Windows allows removing unwanted keyboard languages from the taskbar. Here’s how to delete an unwanted keyboard layout in Windows 10 & 11.
If you type in multiple languages or variations of the same language, you can simply install a new keyboard layout, and you are good to go. When needed, you can switch between keyboard layouts with just a couple of clicks. There’s even a keyboard shortcut too.
However, what if you don’t want a specific keyboard layout? For example, maybe you’ve added a keyboard layout for a language you are learning, but now you no longer need it. As you can guess, unwanted keyboard layouts can clutter the language-switching panel and make it hard to change the keyboard layout.
Thankfully, Windows allows deleting keyboard layouts and keyboard languages. In this quick and easy guide, let me show you how to delete a keyboard layout in Windows 10 and 11.
Table of contents:
- How to delete keyboard layout in Windows 11
- How to delete keyboard layout in Windows 10
- Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
- Conclusion
How to delete keyboard layout in Windows 11
You can delete a keyboard layout in Windows 11 from the Language & Region page in the Settings app.
Here’re the steps to delete a keyboard layout in Windows 11:
- Press the “Windows logo key + I” keyboard shortcut.
- It will open the Settings app.
- Select the “Time & Language” option on the sidebar in the settings app.
- Click on the “Language & Region” option.
- Click on the “More options” icon next to the keyboard layout.
- Press the “Remove” option.
- Click the “Yes” button to confirm your action.
- With that, you’ve deleted the keyboard layout.
- Follow the same steps to delete other keyboard languages.
- Once done, close the Settings app.
Steps with more details:
Keyboard languages are managed via the Settings app. So, open the Windows 11 Settings app. You can use the “Windows logo key + I” keyboard shortcut or click the “Settings” icon in the Start menu or Quick Settings panel.
Once the Settings window opens, click “Time & Language” on the sidebar and go to the “Language & Region” page. As the name implies, this is where you can manage all the languages you installed in your system.
Now, click on the “More options” icon (three horizontal dots) next to the language you want to delete and select the “Remove” option.
Note: You cannot delete the default language. The default language is the one at the top.
When prompted for confirmation, click the “Yes” button. As soon as you do that, Windows deletes the keyboard layout from the system. From now on, you will see it in the language switcher panel and cannot switch to it or use it.
How to delete keyboard layout in Windows 10
Follow the steps below to delete a keyboard layout in Windows 10:
- Open the Settings app: To open the Settings app, you can use the keyboard shortcut “Windows logo key + I” or click the “Settings” icon on the taskbar or Start menu.
- Navigate to the “Time & Language” page: In the settings app, click on the “Time & Language” option. This page contains all the settings related to time and language.
- Go to the “Language” tab: In the “Time & Language” page, click on the “Language” tab on the sidebar. This tab contains all the settings related to the installed languages and keyboard layouts.
- Select the keyboard language you want to delete: From the list of installed keyboard languages, select the layout you want to delete by clicking on it.
- Click the “Remove” button: Once you’ve selected the keyboard layout, you will see a “Remove” button under it. Click on the “Remove” button to delete the selected keyboard language.
- Confirm the action: You will see a pop-up asking you to confirm the action of deleting the keyboard layout. Click “Yes” to confirm.
- The keyboard layout is deleted: With that, the selected keyboard layout will be deleted from your computer.
- Repeat the steps to delete other keyboard languages: If you want to delete any other keyboard languages, repeat steps 4 to 7 to delete those as well.
- Close the Settings app: Once you’ve deleted all the unwanted keyboard languages, close the Settings app by clicking on the “X” button in the top-right corner of the window.
- Optionally, reboot the computer: To apply the changes, you can optionally reboot your computer. This will ensure that the changes are properly applied.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Here are a few frequently asked questions about deleting keyboard layouts in Windows 10 & 11.
When you delete a keyboard layout, it will be removed from your computer, and you will no longer be able to switch to or type with that keyboard layout.
If you cannot remove a keyboard layout, it might be that the layout you are trying to delete is set as the default. Set another keyboard layout as default and try again.
The remove keyboard language button might be greyed out if the keyboard layout is set as the default or if it is the only keyboard layout installed on your computer.
No, you cannot delete the default keyboard layout, as it is required by the operating system to function properly.
Yes, you can install multiple keyboard layouts in Windows 10/11 Home edition. However, if you are using Windows 10/11 Home Single Language edition, you cannot add new keyboard layouts or languages.
Deleting keyboard layout in Windows — Conclusion
Removing a keyboard layout in Windows 10 and 11 is pretty easy. By following the steps in this Windows how-to guide, you can clean up the language-switching panel and make it easier to switch between the keyboard layouts you actually use. If you encounter any issues while deleting keyboard layouts, refer to the FAQs section for possible solutions.
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That is all. It is that simple to delete keyboard layouts in Windows 10 and 11.
I hope this simple and easy Windows how-to guide helped you.
If you are stuck or need help, send an email, and I will try to help as much as possible.
