Windows offers many more keyboard layouts besides QWERTY. With a few clicks, you can add a new keyboard layout, such as DVORAK or AZERTY, and then switch to it. Here is what you need to know.
How to Add a Keyboard Layout in Windows 11
Many keyboard layouts are already installed for your preferred language. To add them to Windows 11, follow the steps below:
1. Press Win + I to open Settings, then go to Time & language > Language & Region.
2. Click the three-dot icon next to your preferred language (the one at the top) and select Language Options.
3. Under Keyboards, click Add a Keyboard and choose another keyboard layout from the available options.
You can get more keyboard layouts by adding a new language. However, this requires an Internet connection to download the new language. So make sure you are connected to the Internet, then follow the steps below:
1. On the Language & Region page in Settings (step 1 above), click Add a Language.
2. In the pop-up window, select the language you want to install and click Next.
3. Click Install for Windows 11 to download and install the new language.
4. Follow steps 2 and 3 above to add a new keyboard layout for the language you just installed.
If you still can't find a keyboard layout you like, consider creating a custom keyboard layout.
How to Change the Keyboard Layout in Windows 11
To change the keyboard layout, click the language switcher in the system tray and choose a different layout from there.
Alternatively, you can press and hold Win and keep tapping the Space key to cycle through the different keyboard layouts. You can do the same by holding Shift and pressing Alt.
How to Change the Order of Keyboard Layouts
Keyboard layouts appear in the list in the order you added them to Windows. But now, you can change that order. Here is how:
Press Win + I to launch the Settings app. Go to Time & language. Click the Keyboard. option.
Now click the three horizontal dots next to a keyboard in the list. To move a keyboard layout up in the list, select the Move up button. Likewise, click the Move down button to move a layout down one spot in the list.
You can also click a keyboard in the list, then hold and drag the layout up or down. Close Settings when you finish editing the order.
Now, press Windows + D to open the Keyboard Layout menu on the Taskbar. You will notice that the order appears exactly as you configured it in the Settings app.
The list of keyboard layouts can grow long, especially if you import many languages or if several users, each with their own language preferences, access the system. Now you can easily move your most-used keyboard layouts to the top or second position and push the least-used ones to the bottom.
How to Remove a Keyboard Layout in Windows 11
If you don't need a keyboard layout, you can easily remove it. To do that, follow the steps below:
- Press Win + I to open Settings, then go to Time & language > Language & Region.
- Click the three-dot icon next to the keyboard layout you want to remove and select Language Options.
- Under Keyboards, click the three-dot icon next to the keyboard layout and select Remove.
You can also remove a language if you no longer need it. To do that, follow the steps below:
- Go back to Language & Region in Settings.
- Click the three-dot icon next to the language you want to remove and click Remove.
The language and its associated keyboard layout are now removed from your computer.
If you want to quickly rearrange your Windows keyboard, just change its layout. You don't have to stick with the default layout if it doesn't meet your needs. What's more, layouts are flexible and can be used on a physical keyboard or the on-screen touch keyboard.
