How to Change Your Keyboard Layout to UK or International in Windows 11

UK, US and International Layouts: Which One Do You Need?

A keyboard layout tells Windows what each physical key produces. The printed keycaps do not change when you change the layout, so the layout has to match the hardware, or you have to know where the keys moved.

UK keyboard layout

Use this layout if your keyboard has a tall, narrow Enter key, a short left Shift key, and a £ symbol on the 3 key. In the Windows list it appears as United Kingdom. Typing @ uses Shift + ‘, and typing “ uses Shift+2.

US International layout

This layout is for people who type accented letters (such as é, ñ or ü) on a standard US-style keyboard. It appears in Windows as United States-International. It uses dead keys (keys that wait for the next letter instead of typing straight away). For example, press ‘ then e to get é. To type a plain apostrophe or quote mark, press the key and then Space.

If you only want the £ sign on a US keyboard, the International layout is not the best answer. The UK layout is a better fit if your keycaps are UK-style.

United Kingdom Extended

Some Windows 11 builds list a United Kingdom Extended layout under English (United Kingdom). It keeps the UK key positions and adds accented characters through the AltGr key (the right Alt key on most keyboards). Check your own list of keyboards. If it is there and you need accents on a UK keyboard, it is the one to try. If you do not see it, use the standard UK layout.

Before You Start

You do not need administrator rights to add or switch a keyboard layout. One optional step near the end—fixing the sign-in screen—does need them. It is flagged when you reach it.

Home and Pro editions follow the same steps. If the options in Settings are greyed out or missing on a work or school PC, your organisation is probably managing the language settings. Only your IT team can change those.

How to Add the UK Keyboard in 🪟 Windows 11

Add English (United Kingdom) as a language. That brings the UK keyboard layout with it. If you already have English (United Kingdom) in your list, skip to the next section.

Add English (United Kingdom)

1. Open Settings by pressing Windows key + I.

   

2. Select Time & language in the left pane.

   

3. Select Language & region. You should see a list under Preferred languages.

   

4. Click Add a language. A search window opens.

   

5. Type English (United Kingdom) in the search box and select it from the results.
6. Click Next. A page of language features appears.
7. Choose your options. Install language pack is needed for spelling and text features. Select Set as my Windows display language only if you want menus and Windows text in British English. Leave it cleared if you only want the keyboard.
8. Click Install. Windows downloads the language files. You should see a progress indicator beside the language, and then it appears in the Preferred languages list.

If the download stalls or shows an error, check that you are connected to the internet and try again. Language packs download through Windows Update, so a PC with restricted updates may fail at this step.

If you chose Set as my Windows display language, Windows asks you to sign out and back in before the new display language applies. The keyboard layout itself does not need that.

Check that the UK keyboard was added

1. In Preferred languages, click the three dots (...) beside English (United Kingdom).
2. Select Language options.
3. Scroll to the Keyboards section. You should see United Kingdom listed.

If United Kingdom is missing, click Add a keyboard and choose it from the list.

How to Add the US International Keyboard

Add the International layout when you want accent support on a US-style keyboard. It sits under the English (United States) language.

1. Open Settings > Time & language › Language & region

   

2. Click the three dots (...) beside the language you want to add the keyboard to, then select Language options.

   

3. Under Keyboards, click Add a keyboard. A list of layouts opens.

   

4. Select United States-International. It appears in the Keyboards list.

If you cannot find United States-International in that list, go back to Language & region, click Add a language, add English (United States), and then repeat the steps above on that language.

How to Switch Between Keyboard Layouts

Once you have more than one layout, Windows lets you choose between them. The active layout applies to what you type straight away.

Use the keyboard shortcut

Press Windows key + Space. A small panel appears above the taskbar listing your layouts. Press Space again while holding the Windows key to move down the list, then release to select.

Windows also supports Left Alt + Shift for switching, but this shortcut can be turned off. If it does nothing, use Windows key + Space.

