How To Activate International Keyboard In Windows 10?

Have you ever asked yourself the question "How to activate international keyboard in Windows 10?" If so, don't worry. You are not the only one. For example, if you travel a lot, working on your laptop with a foreign keyboard is quite uncomfortable. Being able to use the right-hand Alt key instead of the left-hand one just makes things easier. So, how to activate international keyboard in Windows 10?

Windows allows users to have control over the keyboard language they prefer to use. Usually, the English United States QWERTY keyboard is preinstalled when you install Windows 10 on your computer. While this layout is used by many people, some prefer to switch to an international keyboard layout for various reasons.

Both the normal and the international Windows 10 keyboards use the same QWERTY keys. However, they differ in the size of the Return/Enter key. Also, the ‘’ and ‘ ~ ‘differ, among many other differences.

The United States- International keyboard layout is useful if you work in English and in any Western Europe language like French, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, German, Portuguese and more. One advantage of United States International keyboard layout is that it is compatible with all Windows programs including Word, Excel, email, TM programs and web browsers.

Also, it does not interfere when you are working with English and you won’t need to switch back and forth with another keyboard. Plus, it is built into Windows and is absolutely free. Hence, you don’t have to download or buy this keyboard layout.

 In this article, we will look at the steps for installing international keyboard in Windows 10.

1. Go to the Start menu and click on Settings. Alternatively, you can use the shortcut by pressing the Windows key + A.
   
2. Once you open the Windows Settings tab, locate Time & Language and click on it.
   
3. On the left pane, click on Region & Language option.
   
4. In the Region & Language section, navigate to Windows display language and click on it. Also, you should make certain that your Region & Language is in United States.
   
5. After clicking on Windows display language, click on the Options button. This will prompt the Language options to display.
   
6. Go to the Keyboards section and select Add a keyboard.
   
7. Go through the list and click on United States- International (QWERTY). Doing this will add this option to your keyboards.
   

If at any point you want to make United States- International (QWERTY) your primary keyboard, you can easily do this via the taskbar. The taskbar makes it possible to change your keyboard, including keyboard of other languages added, at any time to ensure improved accessibility. Here is how to do it:

1. Go to the Taskbar where you will see the language information at the bottom-right corner of the screen. Here, you will see the language that is currently in use. Click on it.
2. You should see a list of various keyboards that are available and have been used on your computer. Scroll through the list and choose United States- International keyboard (ENG INTL). Click on it.
3. Now, the changes will be successfully made, and your primary keyboard will be changed to ENG INTL.
4. You can also use this method for other keyboard layouts including foreign languages.

How to Change Keyboard Layout?

Changing the layout of your keyboard will reconfigure the actions of various keys. This means that the keys on the keyboard will give a different character, depending on your settings.

Here are steps for changing the keyboard layout:

1. Go to the taskbar notification area and click on the keyboard layout button.
2. Choose the layout that you prefer to use.
3. Now, repeat the first and second steps to shift back to the default layout.
4. Another easy method is by pressing the Windows key + Spacebar to switch to the available keyboard layouts.

Once you are done with the steps, the new keyboard layout will be successfully implemented.

Summary: Activate international keyboard in Windows 10

• In Windows 10, click on the Search box and search for and open Language Settings.
• Scroll down to the Input Method section, click on Add a preferred language.
• Find and add the language you want. If you are looking for a language that's not in this list, scroll to the bottom of this list and click on "Find a setting" or use the special version of help built into Windows 10.
• Toggle expand keyboard icon to HAVE the necessary keyboard layouts for your new language installed (if not available). You may need to download some.

Conclusion

A common issue among Windows 10 users is the invisibility of the keyboard settings in the settings. Luckily, the above steps will help you install new keyboard layouts and change existing ones with ease. Hope you find it useful.