How to Change the System Language in Windows 10

Changing the system language in Windows 10 is a straightforward process, but it includes a few important steps and settings you should know. Whether you need to switch to another language for work, family, or personal preference, Windows 10 gives you full control over your display language and keyboard setups.

Check Your Windows 10 Edition and Activation Status

Before you begin, it's important to know which edition of Windows 10 you're using. Changing the display language is fully supported on Windows 10 Pro and Enterprise. Windows 10 Home supports it as well, but with some restrictions based on your device's region and activation status. To check your edition, right-click the Start button, select System, and look for your edition under Windows specifications.

Also, check your activation status. Go to Settings > Update & Security > Activation. If your system is not activated, you may run into errors when trying to download or apply new languages. Make sure Windows is activated before proceeding with language changes.

Open Language Settings

To start changing the language, open the Windows 10 settings. Click the Start menu, then choose Settings (the gear icon). Once inside, go to Time & Language, and then select Language from the sidebar. Here, you'll see your current display language and installed languages.

This page lists all language packs installed on your device and lets you add new ones. If you only see your default language, you'll need to add the one you want. Make sure your computer is connected to the internet so you can download additional language packs if needed.

Add a New Language

To add a new system language, click Add a language under the Preferred languages section. A long list of supported languages will appear. You can search using the language name or scroll to find it. For example, if you want to switch to French, type 'French' and select the appropriate regional variant, such as 'French (France)'.

After selecting your language, click Next. In the next window, you’ll see additional options such as Set as my display language, Install language pack, or Include speech recognition and Handwriting. For a full system change, make sure Install language pack and Set as my display language are checked. Then click Install.

Set the New Display Language

After the language pack downloads and installs, the new language should appear in your Preferred languages list. If you didn't set it as the display language during installation, click your newly added language and then click Set as default or the Set as display language option. Windows will now use this language for menus, notifications, and other system text.

To apply the change system-wide, you may need to sign out and sign back in, or restart your computer. Windows will prompt you if a restart or sign-out is necessary. Once you log back in, the interface should be displayed in the language you selected.

Change Welcome Screen and New User Language

Changing the display language only affects your current user account by default. If you want the new language to show on the Windows welcome screen, sign-in screen, and for new user accounts, there are a few extra steps. Go back to Settings > Time & Language > Language. On the right, find Administrative language settings under Related settings - this opens a new window.

Under the Administrative tab, click Copy settings.... In the window that appears, you can check both Welcome screen and system accounts and New user accounts to apply your current language setting to those areas. Click OK and restart your computer to finish the process.

Switch Keyboard Layouts for Your New Language

Changing the system language often adds a new keyboard layout. If you want to use the original layout or switch between layouts, you can manage this in the same Language settings area. Click your language, then choose Options. Under Keyboards, add or remove layouts as needed to match your typing preferences.

You can switch between installed keyboard layouts at any time by pressing Windows key + Spacebar. The current keyboard will display on your taskbar, making it easy to switch if you work with multiple languages.

Troubleshooting Language Pack Issues

If your desired language isn’t available or the download fails, try checking your Windows version and region. Some language packs are restricted based on region or Windows edition. Make sure you're logged in with administrator rights, and that Windows is fully updated by going to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update.

If the language pack still won't install, try restarting your computer, or running the Windows Troubleshooter for Windows Update. As a last resort, you can manually reset the Windows Update components using the Command Prompt, but most users will not need this step. If you see error codes, search for them specifically - for example, error 0x800f0954 is commonly fixed by temporarily enabling the Windows Firewall or by ensuring your device is connected to the Microsoft Store servers.

Uninstalling and Managing Installed Languages

If you no longer need a language, it's easy to remove it. Go to Settings > Time & Language > Language. Select the language you wish to remove and click Remove. Note that you cannot remove the language currently set as your display language; you'll need to switch to another one first.

Uninstalling unused language packs can free up disk space and simplify your language selection menus. If you have multiple users on your device, changing or removing a language in your profile won’t affect their profiles unless you use the Copy settings option mentioned earlier.

Frequently asked questions