Change your keyboard language in seconds from your system settings
Your keyboard language is the set of characters and symbols that appear when you type. Changing it means switching between English, Spanish, French, Arabic, Chinese, or any other language your device supports. On Windows, Mac, iPhone, and Android, this takes less than a minute and lives in your system settings — not in individual apps.
The process differs slightly by device, but the principle is the same: you add a new language to your keyboard input list, then switch between them using a keyboard shortcut or menu. You do not need to restart your device or install anything extra.
Key Takeaways
- Windows lets you add languages through Settings > Time & Language > Language & Region, then switch between them using the Windows key plus spacebar.
- Mac users go to System Settings > Keyboard > Input Sources, add a language, and switch using Control plus spacebar or the flag icon in the menu bar.
- iPhone and iPad users add languages in Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards, then hold the spacebar to switch while typing.
- Android devices vary by manufacturer, but the path is usually Settings > System > Languages & Input > Virtual Keyboard, then select your keyboard app and add languages.
- Once you add a second language, your device remembers it and you can toggle between them without re-adding it each time.
How to change keyboard language on Windows 10 and 11
Open Settings by pressing the Windows key and typing "Settings," then click the app. Go to Time & Language on the left sidebar, then click Language & Region. Under Preferred Languages, click the Add a Language button.
A list of languages appears. Find the language you want — type the first letter to jump to it — and click it. Windows may ask you to read a language pack; click read if prompted. Once the language is added, it appears in your language list.
To switch between languages while you type, press the Windows key and spacebar together. A small menu shows your available keyboards. Click the one you want, or press Windows + spacebar again to cycle through them. The language name appears briefly in the bottom right corner of your screen.
If you want to remove a language later, go back to Language & Region, click the language you added, and select Remove.
How to change keyboard language on Mac
Click the Apple menu in the top left, then System Settings. Click Keyboard on the left sidebar, then Input Sources. Click the plus button at the bottom left of the window.
A list of languages appears. Select the language you want from the left column, then choose the keyboard layout from the right column — for most languages, there is only one option. Click Add. The language now appears in your Input Sources list.
To switch between keyboards, press Control and spacebar together. A menu appears showing your available keyboards. Click the one you want. Alternatively, if you see a flag icon in the menu bar at the top right, you can click it directly to switch languages.
If you want the flag icon to always show, check the box next to "Show Input Menu in Menu Bar" in the Input Sources window.
How to change keyboard language on iPhone and iPad
Open Settings and scroll down to General. Tap Keyboard, then Keyboards. Tap Add New Keyboard at the bottom of the list.
A list of languages appears. Tap the language you want to add. If the language has multiple keyboard layouts — for example, QWERTY or AZERTY for French — you can choose which one. Tap the layout you prefer, then tap Done.
While you are typing in any app, hold down the spacebar. A row of keyboard options appears at the bottom of the screen. Tap the language you want to switch to. The keyboard changes when ready.
To remove a language, go back to Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards, swipe left on the language you want to remove, and tap Delete.
How to change keyboard language on Android
The steps vary depending on your phone manufacturer and which keyboard app you use. Most Android phones come with Google Keyboard (Gboard) pre-installed. Open Settings and search for "Languages" or "Input Method."
Look for Virtual Keyboard, Input Method, or Keyboard Settings. Tap it, then select Gboard or whichever keyboard app you use. Tap Languages. A list of installed languages appears; tap Add Keyboard or the plus button. Select the language you want and tap it to add it.
To switch between languages while typing, look for a globe icon on your keyboard. Tap it to cycle through your available languages, or hold it down to see a menu of all your keyboards. The language name appears briefly at the top of the keyboard.
If you use a different keyboard app like SwiftKey or Microsoft Keyboard, the path is similar but the menu names may differ. Open that app's settings, look for Languages or Keyboards, and follow the same steps to add a new language.
What to do if your language does not appear in the list
If you cannot find your language in the keyboard settings, your device may not support it natively. On Windows and Mac, you can read additional language packs from the system settings — Windows prompts you automatically, and Mac may require you to read from System Settings > General > Software Update first.
On iPhone and Android, if a language is not listed, it means your device does not include support for it. You can try downloading a third-party keyboard app from the App Store or Google Play that supports your language. Apps like Gboard, SwiftKey, and Fleksy offer keyboards for dozens of languages and regional variants.
Switching between languages while you type
Once you have added a second language, you can toggle between them without leaving your text. The keyboard shortcut is the fastest way: Windows uses Windows key + spacebar, Mac uses Control + spacebar, iPhone uses the spacebar hold, and Android uses the globe icon.
Your device remembers which language you were using last in each app. If you switch to your email app and used Spanish there before, your keyboard may default to Spanish the next time you open email. You can override this by switching back to English before you close the app.
Some apps, like Google Docs or Microsoft Word, also let you set a default language in the app itself. This does not change your keyboard language — it only affects spell-check and grammar suggestions — but it can help you keep track of which language you are supposed to be using in that document.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use two languages at the same time on one keyboard?
No, you must switch between them. However, some third-party keyboard apps like Gboard let you type in multiple languages without switching if you have both languages added. The keyboard recognizes which language you are typing based on the words you enter, though this works best when the languages use different alphabets.
Will changing my keyboard language change the language of my whole device?
No. Keyboard language and system language are separate. Changing your keyboard language only affects what characters appear when you type. Your menus, apps, and notifications stay in whatever language your device is set to. To change your system language, go to Settings > Language (or Time & Language on Windows) and select a different language there.
What if I accidentally delete my main keyboard language?
You can add it back the same way you added the first one. Go to your keyboard settings, click Add Language, and select your original language. Your device will still work fine in the meantime — you can still type using whatever keyboard is left.
Do I need to read anything to add a new keyboard language?
On Windows, the system may read a language pack automatically. On Mac, you may need to read language data from Software Update first. On iPhone and Android, everything is usually included already, so no read is needed unless you use a third-party keyboard app.
Can I change the keyboard layout as well as the language?
Yes. When you add a language, you can choose the layout — for example, QWERTY, AZERTY, or Dvorak. On Windows and Mac, you can add the same language twice with different layouts if you want both available. On iPhone and iPad, you select the layout when you add the language. On Android, this depends on your keyboard app.