How to Change Keyboard Layout on Your Computer, Phone, or Tablet

Changing your keyboard layout simply means telling your device to treat your key presses differently. The physical keys stay the same, but the characters that appear on screen can change based on language, region, or layout style.

If you’ve ever pressed Shift + 2 and expected @ but got " instead, your keyboard layout didn’t match what you thought it was. Fixing that is all about choosing the right layout in your operating system’s settings.

This guide walks through how keyboard layouts work, how to change them on major platforms, and what choices matter most. The final step—choosing the best layout for you—depends on your own language, hardware, and habits.

What Is a Keyboard Layout, Exactly?

A keyboard layout is a software setting that defines:

Which character each key produces
What happens with modifiers, like Shift, Alt, or Option
Language-specific characters, like ñ, é, ö, or currency symbols

For example:

US QWERTY: Standard layout for many English users
UK QWERTY: Similar, but some symbols (like @ and " positions) differ
AZERTY: Common in France and some other countries
QWERTZ: Common in Germany and Central Europe

You can have multiple layouts installed and switch between them as needed—handy if you:

Type in more than one language
Use a non‑English operating system with an English keyboard (or vice versa)
Need special symbols regularly (e.g., euro sign, accented characters)

The key idea: layout is software, not hardware. You don’t need a new physical keyboard to change how your keys behave.

How to Change Keyboard Layout on Windows

The exact wording may differ slightly between Windows versions, but the path is similar.

Windows 10 and Windows 11

Open Settings
- Press Windows key + I, or
- Click Start → Settings
Go to Time & Language
Click Language & region (Windows 11) or Language (Windows 10)
Under Preferred languages, select your language
- If your language is missing, click Add a language, search for it, and add it.
Click your language → Options
Under Keyboards, click Add a keyboard
Choose the layout you want from the list
- Examples: US, United Kingdom, Canadian Multilingual Standard, etc.
Remove layouts you don’t want by selecting them and clicking Remove

Switching layouts while typing

Once you’ve added more than one layout, you can switch:

Use the language/keyboard icon in the taskbar (bottom-right)
Or press Windows key + Spacebar to cycle through layouts
Or use Alt + Shift on some setups

If keys are “wrong” (e.g., @ in the wrong place), check that the right layout is currently selected.

How to Change Keyboard Layout on macOS

On a Mac, layouts are called Input Sources.

Click the Apple menu () → System Settings (or System Preferences on older macOS)
Go to Keyboard
Click Input Sources
Click the + button to add a new layout
Choose the language on the left, then the layout variation on the right
- Examples: U.S., British, ABC – QWERTY, French, etc.
Click Add
To remove an old layout, select it and click the – button

Switching layouts on a Mac

Use the input menu in the top-right menu bar (flag or character icon)
Or press Control + Space (or Command + Space, depending on your settings) to cycle through input sources

You can check or change the shortcut under:
System Settings → Keyboard → Keyboard Shortcuts → Input Sources

How to Change Keyboard Layout on Android

Different Android versions and manufacturers (Samsung, Google Pixel, Xiaomi, etc.) tweak the menus slightly, but the basics are similar.

Change layout/language for the on-screen keyboard

Open Settings
Go to System or General management (name varies)
Tap Languages & input
Tap On-screen keyboard or Virtual keyboard
Select your keyboard app (e.g., Gboard, Samsung Keyboard)
Look for Languages or Input languages
Add or select the language/layout you want
- Many keyboards let you pick layout styles (QWERTY, AZERTY, QWERTZ) per language.

Switching layouts while typing

With most keyboards (like Gboard):

Long‑press or tap the globe 🌐 icon or language key
Or swipe the spacebar left/right to change languages/layouts

The current language is usually shown on the spacebar.

Physical keyboards on Android

If you connect a Bluetooth or USB keyboard:

Go to Settings → Languages & input
Tap Physical keyboard
Choose your keyboard and then select its layout
- For example, change from US to UK if your external keyboard has a UK layout.

How to Change Keyboard Layout on iPhone and iPad (iOS / iPadOS)

On Apple mobile devices, you manage this in Keyboard settings.

Open Settings
Tap General
Tap Keyboard
Tap Keyboards
Tap Add New Keyboard…
Choose the language you want
For some languages, you can choose between layout styles (for example, QWERTY vs AZERTY)

To remove a layout, go back to Keyboards, tap Edit, and delete any you don’t use.

Switching layouts while typing

Tap and hold the globe 🌐 icon on the keyboard
Select the language/layout you want
A short tap toggles between recent layouts

If you use multiple languages, iOS also tries to auto-detect which language you’re typing in for suggestions and autocorrect.

