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How to Make a Keyboard Layout the Default in Windows 11

Add the desired keyboard layout in Language & region, then select it in Advanced keyboard settings if your Windows 11 build provides the default input-method control.
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To choose a persistent default keyboard layout in Windows 11, first install it, then open Settings > Time & language > Typing > Advanced keyboard settings and select it in the default input-method control if that option is available in your Windows build. For a one-time switch, use the taskbar input-language icon or press Windows key + Spacebar.

Install the keyboard layout you want to use

  1. Open Start > Settings > Time & language > Language & region.
  2. Check whether the language associated with the layout is already listed. If it is not, select Add a language and follow the prompts. Downloading a language pack requires an internet connection.
  3. Beside the relevant language, select the three-dot menu, then choose Language options.
  4. Under Keyboards, check whether the layout is installed. If it is not, select Add a keyboard and choose the layout. If you cannot find it, check the language that matches the layout; a layout is not always listed under a language pack with the same name.

You may be able to add a keyboard layout without installing a matching full language pack. Check the available keyboard options before adding extra language features. Microsoft’s language and keyboard guide describes this workflow.

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Select the preferred default input method

  1. Open Settings > Time & language > Typing > Advanced keyboard settings.
  2. Find the default input-method control and select the installed keyboard layout or input method you want Windows to prefer.

The control’s exact wording and availability can vary by Windows build. Microsoft documents the Advanced keyboard settings page, but its support instructions do not specify a universal label or selection sequence for this control. If you do not see it, use the available layout-switching options below rather than assuming that changing Preferred languages will set the keyboard default. Microsoft’s default input-language guidance also covers Windows input-language and keyboard options.

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Switch layouts temporarily while you work

  • Select the input-language icon on the taskbar, then choose an installed layout.
  • Press Windows key + Spacebar to cycle through installed layouts. If nothing happens, only one keyboard layout may be installed.

These actions change the active layout; they are not the same as choosing a persistent default.

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Understand what the keyboard setting changes

Keyboard layout and display language are separate

A keyboard layout controls how key presses produce characters. The display language controls the Windows interface. Microsoft states: “Changing the keyboard layout only changes the layout and doesn’t change the Windows display language.”

Preferred language order does not set the keyboard default

The order under Preferred languages determines the first supported language used by Microsoft Store apps and websites. Reordering that list is not a reliable way to set the persistent default keyboard layout.

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A display-language change can affect the selected layout

After changing the Windows display language, check the input-language icon at the sign-in screen before entering your password. The selected layout changes how the keys you press are interpreted.

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Troubleshoot a missing layout or input indicator

  • The layout is missing from the default selector: Add it first under Settings > Time & language > Language & region > Language options > Keyboards. If it is not listed, check the language that matches the layout.
  • Windows key + Spacebar does nothing: Check whether more than one keyboard layout is installed. The shortcut cycles through installed layouts.
  • The taskbar input icon is not visible: Its visibility can be affected by taskbar system-icon settings or legacy language-bar settings. Microsoft’s taskbar and language-bar guidance explains the relevant options.

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