The fastest way to switch keyboard languages

On Windows, hold the left Alt key and press Shift to cycle through your installed keyboard languages. On Mac, hold Option and click the flag icon in the top-right corner of your screen, then pick the language you want. Both systems let you add new languages first, then switch between them instantly once they're installed.

If you only need one language but it's not your system default, you can change your entire keyboard layout without switching back and forth. The steps differ depending on whether you use Windows, Mac, or Linux, and whether you want to add a second language or replace your current one entirely.

Key Takeaways

  • Windows and Mac both let you add multiple keyboard languages and switch between them with a keyboard shortcut, without restarting.
  • You add new keyboard languages through your system settings, not through individual programs or browsers.
  • The keyboard shortcut to switch languages is Alt+Shift on Windows and Option+Flag on Mac; you can customize these shortcuts if you prefer.
  • Changing your keyboard language is different from changing your system language — you can type in French while your menus stay in English.

Adding a keyboard language on Windows 10 and 11

Open Settings and go to Time & Language, then select Language & Region on the left. Under "Languages", click Add a Language and search for the language you want — for example, "Spanish" or "Japanese". Windows will show you the variants available (Spanish from Spain versus Spanish from Mexico, for instance). Pick the one you need and click Next.

Windows will download the language files and add it to your keyboard options. You don't need to restart. Once it's installed, you'll see a language indicator in your taskbar (usually showing "ENG" or your current language code). Click that indicator or use Alt+Shift to switch between your installed languages instantly.

If you want to remove a language later, go back to Language & Region, find the language in your list, click it, and select Remove. Your default language (the one Windows uses for menus and system messages) stays unchanged unless you specifically set a different one.

Adding a keyboard language on Mac

Click the Apple menu and go to System Settings (or System Preferences on older versions). Select Keyboard, then click the Input Sources tab. Click the + button at the bottom left, and a list of languages will appear. Find the language and keyboard layout you want — for example, "French" with "AZERTY" layout — and click Add.

Mac will add it to your input sources immediately. You'll see a flag icon appear in the top-right corner of your menu bar. Click that flag to see your installed keyboards and switch between them, or use Option+Flag to cycle through them. If you want to remove a keyboard, select it in the Input Sources list and click the − button.

If the flag icon doesn't appear, go back to Keyboard > Input Sources and check the box next to "Show Input Menu in Menu Bar". This makes the switcher visible so you can change languages without opening settings.

Customizing your keyboard shortcut to switch languages

On Windows, you can change the Alt+Shift shortcut to something else. Go to Settings > Time & Language > Keyboard, scroll down to "Switching Input Methods", and click Change Language Hotkey. Pick a new combination from the dropdown — for example, Ctrl+Shift — and click Save. The new shortcut takes effect immediately.

On Mac, go to System Settings > Keyboard > Keyboard Shortcuts, then select Input Sources on the left. You'll see options to customize the shortcuts for "Select the Previous Input Source" and "Select Next Source". Click the field next to either one and press the key combination you want to use instead. Mac will accept most combinations, including single keys like the spacebar or function keys.

Changing your entire keyboard layout instead of switching

If you want to type in a different language permanently — not just add it as an option — you can set it as your default keyboard layout. On Windows, go to Settings > Time & Language > Language & Region, find your new language in the list, click it, and select Set as Default. Your keyboard will now use that layout by default, though you can still add other languages and switch between them.

On Mac, go to System Settings > Keyboard > Input Sources, select the language you want to use most often, and it will become your default. When you restart or log in again, that keyboard will be active first. You can still switch to other languages using the flag menu or your keyboard shortcut.

Be aware that changing your default keyboard layout changes which keys produce which characters. If you're used to QWERTY, switching to AZERTY (French) or QWERTZ (German) will move your punctuation and numbers to different keys. Most people find it easier to keep their familiar layout and add a second language to switch to when needed.

Troubleshooting when your keyboard language won't change

If you added a language but the keyboard shortcut doesn't work, restart your computer. Windows and Mac sometimes need a restart to fully activate a new keyboard language, especially if you added it while programs were open. After restarting, try the shortcut again.

If the language appears in your settings but you can't select it, check that you downloaded the full language pack, not just the interface language. On Windows, go back to Language & Region, find the language, and click it to see if it says "Language Pack" or just "Display Language". You need the full pack to type in that language. On Mac, the input source and language pack are usually the same download, so this is less common.

If your keyboard is typing in the wrong language even after you switched, check your taskbar (Windows) or menu bar (Mac) to confirm which language is actually active. Sometimes the switcher doesn't update visually right away, but switching again usually fixes it. If you're in a program that has its own language settings — like Microsoft Office or a web browser — that program's language setting might override your system keyboard. Check the program's preferences first.

Keyboard languages versus system language

Changing your keyboard language does not change your system language. You can type in Spanish while your Windows menus, error messages, and system notifications stay in English. This is useful if you want to write in another language but keep your computer's interface familiar.

If you want to change your entire system language — so menus and settings appear in Spanish, French, or another language — that's a separate setting. On Windows, go to Settings > Time & Language > Language & Region and set your "Display Language" to what you want. On Mac, go to System Settings > General > Language & Region and choose your preferred language. Changing your system language usually requires a restart and affects all your programs, not just your keyboard.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use different keyboard languages in different programs?

Your keyboard language is a system-wide setting, so switching languages affects all programs at once. However, some programs like Microsoft Word have their own spell-check language settings. You can set Word to check spelling in Spanish while your keyboard is set to English, or vice versa. The keyboard language controls what characters you type; the program language controls how the program checks your work.

What if my keyboard layout doesn't match the language I added?

Some languages have multiple keyboard layouts. When you add Spanish, you might get the Spain layout or the Latin America layout. When you add French, you might get AZERTY or QWERTY. If you picked the wrong one, remove it from your input sources and add it again, choosing the correct layout this time. You can have both layouts installed and switch between them if you need both.

Will changing my keyboard language affect my passwords?

Your passwords are stored as the characters you typed when you created them, not as keyboard positions. If you created a password while your keyboard was set to English, switching to French won't change what password you need. However, if you type your password while your keyboard is set to a different language, you might type different characters by accident. Always check which language is active before entering passwords.

Can I switch keyboard languages on a Chromebook?

Yes. Click the time in the bottom-right corner, then click Settings. Go to Advanced > Languages and Inputs > Inputs, click Add Languages, and select the language you want. Once added, you can switch using Ctrl+Space or by clicking the language indicator in your taskbar. Chromebooks handle keyboard languages the same way as Windows and Mac.

Do I need to install anything to add a keyboard language?

No. Windows and Mac download the language files automatically when you add a new keyboard through settings. You don't need to download anything separately or restart your computer (though restarting can help if the language doesn't appear right away). The entire process happens through your system settings.