To use Windows 11 correctly, it is important that the keyboard is configured with the language that we are normally going to serve. On some occasions, we find that this configuration has been accidentally modified, or that we have bought (or been lent) a PC whose keyboard has a different configuration. To solve these situations, we explain in this post how to change your keyboard language in Windows 11.
With the guidelines that we show you below in this brief guide, you will be able to change the language of your keyboard step by step. They are instructions that also serve to make the keyboard work in Spanish or in any other language we want.
Why it is important to have your keyboard set to the correct language
I'm sure many people wonder if this is really that important. Aren't all keyboards the same? The truth is that There are many different types of keyboards, but even those that appear to be the same can function very differently depending on the language in which they are configured.
For example, on a keyboard configured in a language other than Spanish, when you press the "Ñ" key, a different symbol will appear on the screen. It is in situations like this that users realize the importance of having the keyboard language on their Windows 11 computer configured correctly.
Change the keyboard language step by step
Changing the keyboard language in Windows 11 is a fairly simple procedure. All you have to do is access the system settings and modify some of its options, as we explain in this tutorial. These are the steps to follow:
- The first thing we have to do is access the application Configuration, either from the Start menu or through the key combination Windows + I
- After this, a series of options will appear on the left side of the screen. We must select the category «Time and Language».
- Then, in the next menu, we select «Language and Region».
- The next step is to click the button "Add a language" and select from the list of languages the one we want to assign to our keyboard.
- Finally, we press the buttons "Following" e "Install" to complete the process.
What is achieved with these steps is install a new language pack in the list of Windows 11 languages. The user would have to determine which language to use at all times. To choose between the different languages available in the system, you must go to the taskbar and click the language icon (or use one of these key shortcuts: Windows + Space bar o Alt+Shift).
Just as we can add a language available to use in Windows 11, you can also remove a language from this list. To do so, you just have to follow the same steps that we have explained, only in step number 4, instead of "add a language", you have to go directly to the language in question, click on the three dots icon and select the option "Remove". In this way, the chosen language pack will be uninstalled.
How to switch from one language to another
Windows 11 users can "jump" from language to language for their keyboards, always choosing between previously installed packages. The way to do it couldn't be simpler.
If, for example, the language we are using is English, the text ENG will appear in the bottom bar of the screen (as shown in the image above). To change, you have to click on this text, after which a box will be displayed with all the installed language packs. There we can choose the one we want.
Another way to execute this action is using the keyboard. First by simultaneously pressing the Windows keys + space bar simultaneously and then holding down the Windows key and pressing the space bar again to switch to the next language in the list.
Add a keyboard layout appropriate to the chosen language
Each language has a default keyboard layout. The most used is the QWERTY layout, default for the alphabets of languages that are written with Latin characters. This is the case of Spanish, English and many of the most spoken languages in the world.
However, sometimes we find ourselves needing to install a different keyboard layout. To add a new keyboard layout, follow these steps:
- Again we open the Configuration from the Start menu or with the Windows + I keys.
- Then we click on «Time and language».
- Next, we select the option «Language and region».
- At this point, within the preferred languages section, we must click on the language we want to use.
- We press the three dots icon and select «Language options».
- Then we scroll down until we reach the section «Keyboards installed».
- There, we go to the option "Add a keyboard" where we will be able to select the one that best suits our needs.