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Is there a way to set keyboard shortcuts to quickly change to a different language/keyboard layout?

The old shortcuts still seem to work (when set back in Windows 7), but I can't seem to find anything to change it in Windows 10.

8176135
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12 Answers12

129

Go to Control PanelClock, Language, and RegionChange input methods (under Language) → Advanced settingsChange language bar hot keys.

"Control Panel → Clock, Language, and Region → Language → Advanced settings" and "Text Services and Input Languages"

87

In Windows 10 version 1809 (also versions 1903, 1909, 2004, 20H2), the setting described in the accepted answer is here:

Settings -> Time & Language -> Language -> Spelling, typing, & keyboard settings -> Advanced keyboard settings -> Language bar options -> Advanced Key Settings.

Step-by-step screenshots.


Known issues

These hotkeys are quite buggy since 2012 or so. They may disappear (the setting is cleared or simply not working) after a windows update, after an RDP session, after logout/login, or even without any obvious reason.

There's one well-known workaround, that usually helps:

Settings -> Time & Language -> Language -> Administrative language settings -> Copy settings... -> tick both checkboxes -> OK.

If you ran into this, you may want to upvote some of these items on the FeedbackHub:

As a regular (non-insider) user:

  1. Input language hotkeys keep being reset every time Windows starts

  2. language bar hot keys are not reliable: a) sometimes they disappear ...

  3. Language bar hotkeys get erased after every RDP session

  4. Language bar hot key setting keeps resetting back to default I'm using 3 languages input

  5. When I set up language bar 'hot key' shortcuts to switch to keyboards with other alphabets, they are deleted whenever Windows restarts!

  6. Language hotkeys keep disappeared by itself every time the system was rebooted.

  7. Language hotkeys keep getting erased

  8. Windows auto reset language input hotkey in every reboot after I make changes to the setting.

As insider:

  1. Keyboard layout switching shortcuts disappear and do not work
  2. Hot keys for input languages getting erased on each windows feature update
  3. Keyboard layout changes randomly
  4. Windows keeps switching the language and keyboard input methods
i3v
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72

The menu in the accepted answer does not exist in Control Panel anymore on Windows 10 version 1803 (not sure about 1709 and older).

But the same setting is accessible from Modern Settings app → Time & Language → Region and Language → Advanced keyboard settings (from the Related settings section) → Language bar options → Advanced Key Settings tab.

Update: Windows 10 version 1809 moved this setting again. see i3v's answer.

Mahdi Ghiasi
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41

Windows key + Space is the new shortcut for switching keyboard layout!

arkod
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8

None of the answers work for me as of date; right now, to open "Text Services and Input Languages" one has to run the following:

Rundll32 Shell32.dll,Control_RunDLL input.dll,,{C07337D3-DB2C-4D0B-9A93-B722A6C106E2}

Reference: https://winaero.com/blog/text-services-input-languages-shortcut-windows-10/

CaldeiraG
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4

Unfortunately this has changed in the latest Windows 10 update. You now need to go to 'Languages' and then 'Advanced settings' in Control panel, and choose 'Change language bar hot keys':

enter image description here

Which will then bring up this dialogue from which you can change the hot key by clicking 'Change Key Sequence...'

enter image description here

enter image description here

SimplyInk
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3

Just wanted to add to the accepted answer. I am using an Apple keyboard on Windows 10 here and the best way for me to switch input languages is to turn off the shortcut "Between input languages" completely and instead set individual shortcuts for each input language, for example:

  • Left Alt + Shift + 1(US Keyboard)
  • Left Alt + Shift + 2(UK Keyboard)
  • Left Alt + Shift + 3(Any other input language)
  • Left Alt + Shift + ...
  • Left Alt + Shift + 0(10th input language)

I find this setting the only one that doesn't disturb my work all the time as occasionally pressing Alt + Shift changes language when it is not needed. Also if to remove all shortcuts from the settings then holding WIN (CMD on Apple keyboard) followed by [space](press multiple times to iterate the list) or [1,2,3..] or [Select with mouse] works well too.

Glorfindel
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3

For the latest Windows version since late 2018/ early 2019, Microsoft has changed this:

  1. select "Language Preferences" from the Task Bar/ Language options control (docked language bar)
  2. Select "Spelling, typing, & keyboard settings" under "Related Settings" at the top right.
  3. Scroll down to the bottom, then under "More keyboard settings", select "Advanced keyboard settings".
  4. Under "Switching input methods", select "Language bar options".
  5. Choose the "Advanced Key Settings" tab.
  6. Press the button at the bottom of the window: "Change Key Sequence…"

I hope Microsoft will not leave these vital settings in such an obscure place, in the long term (that they will at least give more convenient alternative ways of adjusting these settings!) The default settings are infuriating: I am forever accidentally pressing CTRL+SHIFT and accidentally switching between keyboard layouts…

2

I'm running Windows Server 2019 at work and the setting is (again) in a different spot. Since any and all tooling you might use on a Server uses hotkeys, many of which start with the Ctrl + Shift or Left Alt + Shift that trigger the language switch, the only reasonable setting is to have those turned off.

Here's how:

SettingsDevicesTyping (left panel) → Advanced keyboard settings (right panel, bottom) → Language bar optionsAdvanced Key Settings (the right-most tab in the new window) → Change Key Sequence... (button at the bottom) → Not Assigned (top option)

The Win + Space hot-key still works after turning the above setting to Not Assigned, so you can still switch easily without switching accidentally.

asontu
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2
  • Settings
  • Type advanced keyboard settings, select it from the dropdown menu
  • Click Input language hot keys
  • Change key sequence in the dialog box that appears.
studiohack
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1

For Windows 10 version 1803 I found the option in this location, they had moved it from the control panel to settings.

  1. Open up "Settings" by searching for it in the windows menu.

    Step 1 picture

  2. Go to "Region & language" on the left hand side and click "Advanced keyboard setting" on the right hand side.

    Step 2 picture

  3. Here you can find the "Language bar option"

    Step 3 picture

  4. Change the hotkey by pressing "Change Key Sequence"

    Step 4 picture

Giacomo1968
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Jerakin
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1

An easier way to do it is:

  • hold left Alt
  • press Shift once (keep holding Alt)

A small menu should appear on the right side of the screen with your language options

  • press 1, 2, etc. to select the option you want
  • release Alt
yusef
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