Change windows locale windows 10

To manage all aspects of the input and display language settings on your Windows 11 PC, use the following methods.

To switch the keyboard layout you’re using, press and hold the Windows key and then repeatedly press the Spacebar to cycle through all your installed keyboards. (If this doesn’t do anything, it means you have only one installed.)

You can also select the language abbreviation in your taskbar then choose the language or input method you want to use.

Note: In the input field, press the Windows logo key + period (.) to access the Emoji & more keyboard, if your language supports it.

If you can’t find the keyboard layout you want, you may have to add a new keyboard. 

Adding an input language lets you set a language-preference order for websites and apps, as well as change your keyboard language.

  1. Select the Start > Settings > Time & language > Language & region.

  2. Select the language that has the keyboard you want, then select Options.

  3. Select Add a keyboard and choose the keyboard you want to add. If you don’t see the keyboard you want, you may have to add a new language to get additional options. If this is the case, go on to step 4.

  4. Return to the Language settings page, go to Preferred languages, then select Add a language.

  5. Choose the language you want to use from the list, then select Next.

  6. Review any language features you want to set up or install, and select Install.

«Add a keyboard» shortcut

The display language you select changes the default language used by Windows features like Settings and File Explorer.

  1. Select Start > Settings > Time & language > Language & region.

  2. Choose a language from the Windows display language menu.

«Change your display language» shortcut

If a language is listed under Preferred languages but doesn’t appear on the Windows display language list, you’ll first need to install its language pack (if it’s available).

  1. Select Start > Settings > Time & language > Language & region.

  2. In Preferred languages, select Add a language, enter the language you want, then select Next.

  3. Select Download from the Download language pack option.

  4. After the language pack is installed, select Back.

  5. Choose a language from the Windows display language menu.

«Install a language pack» shortcut

If you receive an «Only one language pack allowed» or «Your Windows license supports only one display language» message, you have a single language edition of Windows 10. Here’s how to check your Windows 10  language edition:

  1. Select Start > Settings > About, and then go to the Windows specification section.

  2. If you see Windows 11 Home Single Language next to Edition, you have a single language edition of Window 11, and you can’t add a new language unless you purchase an upgrade to either Windows 11 Home or Windows 11 Pro.

Upgrade to Windows 11 Home or Windows 11 Pro

  1. Select Start Settings > Time & language > Language & region.

  2. Under Preferred languages, select the language you want to remove, and then select Remove.

  3. To remove an individual keyboard, select the language (see step 2), select Options, scroll down to the Keyboards section, select the keyboard you want to remove, and select Remove.

To manage all aspects of the input and display language settings on your Windows 10 device, use the following methods.

To switch the keyboard layout you’re using in Windows 10, press and hold the Windows key  and then repeatedly press the Spacebar to cycle through all your installed keyboards. (If this doesn’t do anything, it means you have only one installed.)

You can also select the language abbreviation on the far right of the taskbar and then choose the language or input method you want to use.

Note: In the input field, press Windows +period (.) to access the emoji keyboard, if your language supports this.

If you can’t find the keyboard layout you want, you may have to add a new keyboard.

Adding an input language lets you set a language-preference order for websites and apps, as well as change your keyboard language.

  1. Select the Start  button, then select Settings Time & Language > Language.

  2. Under Preferred languages, select the language that contains the keyboard you want, and then select Options.

  3. Select Add a keyboard and choose the keyboard you want to add. If you don’t see the keyboard you want, you may have to add a new language to get additional options. If this is the case, go on to step 4.

  4. Return to the Language settings page, and select Add a language.

  5. Choose the language you want to use from the list, and then select Next.

  6. Review any language features you want to set up or install, and select Install.

«Add a keyboard» shortcut

Some languages require additional language features

For some languages to work properly, you need an admin on your PC to install the language features. Here’s a list of the languages that are affected:

  • Microsoft IME – Primary keyboard of Japanese

  • Microsoft Pinyin – Primary keyboard of Chinese (Simplified, China), Primary keyboard of Chinese (Simplified, Singapore)

  • Microsoft Wubi – Secondary keyboard of Chinese (Simplified, China), Secondary keyboard of Chinese (Simplified, Singapore)

