The standard QWERTY keyboard is engrained in most people when it comes to typing. There are other keyboard layouts such as Dvorak and Colemak that are said to be more efficient and faster. The QWERTY keyboard comes standard on almost all laptops and will be fine for all your needs. However, there are times you may want to switch to a different keyboard layout such as Dvorak or Colemak. Other times you may want to switch your keyboard is when you want to type in a different language. Here’s how to change your keyboard layout on Windows 10.
How to change your keyboard layout in Windows 10
- Click on the Start Menu at the bottom left corner
- Click on Settings
- Click on Time & Language
- Click on Region & language
- Click on Add a language and choose the language you wish to add a keyboard layout to
- Click on Options
- For languages that come with a “Language pack available” option, you will need to download the pack first. Click download to proceed.
- Click on the language you added and click Options
- Click Add a keyboard
- Click on the keyboard you want to add
Now that you have the keyboard layout added you can easily switch keyboards. Just use the shortcut Windows + Space to toggle between languages. Use the shortcut again to toggle back to the standard QWERTY layout.
Switching to different languages is extremely easy on Windows 10. You should experiment with other keyboard layouts to see which one works the best for you. Dvorak and Colemak are common ones that people switch to because it supposedly causes less strain on your wrist. There is a huge learning curve to learning a new way to type because QWERTY is engrained in our minds. However, I’ve had friends who were able to successfully transition to the new layout and swear by it. Go ahead and try it out!