How to Change the Default Keyboard Settings in Windows 10/11

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Choose your default keyboard language on Windows

Co-authored by Scott St Gelais and Rain Kengly

Last Updated: September 4, 2024 Fact Checked

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• Adding a New Language
|
• Changing the Language
|
• Customizing Hot Keys
|
• Video
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• Expert Q&A

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Do you want to fix your keyboard layout or add a new language to use? You can install language packs for different keyboards and display languages. This can also be helpful if you accidentally changed your keyboard and want to get it back to its normal settings. Here's how to change the default keyboard settings in Windows 10.

Choosing a New Keyboard Layout

To use a new default keyboard layout, you'll need to add a new language to your computer. Open the Language settings and click Add a language to install a new language pack. Set the new language at the top of the list to make it the default.

Steps

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Adding a New Language

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1. 1
   Click the magnifying glass icon. If you don't have the search icon on your taskbar, you can click the Start menu instead. This is the Windows logo. Typing into either will allow you to search your computer.
2. 2
   Type language settings and click the first option. This will open the Language window.
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3. 3
   Click Add a language. You can find this under the Preferred languages header.

   • A pop-up menu will open.
4. 4
   Select a language and click Next. You can type a language or scroll down to find one.
5. 5
   Click Install. By default, you'll be installing the language pack. You may also have the choice to download text-to-speech, speech recognition, and handwriting if it's available. Check the box to mark the ones you want to download.

   • If you want to set the new language as your new default when it's finished, check the box for Set as my Windows display language. This will change all the text on your device.
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Changing the Language

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1. 1
   Click the magnifying glass icon. If you don't have the search icon on your taskbar, you can click the Start menu instead. This is the Windows logo. Typing into either will allow you to search your computer.
2. 2
   Type language settings and click the first option. This will open the Language window.
3. 3
   Click Keyboard. This is underneath the Language header.
4. 4
   Check the box for "Use the desktop language bar when it's available". This will add a shortcut to your taskbar. With this shortcut, you can quickly change the language.
5. 5
   Click the language bar. This is in your taskbar.
6. 6
   Select a new language. This will change the language of your apps and websites as well as your keyboard layout.

   • Alternatively, return to the Language page and click the new language. Click the up arrow to reorder the new language at the top of the list; this will set it as your default.
   • If you want to delete a language, click it, and then click Remove.
7. 7
   Change the Windows display language (optional). If you want to change the language of features like File Explorer and settings, select the drop-down menu underneath Windows display language. Then, select the new language.
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Customizing Hot Keys

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1. 1
   Click the magnifying glass icon. If you don't have the search icon on your taskbar, you can click the Start menu instead. This is the Windows logo. Typing into either will allow you to search your computer.
2. 2
   Type language settings and click the first option. This will open the Language window.
3. 3
   Click Keyboard. It's under the header "Language" next to an icon of a keyboard.
4. 4
   Click Input Language hot keys. You'll see this in blue text under the checkboxes for "Switching input methods."

   • In the "Advanced Key Settings" tab, you can change the keyboard shortcuts to alternate between keyboard languages. The default is either Alt + Shift or Win + Shift, but you can change them.
   • You can also switch to the "Language Bar" tab and change where the language icon is. By default, your language icon is located in your taskbar. Click Apply if you've made any changes before closing the window.
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Expert Q&A

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• Question

  How can you download new language packs on Windows 10?

  

  Scott St Gelais
  IT Consultant

  Scott St Gelais is an IT Consultant and the Owner of Geeks in Phoenix, Arizona. With over two decades of experience, Scott specializes in computer service and repair, development, computer graphics, and website authoring. Scott received his Technical Associates Degree from High Tech Institute and completed the IT Support Professional Certificate by Google. Geeks in Phoenix is a member of the Microsoft Partner Network and an Intel Technology Provider Gold Partner.

  

  Scott St Gelais

  IT Consultant

  Expert Answer

  Go into Windows settings and click on a section called Time and Language. That's where you'll add a new language (you can add as many as you want).

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