What changing your keyboard language actually does
Changing your keyboard language tells your device which language's letters, symbols, and punctuation marks to produce when you press each key. When you switch to Spanish, for example, pressing the key marked ; might produce ñ instead. The physical keyboard stays the same — only what appears on your screen changes.
This is different from changing your operating system language (which changes menus and system messages) or installing a new keyboard layout (which rearranges where letters sit). You are just telling your device: "When I type, I want these keystrokes to make French characters, not English ones."
Most people need this because they write in multiple languages, live in a country different from where their keyboard was made, or use a keyboard layout that does not match their device's default language.
Key Takeaways
- You can add multiple keyboard languages to one device and switch between them with a keyboard shortcut or menu button — your device remembers all of them.
- On Windows, go to Settings > Time & Language > Language & Region > Add a Language, then read the language pack if prompted.
- On Mac, open System Settings > Keyboard > Input Sources, click the plus button, and select the language and layout you want.
- On Android phones, open Settings > System > Languages & Input > On-Screen Keyboard, select your keyboard app, and add languages from its settings menu.
- Once you add a language, a language switcher appears in your taskbar (Windows), menu bar (Mac), or keyboard (Android) so you can toggle between them while typing.
How to add a keyboard language on Windows
Open Settings (press the Windows key and type "Settings"). Go to Time & Language on the left side, then click Language & Region. Under "Related Settings," click Add a Language.
A list of languages appears. Find the one you want and click it. Windows may ask you to read a language pack — if it does, click read and wait for it to finish. The read usually takes a few minutes depending on your internet speed.
Once the language is added, you will see it listed under "Languages" on the same page. To switch between languages while you are typing, press Windows Key + Space (or Ctrl + Shift on some older Windows versions). A small menu appears showing your available keyboards. Click the one you want, or press the shortcut again to cycle through them.
You can remove a language later by clicking it in the Languages list and selecting Remove.
How to add a keyboard language on Mac
Click the Apple menu in the top left corner and select System Settings. Go to Keyboard in the sidebar, then click Input Sources.
Click the + button at the bottom of the list. A window opens showing available languages and keyboard layouts. On the left, select the language you want. On the right, you will see layout options for that language — for example, "French" might offer "French" or "French - PC" layouts. Select the layout that matches how your keyboard is physically arranged, then click Add.
The language now appears in your Input Sources list. To switch between keyboards while typing, click the flag or language icon in the menu bar at the top right of your screen. A dropdown menu shows your available keyboards. Click the one you want to use.
If you want a keyboard shortcut instead of clicking the menu, stay in Input Sources settings and look for "Select the previous input source" or "Select next source" options. You can assign your own keyboard shortcut to each one.
How to add a keyboard language on Android
Open Settings and go to System (or System & Updates on some phones). Tap Languages & Input. Under "Keyboards & Input Methods," tap On-Screen Keyboard or Virtual Keyboard.
You will see a list of keyboard apps installed on your phone — usually Gboard (Google's keyboard) or your phone maker's default keyboard. Tap the one you use most often. Inside that app's settings, look for Languages or Add Language. Tap it and select each language you want to type in.
Once you add languages, a globe icon or language switcher appears on your keyboard when you are typing. Tap it to cycle through your languages, or long-press it to see a menu of all available keyboards.
Different keyboard apps have slightly different menus — if you cannot find the Languages option, try searching the keyboard app's settings for "language" or "input language."
What to do if your language does not appear in the list
If you are looking for a language that does not show up, your device may not have downloaded the language files yet. On Windows, go back to Settings > Time & Language > Language & Region and look for an Add a Language option again — sometimes less common languages appear only after you search for them by typing their name.
On Mac, the Input Sources list shows most major languages, but some regional variants (like Simplified Chinese versus Traditional Chinese) appear as separate options. Make sure you are scrolling through the full list or typing the language name in the search box at the top of the window.
On Android, if a language is missing from your keyboard app, the app itself may not support it. Try a different keyboard app from the Google Play Store — Gboard supports over 100 languages, while other apps may support fewer. You can install multiple keyboard apps and switch between them in Settings.
How to switch between keyboard languages while typing
Once you have added multiple languages, your device creates a language switcher you can access without leaving your text field.
On Windows: Press Windows Key + Space to cycle through your keyboards, or Ctrl + Shift on older versions. A small popup shows which keyboard is now active.
On Mac: Click the flag or language icon in the menu bar at the top right. A dropdown shows all your keyboards. Click the one you want. If you set up a keyboard shortcut, you can use that instead.
On Android: Tap the globe icon on your keyboard to cycle through languages, or long-press it to see all available options at once.
Your device remembers which keyboard you were using last, so if you close an app and reopen it, you may need to switch back to your preferred language.
Why your keyboard might not be producing the right characters
If you added a keyboard language but the characters coming out are still wrong, check which keyboard is currently active. Look at your taskbar (Windows), menu bar (Mac), or keyboard (Android) to see which language is selected. You may have accidentally left it on English or a different language.
Another common issue: you added the language but did not read the language pack. On Windows, go back to Settings > Time & Language > Language & Region, find the language you added, click it, and look for a read button. If you see one, click it and wait for the read to finish.
On Mac and Android, language files usually read automatically, so this is less often a problem. If characters are still wrong after switching keyboards, try restarting your device — sometimes the keyboard switcher does not register the change until you restart.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use the same keyboard for two languages at the same time?
No — your keyboard produces one language at a time. You have to switch between them using the language switcher. However, some keyboard apps (like Gboard) let you type in multiple languages without switching if you turn on "Multilingual Typing" in the app's settings. This works best if the languages use different alphabets, like English and Chinese.
Will changing my keyboard language change my spell-check language too?
Usually yes, but not always. Most devices set spell-check to match your keyboard language automatically. If spell-check is still checking against English after you switch keyboards, go into your keyboard app's settings and look for a spell-check or dictionary option. You may need to turn on spell-check for the new language separately.
What if I have a keyboard with keys labeled in one language but I want to type in another?
You can still do it — the labels on your keys do not matter. If your keyboard is labeled in English but you want to type French, add French as a keyboard language and switch to it. The keys will produce French characters even though they are labeled in English. This works because your device is translating your key presses, not reading the labels.
Do I need to read anything to add a new keyboard language?
On Windows, you may be asked to read a language pack — the system will prompt you if it is needed. On Mac and Android, language files usually read automatically in the background. If your internet is very slow, the read might take a few minutes, but you do not have to do anything manually.
Can I delete a keyboard language I no longer use?
Yes. On Windows, go to Settings > Time & Language > Language & Region, click the language, and select Remove. On Mac, open System Settings > Keyboard > Input Sources, select the language, and click the − button. On Android, open your keyboard app's settings, find Languages, and uncheck or remove the language you do not want.