How to Change the Keyboard Language on a Computer

You may want to know how to change the keyboard language if you are studying a new language and want to make it easier to practice on a computer using an website or app like Babble or Duolingo. In addition, many people speak multiple languages in their daily lives whether it’s in business or in their personal lives. As a result operating systems on computers and smartphones make it easy to change between different keyboard languages.  In this article we’ll explain how and why you might want to consider changing your keyboard’s language.

Changing your keyboard language on your computer is more difficult than on a smartphone because the keycaps are attached to the keyboard and require manual effort to rearrange. If you are not using a mechanical keyboard and instead have a membrane keyboard or laptop it may not even be possible at all. In this case, you will have to remember where the keys are and won’t be able to rely on looking down at your keys as you build your muscle memory to get comfortable knowing where the letters are located on your keyboard for your selected keyboard language.

How to Change the Keyboard Language on Windows

Changing the keyboard language on Windows PCs differs slightly depending on what version of Windows you are using. On Windows 11 changing the language is very straightforward, and on Windows 8 and 10 it is very similar, with a few additional steps.

How to Change the Keyboard Language on Windows 11

1. Click the Start menu icon and then the Settings icon. 
2. Select Time & language and click Language & region.

3.  Click “Add language” and select the keyboard language you want to use on your PC.

1. Select the language you would like to add and click “Next”.

How to Change the Keyboard Language on Windows 8 or 10

1. Press the Windows logo key and type “Control” to find and open the Control Panel
2. Under “Clock, Language, and Region,” click “Add a language.”
3. Click “Add a language.”
4. Search for the language you would like to add in the search bar, then click that language and click add.
5. The language you have added should appear in your list of languages.
6. After you have enabled the keyboard language that you want, open your document and place the cursor in the document where you want to start to type text in a different language.

To switch between languages press Alt + Shift, or you can add multiple languages to the desktop language bar by following these steps:  

1. Press the Windows logo key and type “Control” to search for the Control Panel app.
2. Click Control Panel.
3. Under “Clock, Language, and Region,” click “Change input methods.”
4. Click “Advanced settings.”
5. Under “Switching input methods,” select the “Use the desktop language bar when it’s available” check box, and then click Options.
6. In the Text Services and Input Languages dialog box, click the Language Bar tab, and make sure that either the “Floating” On Desktop or the “Docked in the taskbar” option is selected.
7. Click the language icon on the Language bar, which should appear on your taskbar near where the clock is, and then click the language that you want to use.
8. Click the language icon on the Language bar, which should appear on your taskbar near where the clock is, and then click the language that you want to use.

How to Change the Keyboard Language on a Mac, MacBook, MacBook Air

Changing the keyboard language on a MacBook Pro, Air, or iMac is a very quick and easy process, simply: 

1. Choose Apple menu > System Preferences

2. Then click Language & Region.

3. To add a language click the plus button.

4. Select one or more languages in the list, then click the language you would like to add.

5. The macOS will as if you would like to change the primary language. Select the primary language you would like to use.

6. To change to a new primary language, simply drag a different preferred language to the top of the Preferred languages list. To remove a language from the list select the language you would like to remove and press the minus button.

How to Change Keyboard Language in Linux

To change the keyboard language on Linux follow these steps.

The screenshots below are from Elementary, but LinuxMint, Ubuntu and other Linux distributions will be the same or very similar.

1. Go to System Settings and under ‘Hardware’ choose the ‘Keyboard’ option.

2. Press the plus button.

3. Add your keyboard language.

How to Change Keyboard Language on Your Smartphone

Changing the keyboard language on your keyboard will not only change your phone’s keyboard language but will also change the word prediction and autocorrect as you type in that language. Your phone can even sometimes predict correct conjugations as you type, which can be immensely helpful. 

How to Change Keyboard Language on iPhones

As the most popular brand of cell phone, Apple has made it very easy to change your keyboard language on iPhones:

1. First, add the language-specific keyboard to your phone’s settings:
2. Go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards.
3. Tap Add New Keyboard, then choose a keyboard.
4. Once you’ve added your new keyboard, you can switch between your keyboards in any app that uses the keyboard.

How to Change Keyboard Language on Samsung Smartphones

Samsung cell phones are also very popular, and if you are using one of these mobile devices you can easily change the keyboard language by following these four easy steps:

1. First, press the gear symbol at the top of your Samsung keyboard in any app.
2. Select the option which allows you to choose languages (on most devices, this is called “Languages and types”).
3. Tap on “Manage input languages” and select the languages you want your device’s keyboard to support. When you select more than one language here, you can quickly switch between languages by swiping your finger across the space bar.
4. Press Update to view additional languages available for download.

Why Change Keyboard Language?

You may be asking yourself, is it worth the effort to change keyboard language? Or, is it really necessary? Here are a couple of reasons why changing keyboard language can be beneficial.

Faster Typing

Typing is all about speed. Keyboards are designed with the most frequently used letters of a language closer to your fingertips so that you can type faster. Therefore, changing your keyboard language will help you type much faster. For example, Q is on the top left of an English keyboard because it’s not used much. However, when the language used on an English keyboard is changed to French, Q takes the place of A because Qs are used frequently in the French language. 

Easier Accent Marks in French and Spanish 

When it comes to typing in French and Spanish, accent mark usage is very common. Accent marks are used on six different letters in French and five different letters in Spanish. 

If you aren’t using French or Spanish as your keyboard language, you’ll have to press three different keys to add accent marks. Changing your keyboard language to French or Spanish will save you a tremendous amount of typing time by not having to press three keys each time you want to use one of these accent marks or punctuations. 

French Keyboard Language Accent Marks

When you change your keyboard language to French, you can type the grave accent (à, è, ù) and acute accent (é) with a single key. The other accented letters require a combination of two keys:

• For a circumflex (â, ê, etc), type ^ then the vowel
• For a tréma, (ä, ë, etc), type ¨ and the vowel

Spanish Keyboard Language Accent Marks

When you change your keyboard language to Spanish, the ñ is just to the right of the L and doesn’t require you to type any other keys. Additionally, for accents on vowels all you have to do is type the apostrophe (‘) key on your keyboard followed by the vowel you want to accent.

If you are fluent in multiple languages, or even if you are trying to learn a new language, it can be beneficial to change your keyboard language as you type in that language. Doing so can end up saving you a considerable amount of typing time because the letters you use more frequently will be located closer to your fingertips. Additionally, accent marks or punctuations will be much faster because you won’t have to press three keys each time.

For more helpful tips and information about keyboard technology, check out our blog to learn about keyboards, productivity hacks, typing tips, and more. If you’re ready to upgrade to the next generation of keyboards shop our mechanical keyboards now!