This tutorial will show you how to set a default keyboard layout input method override for your account in Windows 11.
In Windows, you can change your keyboard layout to type in another language or input method you want to use..
The language of your keyboard layout controls the characters that appear on your screen when you type. By using the different layouts, you can type all the characters for the language, including diacritics such as the umlaut (ä) in German and the tilde (ñ) in Spanish.
When you add a language, the default keyboard layout for the language will be installed by default.
You can install additional keyboards for language-specific key layouts and input options. Adding an input language lets you set a language-preference order for websites and apps, as well as change your keyboard language.
If you want to use an input method that's different than the first one on your language list, then you can set a default input method override.
The default input method override setting specifies a default input method for the current user account. If no override setting is used, the input method is dynamically determined from the language list of the current user account.
Your default keyboard layout or input method is the one that’s automatically used at sign in with the language you see Windows in (for example, the QWERTY keyboard for American English). You can still manually change your keyboard layout with a specified default input method override.
Contents
- Option One: Change Default Input Method Override in Settings
- Option Two: Change Default Input Method in Language List
- Option Three: See Current Default Input Method Override in PowerShell
- Option Four: Change Default Input Method Override in PowerShell
EXAMPLE: Language List
1 Open Settings (Win+I).
2 Click/tap on Time & language on the left side, and click/tap on Typing on the right side. (see screenshot below)
3 Click/tap on Advanced keyboard settings. (see screenshot below)
4 Select the input method you want to use by default in the Override for default input method drop menu. (see screenshot below)
Use language list (recommended) is the default setting.
5 You can now close Settings if you like.
This option will only work if Use language list (recommended) is set to be used as the default input method override.
1 Open Settings (Win+I).
2 Click/tap on Time & language on the left side, and click/tap on Language & region on the right side. (see screenshot below)
3 Under Preferred languages, click/tap on the Options (3 dots) button for the language (ex: "English (Untied Kingdom)") you want to move up or down in the language list. (see screenshot below)
4 Click/tap on Move up or Move down for what you want until the language is the order you want in the language list.
The language at the top of the list and its default keyboard layout will be used by default at sign in.
5 When finished moving languages in the order you want on the list, you can now close Settings.
1 Open Windows Terminal, and select Windows PowerShell.
2 Copy and paste the
Get-WinDefaultInputMethodOverride command into PowerShell, and press Enter. (see screenshots below)3 You will now see the InputMethodTip and Description of the input method currently set the default input method override.
If you do not get an output, it means Use language list (recommended) is currently set as the default input method.
4 You can now close Windows Terminal if you like.
1 Open Windows Terminal, and select Windows PowerShell.
2 Copy and paste the
Get-WinUserLanguageList command into PowerShell, and press Enter to see a list of all language and keyboard layout input methods currently installed for your account. (see screenshot below step 3)3 Make note of the available InputMethodTips for each LanguageTag to know which InputMethodTip (ex: "0409:00000409") for a language (ex: "English (United States)" and keyboard layout (ex: "US QWERTY") you want to use as default. (see screenshot below)
The first set of numbers in the 0409:00000409 InputMethodTip is to specify an added language.
The second set of numbers in the 0409:00000409 InputMethodTip is to specify an installed keyboard layout for the language.
Default input profiles (input locales) in Windows
Input profiles (or input locales) describe the language of the input entered, and the keyboard on which it is being entered. When the first user logs into Windows and identifies their region, Windows sets the input profiles.
docs.microsoft.com
4 Type the command below you want to use into PowerShell, and press Enter. (see screenshots below)
(Use language list (recommended) - default)
Set-WinDefaultInputMethodOverrideOR
(Specify default input method override)
Set-WinDefaultInputMethodOverride -InputTip "InputMethodTip"Substitute InputMethodTip in the command above with the actual InputMethodTip (ex: "0409:00000409") you want from step 3.
For example: Set-WinDefaultInputMethodOverride -InputTip "0409:00000409"
5 You can now close Windows Terminal if you like.
That's it,
Shawn Brink
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