keyboard Shortcut (Fastest)

The default Windows shortcut to cycle through installed keyboard layouts is:

Win + Space  β€” Cycle forward through all installed layouts

Alt + Shift  β€” Legacy shortcut (still works in Windows 10 & 11)

⚠️
Watch Out The Alt + Shift shortcut can be accidentally triggered during gaming or when using keyboard combinations in other software. Consider reassigning it β€” see the Customizing Hotkeys section below.

πŸ”” Method 3 β€” Touch Keyboard (Tablets & Touchscreens)

On touch-enabled Windows devices, tap the globe icon on the on-screen keyboard to switch between installed input languages. You can also hold the globe icon to see a full list.

Hotkey Customization

How to Customize Keyboard Language Switch Hotkeys in Windows

You can assign a custom hotkey to switch to a specific language, rather than cycling through all of them. This is especially useful if you frequently switch between exactly two languages and want a dedicated shortcut.

  1. Open Settings β†’ Time & language β†’ Language & region (Windows 11) or Settings β†’ Time & Language β†’ Language (Windows 10).
  2. Scroll down and click Typing (Windows 11) or look for Advanced keyboard settings.
  3. Click Advanced keyboard settings β†’ Input language hot keys. This opens the classic Text Services and Input Languages dialog.
  4. Select the language or layout you want to assign a shortcut to from the list, then click Change Key Sequence.
  5. Choose your preferred key combination (Ctrl + Shift + [number] or Left Alt + Shift + [number]). Each language can have its own unique shortcut.
  6. Click OK in all dialogs to save. Test your new shortcut immediately.
πŸ’‘
Tip You can also set the between-input-method shortcut to None to disable accidental switching. This is recommended for users with only one layout who do not want surprise language changes.

πŸ“Œ Disable Alt+Shift Switching

To prevent the Alt + Shift shortcut from switching languages accidentally, go to the Text Services and Input Languages dialog β†’ Advanced Key Settings tab β†’ select Between input languages β†’ click Change Key Sequence β†’ set both dropdowns to Not Assigned.

Removing Layouts

How to Remove a Language or Keyboard Layout in Windows

Removing an unwanted language or layout is just as straightforward as adding one. Note that you cannot remove your primary display language unless you first set another language as primary.

Removing an Entire Language (Windows 11)

  1. Go to Settings β†’ Time & language β†’ Language & region.
  2. Find the language you want to remove in Preferred languages.
  3. Click the three-dot menu (…) next to it.
  4. Select Remove and confirm. The language and all its layouts will be uninstalled.

Removing a Single Layout (Keeping the Language)

  1. Open Language options for the language (click Β·Β·Β· β†’ Language options).
  2. Under Keyboards, find the layout you want to remove.
  3. Click the layout and select Remove. The language remains; only that specific layout is gone.
🚫
Cannot Remove You cannot remove the last keyboard layout of your only installed language. Always keep at least one language and one layout active.
Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting Common Keyboard Language Issues in Windows

!
Language bar is missing from the taskbar
The language indicator disappeared after an update

Fix: Go to Settings β†’ Time & Language β†’ Language β†’ Advanced keyboard settings. Enable "Use the desktop language bar when it's available", or make sure you have more than one input method installed (the bar only appears with 2+ layouts).

!
Layout keeps switching automatically
Windows changes the layout on its own in certain applications

Fix: Disable "Allow me to use a different input method for each app window" in Settings β†’ Time & Language β†’ Advanced keyboard settings. This forces a single global layout across all apps.

!
Language pack won't download or install
Installation stalls or shows an error

Fix: Run Windows Update first to ensure your system is current. Then try installing again. If the error persists, open PowerShell as Administrator and run:

        PowerShell β€” Install Language Pack Manually
        Install-Language -Language fr-FR -CopyToSettings

Replace fr-FR with your target language code (e.g., de-DE for German, es-ES for Spanish).

!
Keys type wrong characters after layout switch
The layout seems wrong even though it says "ENG"

Fix: Check that the active layout in the taskbar matches the physical layout of your keyboard. Some keyboards are sold in different regional variants β€” a keyboard purchased in the UK uses a slightly different layout than a US keyboard even though both are "English."

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions About Windows Keyboard Layouts

Q Does adding a language change my Windows display language? β–Ό

No β€” adding a language for keyboard input does not automatically change the Windows display language. You must explicitly click "Set as my Windows display language" to change the UI. You can safely add French, German, or Japanese keyboards while keeping all menus and dialogs in English.

Q Can I add a keyboard layout without internet access? β–Ό

The keyboard layout itself (the key mapping) is typically built into Windows and does not require a download. However, optional components like full language packs, text-to-speech, and spell check dictionaries do require an internet connection to download from Windows Update.

Q How do I type special characters like Γ©, ΓΌ, Γ± on a US keyboard? β–Ό

Add the United States β€” International keyboard layout to your existing English language. This layout uses dead keys β€” for example, pressing ' followed by e produces Γ©. Alternatively, you can use Alt + number codes (e.g., Alt + 0233 for Γ©) with the QWERTY layout and NumLock enabled.

Q Why does my keyboard layout reset after restarting? β–Ό

This is usually caused by Windows reverting to the default input method set in the language settings. Open Settings β†’ Time & Language β†’ Language β†’ Advanced keyboard settings and set your preferred layout as the Override for default input method. Also check that the layout is listed first under your primary language in the language list.

Q Can I use a third-party layout like Colemak on Windows? β–Ό

Windows 11 includes Colemak as a built-in layout option under the English language options β€” no third-party software needed. For Windows 10, Colemak may need to be installed using the free Microsoft Keyboard Layout Creator (MSKLC) or the Colemak.com installer, which creates a proper Windows layout file.

Q How many keyboard layouts can I install at once? β–Ό

There is no hard limit on the number of keyboard layouts you can have installed in Windows. However, practically speaking, having more than 4–5 layouts can make switching cumbersome. The taskbar language switcher will show all installed layouts, and you cycle through them with Win + Space.

Conclusion

Summary: Adding Keyboard Layouts in Windows Is Easy

Adding an input language or keyboard layout in Windows is a built-in feature requiring no third-party software. Whether you need to type in a foreign language, use special characters, or switch to an ergonomic layout like Dvorak, Windows makes it accessible in just a few clicks.

⊞ Quick Recap

Go to Settings β†’ Time & Language β†’ Language & Region, click "Add a language", search for your target language, and install it. To add a layout without a new language, go into the Language Options of your existing language and click "Add a keyboard". Switch between layouts anytime with Win + Space or by clicking the language indicator in the taskbar. To avoid accidental switching, customize or disable the Alt + Shift hotkey in the Advanced Keyboard Settings.