How to Change Keyboard Layout on Linux (Ubuntu and Similar Distros)

Linux desktops vary, but the concept is consistent.

GNOME-based systems (like Ubuntu’s default)

Open Settings
Go to Keyboard or Region & Language
Find Input Sources or Input section
Click the + button to add a new layout
Pick your language and layout, then add it
Remove any layouts you don’t want

Switching layouts

Look for a layout indicator on the top bar (like “EN”)
Click it to switch, or
Use a keyboard shortcut like Super + Space (Super is usually the Windows key)

You can adjust the shortcut in the same keyboard settings panel.

Other desktop environments (KDE Plasma, XFCE, etc.) have their own panels, usually in Keyboard, Input Devices, or Regional Settings.

Key Variables That Affect Keyboard Layout Choices

Changing layout is simple; choosing the right one involves a few moving parts.

1. Physical Keyboard Markings

What’s printed on your keys matters:

If your physical keyboard is US English, using a French AZERTY layout will mean the letters on the keys don’t match what appears on screen.
Some users don’t mind and rely on muscle memory. Others find this frustrating.

Many people pick a layout that matches their key labels to avoid confusion.

2. Language and Region

Your main typing language is the biggest driver:

If you type in English only, a standard US or UK layout is often enough.
If you type in multiple languages, you may:
- Add multiple layouts
- Use a “multilingual” layout that supports more characters with Alt/Option keys
- Use a layout designed for your language’s special characters

3. Operating System and Version

Different systems use different names and groupings:

Windows might label a layout one way, macOS another.
Some layouts exist on one OS and need a workaround on another.

Older versions of an OS might not have newer or niche layouts, or they may organize them under different language names.

4. Typing Style and Muscle Memory

If you’ve typed QWERTY for years, switching to Dvorak or Colemak is a big change:

Some users switch layouts to improve comfort or speed
Others stick with what they know, even if the layout isn’t perfectly optimized for their language

Your willingness to retrain your fingers affects how adventurous you can be with alternative layouts.

5. Device Type: Laptop, Desktop, Mobile

On laptops, the built-in keyboard’s printed layout often nudges your choice.
On desktops, you can plug in any external keyboard and match the software layout to it.
On phones and tablets, on-screen keyboards let you:
- Quickly switch languages
- Use gesture typing or predictive text to reduce layout dependence

Different devices might use different layouts while still syncing your documents and messages across them.

How Different User Profiles Use Keyboard Layouts

To see how layouts affect real-world use, it helps to look at the spectrum of user types.

Single-Language Everyday User

Uses one primary language
Likely sticks to default layout for their region (e.g., US or UK QWERTY)
Occasionally puzzled when a layout changes accidentally and symbols move around

For this person, keeping only one accurate layout active reduces accidental switching.

Multilingual User

Regularly types in two or more languages
Often adds a separate layout for each language, switching with a shortcut or globe icon
May enable spell check and predictive text per language

They balance speed with the need to access accented characters and special punctuation easily.

Programmer or Power User

Types a lot of brackets, slashes, symbols, and punctuation
Chooses a layout that makes these characters easy to reach
Might tweak advanced options or install custom layouts on Linux/macOS

For them, where { } [ ] ( ) / and similar keys sit can matter more than accent characters.

Alternative Layout Enthusiast (Dvorak, Colemak, etc.)

Willingly retrains muscle memory to use a different letter arrangement
Often claims benefits in comfort or hand movement reduction
Needs to make sure all devices support the chosen layout, including login screens

This profile cares less about printed keycaps and more about long-term ergonomics.

Mobile-First Communicator

Types mostly on phones or tablets
Relies heavily on auto-correct and predictions
Switches languages with a globe icon instead of changing hardware

They might keep the same language but different layouts (e.g., QWERTY vs. a one-handed or swipe-optimized layout) depending on screen size and typing style.

Why Your Own Setup Is the Missing Piece

The steps to change your keyboard layout are straightforward across Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS. The systems all let you:

Add multiple layouts
Switch quickly between them
Remove ones you don’t use

But the “right” layout depends heavily on:

The language(s) you type in
The labels printed on your physical keyboard
Your typing habits and comfort level with change
Whether you prioritize symbols, accents, or speed
How many different devices and operating systems you juggle each day

Once you know how layouts work and how to change them, the next step is simply to look at your own hardware, languages, and typing patterns—and decide which combination makes the most sense for the way you actually type.