How to Change Your Keyboard Layout in Windows 10 and 11

One of the first things you may need to do after installing Windows is change the keyboard layout to match your preferences. You don’t need to worry about making mistakes during setup, since new layouts can be added later, while existing ones can be modified or removed entirely without any issues.

Adding new layouts and modifying current ones can be especially useful when you need to communicate with people who use an entirely different alphabet, such as Germans who use Ü. Windows 10 and 11 support a wide range of input languages and regional keyboard configurations, making it easy to adapt your setup for different needs.

The sections below show you exactly how to change keyboard layout settings, switch between installed layouts, and remove the ones you no longer need. For more details on supported languages, refer to Microsoft’s official language settings guide.

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How to Change Keyboard Layout in Windows 11

1. Add a New Keyboard Layout in Windows 11

Before you can add a keyboard layout in Windows 11, the associated language must already be installed on your system. If it is not, go to Settings > Time & language > Language & region, click Add a language next to Preferred languages, search for and select your desired language, choose the features you want to install, and click Install. Once the language is installed, return to Language & region to add the keyboard layout following the steps below.

Note that adding a keyboard layout does not change the Windows display language. However, if you later change the Windows display language, it may also change the active keyboard layout at sign-in.

1. Press the Windows key to open the Start menu
2. Go to Settings
3. Select Time & language
4. Click on Language & region
5. Under Preferred languages, find the language you want to add a keyboard for
6. Click the three-dot menu next to that language and select Language options
7. Under the Keyboards section, click Add a keyboard
8. Choose your desired layout from the drop-down list

Once added, the new layout will be available to switch to immediately.

2. Switch Keyboard Layouts in Windows 11

The quickest way to switch between installed keyboard layouts in Windows 11 is to press Windows key + Spacebar. This cycles through all available layouts without needing to use the taskbar at all.

You can also click the language or layout indicator in the taskbar (visible near the clock in the system tray area) and select your preferred layout from the pop-up list. If you have multiple layouts installed, this gives you a clear visual overview of your options before switching.

3. Remove a Keyboard Layout in Windows 11

1. Press the Windows key to open the Start menu
2. Go to Settings
3. Select Time & language
4. Click on Language & region
5. Under Preferred languages, find the language whose keyboard layout you want to remove
6. Click the three-dot menu next to that language and select Language options
7. Under the Keyboards section, find the layout you no longer need
8. Click the three-dot menu next to that layout and select Remove

Removed layouts can always be re-added later by following the steps above.

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How to Change Keyboard Layout in Windows 10

1. Add New Keyboard Layouts

Before adding a keyboard layout, make sure the associated language is already installed on your system. To check, go to Settings > Time & Language > Language and look under Preferred languages. If the language you need is not listed, click Add a preferred language, search for and select your desired language, choose which features to install, and click Install. Once the language pack is installed, return to its Options to add the keyboard layout.

Keep in mind that adding a keyboard layout does not change the Windows display language. However, changing the display language can also change which keyboard layout is active at sign-in.

1. Press the Windows key to open the Start menu
2. Go to Settings (the cogwheel-shaped button in the Start menu)
3. Select Time & Language
4. Choose Language
5. Look under Preferred languages and select your desired default language
6. Click on Options
7. Select Add a keyboard from under the Keyboard section
8. Choose a new layout from the drop-down list

Once selected, the new keyboard layout will be added and available for use immediately. You can add as many layouts as you need and switch between them at any time.