How to add a keyboard language
The official steps for Windows 11, Mac, iPhone and Android, checked against Microsoft, Apple and Google support pages on 27 September 2026, and how to switch layouts while you type.
- 4
- platforms
- 5
- official support pages checked
The short version
| Device | Where | Switch while typing |
|---|---|---|
| Windows 11 | Settings > Time & language > Language & region | Windows logo key + Space |
| Mac | System Settings > Keyboard > Text Input > Edit | Control + Space, or the Input menu |
| iPhone | Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards | Touch and hold the Switch Keyboard key |
| Android (Gboard) | Gboard Settings > Languages > Add keyboard | Touch and hold the space bar |
Windows 11
Windows separates the language from the keyboard layout. If the language is already installed, you only add a keyboard; Microsoft notes you do not always need the full language pack for that.
Add a keyboard layout
- Open Start > Settings > Time & language > Language & region.
- Select the three dots next to your language, then Language options.
- Under Keyboards, select Add a keyboard next to Installed keyboards, and pick the layout.
- If the layout is not in the list, install the language it belongs to first (below), then add it there.
Add a language
- Stay connected to the internet: the language downloads.
- In Language & region, select Add a language next to Preferred languages.
- Type the language name, choose it, select Next, keep Language pack checked and select Install.
Switch layouts: select the input language icon in the taskbar, or hold the Windows logo key and press Space to cycle through them. If nothing happens, only one layout is installed.
On-screen keyboard: Start > Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard, then turn on On-Screen Keyboard.
Mac
- Choose Apple menu > System Settings, then click Keyboard in the sidebar.
- Go to Text Input and click Edit.
- Click the Add button (+), search for the language, select the input sources you want and click Add.
Switch: use the Input menu in the menu bar; press Control + Space for the last source you used or Control + Option + Space for the next one; or set the fn or Globe key to Change Input Source in Keyboard settings. Apple also offers a Caps Lock option to switch between a Latin source and a non-Latin one.
See the layout: choose Show Keyboard Viewer in the Input menu.
iPhone
- Open Settings, tap General, then Keyboard.
- Tap Keyboards, then Add New Keyboard, and choose a language. Repeat for more.
- To pick another layout for a language, tap the language in the Keyboards list.
Switch: while typing, touch and hold the Switch Keyboard key or the Emoji button and tap the keyboard you want. Some language pairs can be added as one bilingual keyboard (Apple's example is English (U.S.) and Spanish (Latin America)) so you do not switch at all.
Android (Gboard)
- Open any app you can type in and tap a text field.
- At the top of the keyboard, tap Settings, then Languages > Add keyboard.
- Pick the language, then the layout, and tap Done.
You can also go through the Settings app: System > Keyboard > On-screen keyboard > Gboard > Languages. Google notes that some steps need Android 7.0 or later.
Switch: touch and hold the space bar. To show a dedicated language key, touch and hold the comma, drag to Settings, tap Preferences and turn on Show language switch key.
When you cannot install anything
On a school, library or work computer you often cannot change settings. That is what the keyboards on this site are for: pick a language, type with your own keys or tap the on-screen ones, then copy the text into any app. They use the same layouts Windows does.
Questions
How do I switch keyboard language on Windows?
Hold the Windows logo key and press Space, or select the input language icon in the taskbar.
How do I add a keyboard on Mac?
System Settings > Keyboard > Text Input > Edit, then click + and add the input source.
How do I add a keyboard language on iPhone?
Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards > Add New Keyboard.
How do I add a language to Gboard?
Gboard Settings > Languages > Add keyboard, then pick the language and layout.
Try it on the keyboard
More guides
Sources
- Microsoft: Manage the language and keyboard/input layout settings in Windows
- Microsoft: Use the On-Screen Keyboard (OSK) to type
- Apple: Write in another language on Mac
- Apple: Add or change keyboards on iPhone
- Google: Type in a different language (Gboard)
Every key and count in this guide is computed from the layout data when the site is built, so it always matches the keyboards here.