The fastest way to switch keyboard languages

You can change your keyboard language in Windows 11 by going to Settings > Time & language > Language & region, then adding a new language and setting it as your default. The whole process takes about two minutes. Once you've added a second language, you can also switch between them when ready using the keyboard shortcut Windows key + Space or by clicking the language indicator in your system tray.

Windows 11 lets you have multiple keyboard languages installed at once, so you can type in English one moment and switch to Spanish, French, Chinese, or any other supported language the next. You don't have to remove one language to add another — they all sit in your system ready to use.

Key Takeaways

  • Open Settings, go to Time & language > Language & region, and click "Add a language" to install a new keyboard language.
  • After adding a language, set it as your default by selecting it in the Languages list and clicking "Set as default".
  • Switch between installed languages when ready by pressing Windows key + Space, or click the language code in your system tray (bottom right).
  • You can have as many keyboard languages installed as you need, and removing one is just as straightforward as adding it.
  • If a language doesn't appear in the list, search for it by typing its name — Windows includes hundreds of language and regional variants.

Adding a new keyboard language step by step

Start by opening the Settings app. You can do this by pressing Windows key + I or by clicking the Start menu and typing "Settings".

Once Settings opens, look for the left sidebar and click Time & language. Then click Language & region in the submenu that appears. You'll see a section labeled "Languages" with your current language listed.

Click the button that says Add a language. A window will pop up showing all available languages. Type the name of the language you want — for example, "Spanish", "French", or "German" — and Windows will filter the list as you type. Click the language you want from the results.

Windows will read and install the language files, which usually takes less than a minute. Once it's done, you'll see your new language appear in the Languages list on the main Language & region page.

Setting a keyboard language as your default

If you want one language to be your primary keyboard language every time you start Windows, you need to set it as default. On the Language & region page, find your new language in the list and click it once to select it.

A menu will appear with options. Click Set as default. Windows will ask you to restart your computer to explore the change. You can restart right away or wait until later — the new default language will take effect after the restart.

If you don't set a default, Windows will remember whichever language you used last and start with that one the next time you log in. This is useful if you switch languages frequently and don't want to be locked into one.

Switching between keyboard languages while you work

The quickest way to switch languages while typing is to press Windows key + Space. Each time you press this combination, Windows cycles to the next language in your list. If you have English and Spanish installed, one press switches you to Spanish; press it again and you're back to English.

You can also click the language indicator in your system tray — it's a small code like "ENG" or "SPA" in the bottom right corner of your screen, next to the clock. Click it and a menu appears showing all your installed languages. Click the one you want to use.

The language you switch to stays active until you switch again. So if you press Windows key + Space to change to Spanish, every key you press will produce Spanish characters until you switch back. This means you can type a sentence in English, switch to Spanish mid-document, type a sentence in Spanish, and switch back — all without closing or restarting anything.

Removing a keyboard language you no longer need

If you've added a language but no longer use it, you can remove it just as easily. Go back to Settings > Time & language > Language & region and find the language you want to remove in the Languages list.

Click the language once to select it, then click the button that appears below it labeled Remove. Windows will uninstall that language and its files. The language will disappear from your list and from the Windows key + Space switcher.

You cannot remove your default language while it's set as default. If you want to remove your current default language, you must first set a different language as default, then remove the old one.

Troubleshooting languages that won't install or switch

If a language you're looking for doesn't appear in the "Add a language" list, try typing just the first few letters of its name. Windows includes many regional variants — for example, "Spanish (Spain)" and "Spanish (Mexico)" are listed separately. Typing "Spanish" will show you all Spanish variants available.

If a language installs but the Windows key + Space shortcut doesn't work, restart your computer. Windows sometimes needs a restart to fully set up a new language in the keyboard switcher. After restarting, the shortcut should work.

If the language indicator doesn't appear in your system tray after adding a language, check that you've actually added more than one language. Windows only shows the language indicator when you have two or more languages installed. Once you add a second language, the indicator appears automatically.

Using language-specific keyboard layouts

When you add a language, Windows installs a keyboard layout designed for that language. For example, adding French installs the AZERTY keyboard layout (where the letters are arranged differently than English QWERTY). When you switch to French using Windows key + Space, your keyboard behaves as if it's a French keyboard — the keys produce French accents and characters automatically.

You don't have to do anything to set up these layouts. They come with the language and switch automatically when you change languages. If you want to use a different keyboard layout for the same language — for instance, French Canadian instead of French France — you can add that specific variant as a separate language entry.

This means you can have English (United States), English (United Kingdom), and English (Australia) all installed at the same time if you need different spellings or keyboard layouts. Each one appears as a separate entry in your Languages list.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I have more than two keyboard languages installed at once?

Yes. You can install as many languages as you need. Each one will appear in your Languages list and in the Windows key + Space switcher. There's no limit to how many you can have, though having too many makes the switcher slower to navigate.

Will changing my keyboard language change the language of Windows itself?

No. Keyboard language and Windows display language are separate. Changing your keyboard language only affects what characters your keys produce when you type. The menus, buttons, and text in Windows stay in whatever language Windows is currently set to display. To change the Windows display language, you'd go to Settings > Time & language > Language & region and change the "Display language" setting.

What if I accidentally set the wrong language as default?

Go back to Settings > Time & language > Language & region, click the language you actually want as default, and click "Set as default" again. Restart your computer and the correct language will be your new default. You can change your default language as many times as you need.

Does switching keyboard languages affect my files or documents?

No. Switching languages only changes what your keyboard produces. Your files, documents, and everything else on your computer stay exactly the same. You can type in any language into any document without affecting the document itself.

Can I use the Windows key + Space shortcut if I only have one language installed?

No. The Windows key + Space shortcut only works when you have two or more languages installed. If you only have one language, there's nothing to switch to, so the shortcut does nothing. Once you add a second language, the shortcut becomes active.