How to Change the Keyboard Layout in Windows 11

To change the keyboard layout in Windows 11, open Settings > Time & language > Language & region, select the three dots next to your language, choose Language options, and select Add a keyboard. Pick the layout you want, then press Windows + Space (or select the language icon on the taskbar) to switch to it.

These steps work in Windows 11 Home and Pro. You don’t need admin rights, and the change applies to your user account. A layout controls which character each key types, so switching to, say, United States-International or Dvorak doesn’t change the letters printed on your keys.

Step 1: Add the Keyboard Layout You Want

1. Press Windows + I to open Settings.
2. Select Time & language, then Language & region.
3. Under Preferred languages, select the three dots (…) next to your language and choose Language options.
4. Under Keyboards, check that the layout isn’t already listed, then select Add a keyboard next to Installed keyboards.
5. Scroll the list and select a layout, such as United States-International, United Kingdom, or United States-Dvorak. Expected result: the new layout appears under Installed keyboards.

Can’t find the layout? Microsoft says the list shows layouts for the selected language first. If yours isn’t there, go back to Language & region, select Add a language next to Preferred languages, install the matching language, and look under its Language options instead. Installing a language needs an internet connection.

Step 2: Switch to the New Layout

Adding a layout doesn’t switch to it. Use any of these:

• Windows + Space: hold the Windows key and tap Space to cycle through every installed layout. A small menu shows which one is selected.
• Taskbar icon: select the language abbreviation near the clock (for example, ENG US) and pick a layout.
• Left Alt + Shift switches between input languages, and Ctrl + Shift can switch between layouts within one language.

Expected result: the taskbar abbreviation changes and your keys type the new layout’s characters. If Windows + Space does nothing, only one layout is installed.

Step 3: Make a Layout the Default

Windows starts with the layout of the language at the top of your Preferred languages list. To force a specific layout instead:

1. Open Settings > Time & language > Typing.
2. Select Advanced keyboard settings.
3. Under Override for default input method, choose the layout from the drop-down list.
4. Optional: check Let me use a different input method for each app window if you want each app to remember its own layout.

ASUS documents the same steps in its keyboard language guide. Another way is to move the language whose layout you want to the top of Preferred languages on the Language & region page, since the top language supplies the sign-in layout.

Which Layout Should You Pick?

Layout	Best for	Watch out for
US	Standard US keyboards	Default for English (United States)
United States-International	Typing accents like é, ñ, and ü on a US keyboard	Quote and accent keys wait for the next key; press Space after them to type the symbol alone
United Kingdom	Keyboards bought in the UK	@ and ” swap places, and £ is on Shift + 3
United States-Dvorak	Typists who learned Dvorak	Keys no longer match their printed letters
French (Standard, AZERTY)	French keyboards	A newer layout; the older one is listed as French (Legacy, AZERTY)
German	QWERTZ keyboards	Y and Z swap places

If you bought a laptop abroad, pick the layout that matches the country printed on the box or the keys. Then the symbols Windows types will match the keycaps.

Layouts vs. input method editors

Languages such as Japanese, Chinese, and Korean use an input method editor (IME) instead of a simple layout. The IME turns what you type into characters, and it’s added the same way, from that language’s Language options.

Change or Turn Off the Switching Shortcuts

If the layout keeps changing when you press Ctrl or Alt with Shift for other reasons, change those shortcuts:

1. Go to Settings > Time & language > Typing > Advanced keyboard settings.
2. Select Input language hot keys. The Text Services and Input Languages window opens on the Advanced Key Settings tab.
3. Select Between input languages, then Change Key Sequence.
4. Set Switch Input Language and Switch Keyboard Layout to Not Assigned (or a different combination), then select OK twice.

Windows + Space keeps working either way. The Input language hot keys path comes from an accepted answer on Microsoft Q&A.

Remove a Layout You Don’t Use

1. Open Settings > Time & language > Language & region.
2. Select the three dots next to the language that holds the layout, then Language options.
3. Under Keyboards, select the three dots next to the layout and choose Remove.

If Remove is grayed out, it’s the only layout for your display language. Add another layout first. A layout can also live under a different language than you expect, so check each language’s options if you can’t find it.

Add a Layout with PowerShell

IT admins and scripters can manage layouts with the International module. This example adds United States-Dvorak (input code 0409:00010409) to the first language in your list:

$List = Get-WinUserLanguageList
$List[0].InputMethodTips.Add("0409:00010409")
Set-WinUserLanguageList $List -Force

Run Get-WinUserLanguageList first to see your languages and their current input codes. Microsoft documents Set-WinUserLanguageList.

Troubleshooting

My keyboard types the wrong symbols

Windows switched layouts, usually because a shortcut was pressed by accident. Check the taskbar abbreviation, press Windows + Space to get back, and remove layouts you don’t need. A common sign: if Shift + 2 types ” instead of @, you’re on the United Kingdom layout rather than US.

The language icon is missing from the taskbar

Microsoft says the icon disappears when the old desktop language bar is on. Go to Typing > Advanced keyboard settings and uncheck Use the desktop language bar when it’s available.

My password doesn’t work at the sign-in screen

The sign-in screen may be using a different layout. Microsoft suggests checking the input language icon on that screen, switching layouts there, and using the password reveal button to see what you’re typing.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the difference between a keyboard layout and a display language?

The layout controls what your keys type. The display language controls the language of menus and apps. You can type in French on an English Windows. To change menus, see how to change the language in Windows 11.

How do I type accents without changing languages?

Add United States-International. Then press an accent key followed by a letter: ‘ then e types é, and ~ then n types ñ. To type the apostrophe or tilde by itself, press Space after it. For other ways, see how to type accent marks above letters.

Can I change what a single key does?

Not with a layout. To remap individual keys, see how to change keybinds on Windows 11.