  • Microsoft Bopomofo – Primary keyboard of Chinese (Traditional, Taiwan), Secondary keyboard of Chinese (Traditional, Hong Kong SAR), Secondary keyboard of Chinese (Traditional, Macao SAR)

  • Microsoft ChangJie – Secondary keyboard of Chinese (Traditional, Taiwan), Secondary keyboard of Chinese (Traditional, Hong Kong SAR), Secondary keyboard of Chinese (Traditional, Macao SAR)

  • Microsoft Quick – Secondary keyboard of Chinese (Traditional, Taiwan), Primary keyboard of Chinese (Traditional, Hong Kong SAR), Primary keyboard of Chinese (Traditional, Macao SAR)

  • Bangla Phonetic – Secondary keyboard of Bengali (India)

  • Gujarati Phonetic – Secondary keyboard of Gujarati

  • Hindi Phonetic – Secondary keyboard of Hindi

  • Kannada Phonetic – Secondary keyboard of Kannada

  • Malayalam Phonetic – Secondary keyboard of Malayalam

  • Marathi Phonetic – Secondary keyboard of Marathi

  • Odia Phonetic – Secondary keyboard of Odia

  • Punjabi Phonetic – Secondary keyboard of Punjabi (Gurmukhi)

  • Tamil Phonetic – Secondary keyboard of Tamil (India)

  • Telugu Phonetic – Secondary keyboard of Telugu

The display language you select changes the default language used by Windows features like Settings and File Explorer.

  1. Select the Start  button, then select Settings Time & Language > Language.

  2. Choose a language from the Windows display language menu.

«Change your display language» shortcut

If a language is listed under Preferred languages but doesn’t appear on the Windows display language list, you’ll first need to install its language pack (if it’s available).

  1. Select the Start  button, then select Settings Time & Language > Language.

  2. Choose a language from the Add a language list under Preferred languages, and then select Options.

  3. Select Download from the Download language pack option.

  4. After the language pack is installed, select Back .

  5. Choose a language from the Windows display language menu.

«Install a language pack» shortcut

If you receive an «Only one language pack allowed» or «Your Windows license supports only one display language» message, you have a single language edition of Windows 10. Here’s how to check your Windows 10  language edition:

  1. Select the Start  button, select Settings > About, and then scroll down to the Windows specification section.

  2. If you see Windows 10 Home Single Language next to Edition, you have a single language edition of Window 10, and you can’t add a new language unless you purchase an upgrade to either Windows 10 Home or Windows 10 Pro.

Upgrade to Windows 10 Home or Windows 10 Pro

  1. Select the Start  button, then select Settings > Time & Language > Language.

  2. Under Preferred languages, select the language you want to remove, and then click Remove.

  3. To remove an individual keyboard, select the language in question (see step 2), select Options, scroll down to the Keyboards section, select the keyboard you want to remove, and click Remove.

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February 16, 2017 updated by

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The system locale allows you to use the specified language for non-Unicode programs. If your Windows system uses a default en-US locale, the Japanese text in a game won’t display correctly. In this tutorial we’ll show you how to change system locale in Windows 10, using Control Panel or Command Prompt.

Note: You must log into Windows 10 as administrator to set a different system locale. Changing system locale doesn’t affect the language in menus & dialog boxes for Windows or other programs that do use Unicode.

Method 1: Change System Locale in Windows 10 Using Control Panel

  1. Open the Control Panel in Large icons view, click Region.

    region

  2. In the Region dialog that opens, select the Administrative tab and then click Change system locale.

    change-system-locale

  3. Select the desired language from the Current system locale drop-down list, and click OK.

    current-system-locale

  4. Restart your computer for the changes to take effect.

    restart-for-new-locale

Method 2: Change System Locale in Windows 10 Using Command Prompt

  1. Open Notepad (or any other text editor), then copy and paste the following text into it. Replace en-US with the language tag for your desired system locale. To see all supported language tags in Windows, please refer to this article.