Use the taskbar indicator

Look for a short code such as ENG at the right end of the taskbar. Click it. A menu lists your layouts, and each one shows the language name and the layout name. Select the one you want.

If the indicator does not appear, you may have only one layout installed. Windows hides it in that case. Add a second layout and it should show.

Test that the layout is right

1. Open Notepad.
2. Press Shift + 2. On a UK layout you should see ". On a US layout you should see @.
3. Press Shift + 3. On a UK layout you should see £. On a US layout you should see #.

If your results do not match the layout you selected, check the indicator on the taskbar. Another layout may still be active.

How to Make the UK Keyboard the Default

Windows uses the first language in the Preferred languages list as the default input language for new sessions. If your PC keeps going back to a US layout, move the UK one to the top.

1. Open Settings > Time & language › Language & region
2. Find English (United Kingdom) in Preferred languages.

   

3. Click the three dots (...) beside it.
4. Select Move up until it is at the top of the list.

The order of the list controls the default. If the option is greyed out, the language is already at the top.

Stop Windows switching layouts per window

By default, Windows keeps one layout for every app. If you find the layout changes when you move between apps, a setting may have been turned on that gives each window its own layout. Check it here:

1. Open Settings > Time & language › Typing
2. Click Advanced keyboard settings.
3. Find Let me use a different input method for each app window.
4. Turn it off if you want one layout everywhere. Turn it on if you want each app to remember its own.

How to Fix the Layout on the Sign-In Screen

Your layout can be right once you are signed in and still wrong at the password prompt. This matters if your password contains symbols such as @, £ or #. The sign-in screen uses separate system settings. This step needs administrator rights.

1. Open Settings > Time & language › Language & region
2. Scroll to Related settings and click Administrative language settings. A Region window opens.
3. On the Administrative tab, click Copy settings.
4. If User Account Control asks for permission, click Yes, or enter an administrator password.
5. Under Copy your current settings to, tick Welcome screen and system accounts.
6. Click OK. Windows may ask you to restart.

After the restart, the sign-in screen should use the same layout as your account. If you changed your password while the wrong layout was active, you may need to type it using the old layout to sign in.

How to Remove a Keyboard Layout You No Longer Need

Removing a layout you do not use stops it from appearing when you press Windows key + Space. This is also how you undo any change from this guide.

1. Open Settings > Time & language › Language & region
2. Click the three dots (...) beside the language, then select Language options.
3. Under Keyboards, click the three dots (...) beside the layout you want to remove.
4. Select Remove. The layout disappears from the list.

If Remove is greyed out, that layout is the only one for the language. Add another keyboard first, or remove the whole language from the main Language & region page instead. To remove a whole language, click the three dots beside it and select Remove.

Troubleshooting Common Problems

The wrong layout keeps coming back

Check for a second language in Preferred languages that has its own US keyboard. Windows can switch to it without you noticing. Remove any layout you do not use, and make sure English (United Kingdom) is at the top of the list.

The £ sign or @ still types wrongly in one app

Check the Let me use a different input method for each app window setting above. If it is on, that app may still be using the old layout. Switch layout while the app is in focus.

Word or another Office app still uses the wrong spelling

The keyboard layout and the proofing language are separate things. The keyboard layout controls what each key types. The proofing language controls spell check. In Word, select some text, then choose Review › Language › Set Proofing Language and pick English (United Kingdom). The keyboard does not change this for you.

Apostrophes and quotes behave strangely

That is the US International layout's dead keys at work. Press the key, then press Space, to get the plain character. If you do not need accents, switch back to the UK or standard US layout.

Language options are greyed out

A work or school PC may be managing these settings. Use a personal account on a personal PC to confirm. If the settings are locked only on a managed device, ask your IT administrator.

What to Do Next

Press Shift + 2 and Shift + 3 in Notepad to confirm you get " and £. If you share the PC, repeat the steps in each user account, because language settings are stored per user, and a new account may start with its own defaults. To go back, remove the layout under Language options and switch to the one you had before.