Change Keyboard Language on Android

How to Change Keyboard Language on Android Devices.

Learn how to change the keyboard language on your Android phone so you can type in multiple languages and get the right spell check suggestions.

If you type in more than one language, changing your keyboard language is very helpful. When your keyboard is set to the wrong language, autocorrect will try to change your words into the wrong language. This gets annoying fast. Setting up the correct language fixes that.

This guide uses a Sony Xperia 1V running Android 15 with Gboard (the Google keyboard). The steps are very similar on most Android phones, including Samsung, Pixel, and Xiaomi.

Why Change the Keyboard Language?

Here are the main reasons to set up the correct keyboard language:

· Autocorrect will suggest words in the language you are actually typing
· Special characters and letters for that language become available
· The keyboard layout may change to match what you are used to
· You can type in two languages at once without switching back and forth

How to Change Languages in Gboard

Gboard is the default keyboard on many Android phones. If you are using a different keyboard, the steps may vary slightly, but the idea is the same.

Here is the fastest way to switch languages:

· Open any app where you can type (like Messages or Notes)
· Tap on the text field to bring up the keyboard
· Long press on the space bar
· A menu will pop up showing your installed languages
· Tap the language you want to switch to

That is it. Your keyboard is now using the new language.

How to Add a New Language to Gboard

If the language you want is not showing up when you long press the space bar, you need to add it first.

Here is how to add a language:

· Open Settings on your phone
· Tap System (on some phones this is called General management)
· Tap Languages and input
· Tap On-screen keyboard then Gboard
· Tap Languages
· Tap Add keyboard
· Find and select the language you want
· Choose the keyboard layout if asked (QWERTY, AZERTY, etc.)

Once added, the language will appear when you long press the space bar.

How to Use Two Languages at Once (Multilingual Typing)

Gboard has a great feature called multilingual typing. When you enable it, the keyboard will suggest words from two languages at the same time. You do not need to switch back and forth.

This feature works when:

· Both languages use a similar alphabet (like English and Spanish, or English and French)
· You have both languages added to Gboard
· Multilingual typing is turned on (it usually is by default)

For example, if you add Romanian to Gboard alongside English, you can type in both languages without switching. The keyboard will figure out which language you are using and suggest the right words.

How to Remove a Language You No Longer Need

If you have too many languages installed, you can remove the ones you do not use.

Here is how to remove a language:

· Go to Settings > System > Languages and input > On-screen keyboard > Gboard > Languages
· Find the language you want to remove
· Tap it
· Tap Remove or uncheck it

A Note About Different Alphabets

If you add a language that uses a different alphabet, like Russian or Arabic, multilingual typing will not work with English at the same time. The whole keyboard layout changes. You will need to switch between languages manually using the space bar method.

Quick Summary

What you want to do How to do it
Switch between installed languages Long press space bar, tap the language
Add a new language Settings > System > Languages and input > Gboard > Languages > Add keyboard
Remove a language Same menu, tap the language, then Remove
Type in two similar languages at once Just add both languages – multilingual mode works automatically

Final Tip

If you do not see a globe icon or language switcher on your keyboard, do not worry. Long pressing the space bar works on almost every version of Gboard. Give it a try next time you need to type in another language.