    <gs:GlobalizationServices xmlns:gs="urn:longhornGlobalizationUnattend">
    <gs:UserList>
    <gs:User UserID="Current" CopySettingsToDefaultUserAcct="true" CopySettingsToSystemAcct="true"/>
    </gs:UserList>
    <!-- system locale --><gs:SystemLocale Name="en-US" />
    </gs:GlobalizationServices>

    system-locale-settings

  2. After editing, save the file as a .xml file. Let’s say D:\locale.xml.
  3. Open the Command Prompt in administrator mode. Copy and paste the following command line and press Enter.

    control.exe intl.cpl,, /f:"D:\locale.xml"

    change-system-locale-cmd

  4. Reboot your computer to apply the new system locale settings.

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Windows 10 change language
Windows 10 change language
(Image credit: Windows Central)

Although Windows 10 will help you configure the default language during the initial setup, if you didn’t select the correct option or use a computer already configured with a different language, you don’t have to struggle when your requirements are different.

If you have to change the device’s default language settings, you can complete this task using the Settings app without reinstalling Windows 10.

In this Windows 10 guide, we will walk you through the steps to change the system default language on your computer.

How to change default system language on Windows 10

If you happen to be using the incorrect language on Windows 10, you can adjust the system settings to configure the correct language without reinstallation.

Disable language sync

On Windows 10, when using a Microsoft account, some of your preferences (including language) will sync across the device. If you only plan to change the settings on the computer, you should disable the option to sync your language settings to prevent changing the same settings on other devices.

To disable language preference sync on Windows 10, use these steps:

  1. Open Settings.
  2. Click on Accounts.
  3. Click on Sync your settings.
  4. Under the «Individual sync settings» section, turn off the Language preferences toggle switch.

Windows 10 Sync Language option disabled

Source: Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Windows Central)

Once you complete the steps, you can change the language settings without affecting the other devices connected with the same Microsoft account.

Change system language settings

To change the system default language, close your apps, and use these steps:

  1. Open Settings.
  2. Click on Time & Language.
  3. Click on Language.
  4. Under the «Preferred languages» section, click the Add a language button.

Windows 10 add new language option

Source: Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Windows Central)
  1. Search for the new language using the language or country name.
  2. Select the package from the result.

Windows 10 choose language to install

Source: Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Windows Central)
  1. Click the Next button.
  2. Check the Install language pack option.
  3. Check the Set as my Windows display language option.

Windows 10 set new language as default

Source: Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Windows Central)
  1. Check the additional features as needed — for example, «Text-to-speech» and «Handwriting.»
  2. Click the Install button.
  3. Click the Yes, sign out now button.
  4. Sign back into the account.

After you complete the steps, the Windows 10 language will change across the experience, including the Sign-in screen, Settings app, File Explorer, Desktop, apps, browser, and websites you visit.

Change system region settings

You will also have to change the region settings if you need to adjust the language settings because you are in a different region.

To change the local region settings on Windows 10, use these steps:

  1. Open Settings.
  2. Click on Time & Language.
  3. Click on Region.
  4. Under the «Region» section, select the current location with the «Country or region» drop-down menu (if applicable).

Windows 10 change region settings

Source: Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Windows Central)
  1. Under the «Regional format» section, select the formats for the region’s date and time with the «Current format» drop-down menu (if applicable).
  2. Click on Language.
  3. Under the «Related settings» section, click the Administrative language settings option.

Administrative Language Settings Option

Source: Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Windows Central)
  1. Click the Administrative tab.
  2. Under the «Language for non-Unicode programs» section, click the Change system locale button.

Change System Locale

Source: Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Windows Central)
  1. Select the new system locale language with the «Current system locale» drop-down menu.

Select New System Locale

Source: Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Windows Central)
  1. Click the OK button.
  2. Click the Copy settings button in the «Administrative» tab.

Region Administrative copy settings option

Source: Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Windows Central)
  1. Under the «Copy your current settings to» section, check the Welcome screen and system accounts and New user accounts options.

Copy region settings to all accounts

Source: Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Windows Central)
  1. Click the OK button.
  2. Click the OK button again.
  3. Click the Restart now button.

Once you complete the steps, the settings will apply, and the computer will now use the correct region settings.

Usually, you rarely have to change or install additional languages on Windows 10. However, changing these settings may come in handy in organizations working with people who need to use different preferences. It’s also a helpful feature to match the locale settings if you relocate to another region or when buying a new device that ships from a different country.

