Short answer: you don’t need a foreign keyboard. Add the language’s keyboard layout (or input method) in your device’s settings, then switch to it — Win + Space on Windows, Ctrl + Space on Mac, the Globe key on a phone. If you only need the occasional é, ñ, or ü, skip all that and use an accent shortcut instead.
The three ways to type another language
Almost every “how do I type in [language]” question comes down to picking one of three approaches. The right one depends on the language and how often you’ll use it.
- Add a keyboard layout. Best for languages that use the Latin alphabet — French, Spanish, German, Portuguese, Italian, Polish, and so on. Your keyboard’s keys are remapped to that language’s standard layout (accents on their own keys, symbols moved around). You switch to it when you want it and back when you’re done.
- Add an input method (IME). Required for languages that don’t map one key to one letter — Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and shaping scripts like Arabic and Hindi. Instead of a fixed layout, you type phonetically or by components and the input method builds the characters (for example, Pinyin for Chinese, or Kana/Romaji for Japanese).
- Use individual accent shortcuts. Best when you mostly type in English and just need a few accented letters. No switching — you hold a key or use a shortcut for that one character. Our accents on a US keyboard guide and the Accent Keyboard tool cover this.
Most people setting up for a Latin-script language want option 1. If your target language is Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Arabic, or an Indic script, you need option 2. If you just want to write café now and then, option 3 is faster than everything else.
Set it up on your device
Here’s how to add a language keyboard on each platform, and the shortcut to switch once it’s on.
Windows 11
Go to Settings → Time & language → Language & region. Next to your language, click the … (ellipsis) → Language options, scroll to Keyboards, and click Add a keyboard. (To add a whole new language first, use Add a language under Preferred languages.) Switch layouts any time with Win + Space; the current layout shows in the taskbar. Tip: for European accents without a full layout change, add the United States-International keyboard.
macOS
Open System Settings → Keyboard, then under Text Input click Edit. Click ＋, search for the language, and add one or more input sources. Switch with Ctrl + Space (last used) or Ctrl + Option + Space (next), or from the Input menu in the menu bar. If Ctrl + Space opens Spotlight instead, change the conflicting shortcut in Keyboard settings.
iPhone & iPad
Go to Settings → General → Keyboard → Keyboards → Add New Keyboard, then choose the language. To switch while typing, tap and hold the Globe (🌐) key and pick the language. iOS also auto-switches between your two most-used languages for some pairs.
Android (Gboard)
Open any app with a text field so the keyboard appears, tap the gear / Settings on the keyboard, then Languages → Add keyboard and pick the language and layout. Switch with the Globe / language key next to the space bar (turn on Show language switch key in Gboard’s preferences if you don’t see it).
Chromebook
Open Settings → Languages and inputs → Inputs, then Add input methods and choose the language. Switch to the next input with Ctrl + Shift + Space and back to the previous one with Ctrl + Space.
Linux
On GNOME (Ubuntu, Fedora): Settings → Keyboard → Input Sources → ＋, add the language, and switch with Super + Space. For Chinese/Japanese/Korean/Indic scripts, install an input framework — IBus (or Fcitx) — and add that engine. You can also enter any character by its code point with Ctrl + Shift + U followed by the hex, which works in most Linux apps. See our typing symbols on Linux guide for more.
Layout, input method, or shortcut — which do you need?
| Your situation | Use |
|---|---|
| A Latin-script language you’ll write in regularly (FR, ES, DE, PT…) | Add the keyboard layout |
| Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Arabic, Hindi, etc. | Add an input method (IME) |
| Mostly English, just a few accents (café, jalapeño) | Accent shortcut — no switching |
| One character, right now | The copy-and-paste tool or Accent Keyboard |
Type in a specific language
Per-language guides — the exact layout, where each accent sits, and the fastest shortcuts — are rolling out. Start with the general setup above, and use these:
Latin-script languages (add a keyboard layout) French · Spanish · German · Portuguese · Italian Live now: accents on a US keyboard · ñ and ç · umlauts & ß
Non-Latin scripts (add an input method) Russian · Japanese · Chinese · Korean · Arabic · Hindi
Until those pages publish, the setup steps above get you typing in any of them today — the per-language guides just add the layout maps and shortcuts.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| Keys type the wrong character after adding a language | You’ve switched layouts. Press the switch shortcut (Win + Space / Ctrl + Space / Globe) to get back, or match the layout to your physical keyboard. |
| On a UK layout, @ and “ are swapped | That’s the UK layout by design (@ is Shift + ‘). Switch to the US layout, or learn the UK positions. |
| A German layout swapped Y and Z | Correct — QWERTZ layout. Switch back with the shortcut if it wasn’t intended. |
| Added the language but still can’t type its script (e.g. Chinese) | A layout isn’t enough for CJK/Indic scripts — you need an input method (IME), not just a keyboard layout. |
| The switch shortcut does nothing | The input source may not be added yet, or the shortcut conflicts (e.g. Spotlight on Mac). Re-check the steps above and resolve the conflict. |
Recap
Pick your approach: layout for Latin-script languages, input method for Chinese/Japanese/Korean/Arabic/Hindi, accent shortcut for the occasional letter. Add it once in settings, then switch with Win + Space, Ctrl + Space, or the Globe key. For a single character, copy it or use the Accent Keyboard.
Frequently asked questions
What’s the easiest way to type in another language?
Add that language’s keyboard layout in your device settings, then switch to it with a shortcut — Win + Space on Windows, Ctrl + Space on Mac, or the Globe key on a phone. If you only need a few accented letters, an accent shortcut is faster than switching layouts at all.
Do I need a special keyboard to type in a foreign language?
No. Every major operating system lets you add a language’s layout or input method in software, so your existing keyboard can type in that language. A physical keyboard printed with the language’s characters is optional and only helps you see where the keys are.
How do I switch between keyboard languages?
Windows uses Win + Space, Mac uses Ctrl + Space (or Ctrl + Option + Space for the next source), phones use the Globe key, Chromebook uses Ctrl + Shift + Space, and Linux uses Super + Space. The active layout is shown in your taskbar or menu bar.
What’s the difference between a keyboard layout and an input method?
A keyboard layout simply remaps your keys to another Latin-script language’s standard positions. An input method (IME) is for languages where one key doesn’t equal one letter — like Chinese, Japanese, or Korean — where you type phonetically or by components and the software composes the characters.
How do I type just a few accented letters without switching languages?
Use accent shortcuts instead of a full layout: on Windows the United States-International keyboard, on Mac the accent menu (hold a letter) or Option-key shortcuts, and on phones press and hold the base letter. Our accents on a US keyboard guide and Accent Keyboard tool cover every accent.
Why is my keyboard typing the wrong characters after I added a language?
You’ve switched to the new layout, which moves some keys — for example UK layouts swap @ and “, and German layouts swap Y and Z. Switch back to your usual layout with the switch shortcut, or match the layout to the keyboard you’re physically typing on.
Written by Igor R. · Setup paths verified on Windows 11, macOS, iOS, Android, ChromeOS, and Linux against current OS documentation, July 2026. Symbol code points follow the Unicode Standard.