Open Settings
: Click the language abbreviation (e.g., "ENG US") in the system tray at the bottom right of your screen and select English (United Kingdom) .
Adding the language to your operating system does not automatically make it your primary option. If you leave both layouts installed, Windows may default back to the US layout upon rebooting. To prioritize the UK setup: how to change keyboard from us to uk windows 11
Go to Time & language
Click the gear-shaped icon. Alternatively, press the keyboard shortcut Windows Key + I . In the left-hand sidebar, click on Time & language . Open Settings : Click the language abbreviation (e
The UK layout rearranges several common symbols compared to the US version:
Click on to activate it. Troubleshooting Layout Inconsistencies The "@" and " Keys are Swapped To prioritize the UK setup: Go to Time
Once this is complete, you should see the language icon (e.g., "ENG UK") on your taskbar. You can click it at any time to switch between layouts.
: Press Windows Key + Spacebar to cycle through your available layouts.
# List installed keyboard layouts Get-WinUserLanguageList
Windows 11 allows you to set a default keyboard layout for specific applications. This is incredibly useful if you use a US layout for coding in Visual Studio Code (where @ and # are easier to reach) but a UK layout for writing Word documents (where you need £ ).