The only caveat with changing the region settings is that it will also change the settings for the Microsoft Store, which may block access to certain apps and services, depending on the location. In the same way, you can change the region settings to access an application from the Microsoft Store that is only available in a specific region. If you happen to be one of the remaining users using Cortana, consider changing the region settings that may prevent you from accessing the digital assistant.

More Windows resources

For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10 and Windows 11, visit the following resources:

  • Windows 11 on Windows Central — All you need to know
  • Windows 11 help, tips, and tricks
  • Windows 10 on Windows Central — All you need to know

All the latest news, reviews, and guides for Windows and Xbox diehards.

Mauro Huculak is technical writer for WindowsCentral.com. His primary focus is to write comprehensive how-tos to help users get the most out of Windows 10 and its many related technologies. He has an IT background with professional certifications from Microsoft, Cisco, and CompTIA, and he’s a recognized member of the Microsoft MVP community.

On Windows 10, users can select multiple languages that will be used to customize the appearance of Windows and 3rd party apps, as well as to set default region and time preferences. Here’s how to do it.

How to change your Windows 10 language?

1) To change your language, first, go to the Start menu, then select the gear icon to open your computer’s Settings.

2) In the window that opens, click Time & language, then select Regional & Language:

change windows 10 language
© Screenshot Windows 10

3) Go to the column Languages then click Add a language.

4) A list will appear with the languages available on Windows 10. Click on the language you would like to add and it will be added to the set languages on your PC. To set a newly added language as default, click on the desired language in your computer’s list of languages and select Set as default. Users can also set keyboard options or remove a preferred language from the list by selecting Options or Remove, respectively.

N.B. Users can switch between input languages by pressing the Alt and Shift keys simultaneously.

How to change your Windows 10 region settings?

To change your Region, go to the Start menu, select the gear icon to open your Settings, click Time & language, and then select Regional & Language. In the first drop-down, select your preferred country to set your region. The change will be applied automatically.

Skip to content

As you may already know from previous articles, Windows 10 supports changing the display language using language packs. If you are working in a localized user account in Windows 10 which is your native language, you might be interested in learning what language is used for older apps that doesn’t support Unicode and how to change it.

Windows 10 supports language packs. By installing one or several language packs, you can switch your Windows display language on-the-fly. It is also possible to have a different display language for each user account.

There are plenty of apps that don’t support Unicode. Most of them are apps that have been created for previous Windows versions.

The option that specifies the default language to use for non-Unicode programs is called System Locale. The system locale defines the bitmap fonts and code pages (ANSI or DOS) that are used on the system by default. The system locale setting affects only ANSI (non-Unicode) applications. The language for non-Unicode programs is a per-system setting.

To change the System Locale in Windows 10, do the following.

  1. Open Settings.Windows 10 Creators Update Settings 15019
  2. Go to Time & Language.
  3. On the left, click on Language.
  4. In the right pane, click on the Administrative language settings link.Windows 10 See Current Locale
  5. In the Region dialog, click on the Administrative tab.
  6. Under the Language for non-Unicode programs section, click on the Change system locale button.Windows 10 Change System Locale
  7. Select the language you want from the drop down list  in the next dialog. Do not enable the BETA: Use Unicode UTF-8 for worldwide language support checkbox unless you know what you are doing.Windows 10 Change System Locale Dialog
  8. Restart Windows 10 when prompted.Windows 10 Change System Locale Restart

Note: The language you’ve set for the system locale will be automatically added to the list of installed languages in Windows 10.

Alternatively, you can access the same option with the classic Control Panel app. Open the classic Control Panel and navigate to Control Panel\Clock and Region. Click on Region and switch to the Administrative tab.Windows 10 Current Locale Control Panel

That’s it.

Related articles.

  • Force System UI Language as Display Language in Windows 10
  • Create Text Services and Input Languages Shortcut in Windows 10
  • Enable Language Bar in Windows 10 (classic Language Icon)
  • Find Default System Language in Windows 10
  • How to Copy Region and Language Settings in Windows 10
  • How To Change Display Language in Windows 10
  • How To Add a Language in Windows 10
  • Change Hotkeys to Switch Keyboard Layout in Windows 10

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