FIX: Windows 10 switches keyboard language on its own

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Key notes

  • If Windows 10 switches the keyboard language automatically it can be extremely annoying and counterproductive.
  • First, you should set a different input method and make a keyboard layout as default.
  • If the keyboard language keeps changing choose only one input language and keyboard layout.
  • You may disable language switching in Windows 10 by changing the registry settings.
Windows 10 switches keyboard language on its own [QUICK GUIDE]
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Many users reported that Windows 10 changes keyboard language on its own. If you’re experiencing the same problem, read this guide to learn why it occurs and how you can quickly fix it.

Here’s an example to better understand this problem:

If you work on an English version of Windows, but you get Korean as a working language, your input language is set to Korean by default.

Sometimes, Windows will change this setting automatically when you switch between apps, thus a different keyboard layout too. So the keyboard layout changed suddenly in Windows 10.

This affects all Windows versions regardless, and consequently, all apps running under Windows – including Sign In and MS Office.

The same issue also appears on the latest OS, with users reporting that the Windows 11 keyboard language changes automatically.

Why this happens is because the Input Language can be programmed to be maintained per app or per window through an API that changes the input locale to a different or default keyboard layout is enabled for the user.

Some apps like Office try to decipher the language you use when typing a document, email, or presentation and change the input language accordingly (including keyboard layout).

Check out some solutions below to disable the keyboard language switch in Windows 10.


How do I disable keyboard language switch in Windows 10?

  1. Preliminary fixes
  2. Set a different input method
  3. Make the keyboard layout as default
  4. Choose only one input language and keyboard layout
  5. Disable keyboard actions
  6. Use Registry Editor to disable the keyboard layout toggle hotkeys
  7. Change the region settings
  8. Change registry settings through policy or login script

1. Preliminary fixes

  1. Press CTRL+SHIFT to switch to another language.
  2. Change the default language to one of the others you get, and reboot your computer, then change it back to the language you want to use and reboot again.
  3. Remove all other languages so that you’re left with only the one you want Windows to load with – the system language.
  4. Open that language and check the input method, then you can remove the one you don’t want and keep what you want (The default language will not switch back when using certain programs, but you can switch between them without problems).
  5. Avoid clicking SHIFT+ALT while using your computer as this creates a hotkey and can cause the Windows 10 switches keyboard language on its own error.
  6. Watch the language questions carefully when you install Windows 10 initially.

2. Set a different input method

  1. Type control panel in the Search box and select the app from results.
  2. Select Clock, language and region.
  3. Click on Advanced settings.
  4. Under the Switching input methods section, put a checkmark for Let me set a different input method for each app windows.
  5. Click on Save and see if the problem persists.

You can’t open Control Panel? Take a look at this step-by-step guide to find a solution


3. Make the keyboard layout as default

  1. Click Start and select Settings.
  2. Choose Change PC settings.
  3. Click on Time and language, then select Region and Language.
  4. Select the language that you want to see Windows in.
  5. Click Set as primary. The Will be display language after next sign-in message will appear under the language.
  6. Click Set as primary to move the language to the top. If it can become your Windows display language, the Will be display language after next sign-in will appear under the language.
  7. Sign out and then sign back in.

Note: When you change your primary language, your keyboard layout may change. When signing back into Windows, use the right keyboard layout for entering your password. Otherwise, you might not sign in.

You can also change your keyboard layout on the sign-in screen by clicking the language abbreviation button.

Your keyboard freezes as soon as you sign-in? Don’t worry, we’ve got the right solution for you.


4. Choose only one input language and keyboard layout

  1. Click Start and choose Settings.
  2. Click Time and Language.
    Empty task manager/Task manager is empty/Nothing shows up in task manager
  3. Go to Region and Language and select Advanced Keyboard settings.
  4. Under Override for different input methods, select from the drop-down menu the language you want to use.
  5. Close the window.

5. Disable keyboard actions

  1. Click Start and select Control Panel.
  2. Click Clock, Language, and Region.
  3. Select Language and click on Advanced Settings.
    advanced keyboard language settings
  4. Click on Switching input methods and select Change language bar hotkeys.
  5. Select the Change key sequence.
    Change language bar hotkeys windows 10
  6. Click Switch keyboard layout.
  7. Click Not Assigned.

By default, pressing CTRL+SHIFT or ALT+SHIFT will cycle through any keyboard layouts you may have mapped and it is possible to do this by mistake.

If you keep pressing any of these combinations, you can go back to the correct setting.


6. Use Registry Editor to disable the keyboard layout toggle hotkeys

  1. Right-click Start and select Run.

  2. Type regedit.
  3. Navigate to the following path: HKCU\Keyboard LayoutToggle” /v “Layout Hotkey” /d 3

You might also want to use:

reg add "HKCU\Keyboard LayoutToggle" /v "Language Hotkey" /d 3reg add "HKCU\Keyboard LayoutToggle" /v "Hotkey" /d 3

And for new users, try this (in an elevated Command prompt):

reg load HKEY_USER\Stemp "%USERPROFILE%..DefaultNTUSER.DAT"reg add "HKEY_USERStempKeyboard LayoutToggle" /v "Layout Hotkey" /d 3reg unload HKEY_USERStemp

If you can’t access the Registry Editor, don’t panic because we’ve got a perfectly good guide on fixing this issue.


7. Change the region settings

  1. Go to Control Panel.
  2. Click on Clock, Language, and Region.
  3. Select Region.
  4. Click on the Location
  5. Under Home location, select Japan so that it won’t add any English keyboard layout.
  6. Click Apply, and then OK.
  7. Restart your computer.

8. Change registry settings through policy or login script

  1. Right-click Start and select Run.
  2. Type regedit and press Enter.
  3. Find this key to disable auto-detect keyboard layout: [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Keyboard Layout]
    “IgnoreRemoteKeyboardLayout”=dword:00000001
  4. To hide the language bar, use this key: [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\CTF\LangBar]
    “ShowStatus”=dword:00000003

    hide language bar windows 10 registry
  5. Exit registry editor once you’re done

If you can’t edit your registry, follow the steps in this dedicated guide and learn how you can do it like a pro.


Were you able to resolve the Windows 10 switches keyboard language on its own error using any of these solutions? Let us know in the comments section below.

As always, leave there any other suggestions or questions you may have and we’ll check them out.

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