Windows splits language into two separate settings, and that split is the whole game. The display language changes the text in menus, dialogs, Settings, and File Explorer. The input language — keyboard layouts, typing, spell-check — changes separately and stays put when you switch display language. You can change display language in Windows 11 or Windows 10 through Settings in about four clicks, provided the language pack is already installed on the machine. If it isn't, Windows will offer to download it; on Windows 10 Pro and Enterprise you can also add a language through Control Panel, and on domain-managed PCs a Group Policy or an administrator may block the Language settings page entirely.
Settings Is the Fastest Route on Both Windows 11 and Windows 10
The Settings app is now the single place where display language lives on Windows 11, and it stays the primary route on Windows 10 as well. Microsoft's own support documentation for Windows 11 points users to Settings > Time & language > Language & region, which is the path I'll use below. On Windows 10, the same controls sit at Settings > Time & Language > Language. Both apps look different but the underlying behavior is identical.
The display language list on Windows 11 sits at the top of the Language & region page, under the heading "Windows display language." A dropdown lists every installed language in the format "English (United States)" or "Français (France)." If your target language isn't listed, click "Add a language" and Windows pulls the language pack and optional features from Microsoft's download servers.
On Windows 10, the equivalent control is under "Preferred languages" on the Language page. Selecting a language and clicking "Set as default" changes the display language. The Windows 10 flow requires the language pack to already be present; if it isn't, the "Set as default" button is greyed out until you install it.
A small but real difference between the two versions: Windows 11 requires a sign-out before the change takes effect, while Windows 10 usually applies after you sign out and back in. In both versions, the "Sign out" prompt appears at the top of the language settings once the new display language is set. Until you sign out, most of the interface stays in the old language, which confuses people who expect an immediate switch.
The Seven-Step Walkthrough That Actually Changes the Interface
1: Open Settings with Windows key + I. The shortcut works on Windows 10 and 11. 2: Go to Time & language (Windows 11: Time & language; Windows 10: Time & Language). 3: Click Language & region on Windows 11, or Language on Windows 10. 4: Under "Windows display language," click the dropdown and pick your target language. 5: If your language isn't in the list, click Add a language, search for it, select it, and click Next > Install. Windows downloads the language pack and any optional features like handwriting or speech. 6: Click Sign out when the prompt appears. The new language displays on the sign-in screen and in the shell after you sign back in. 7: Sign back in and verify. Open File Explorer, Settings, and the Start menu — all three should display the new language.
If the display language is still the old one after sign-out, the language pack hasn't finished installing. Open Settings > Time & language > Language & region and check whether the language shows "Installing" or "Installed." If it shows "Available" rather than "Installed," click the language, then click "Options" and install the language pack from there.
What the Language Pack Download Actually Costs in Time and Bandwidth
Language packs are not small. Microsoft's Windows 11 language pack downloads run roughly 30–100 MB for the display language alone, but the optional features — handwriting recognition, speech recognition, and text-to-speech — can add another 100–300 MB per language. The final size depends on the language; languages with large character sets (Japanese, Korean, Chinese) tend to be at the high end.
On a typical 25 Mbps connection, a 100 MB download finishes in about 32 seconds. Add optional features and the figure stretches to 2–5 minutes. On a metered connection, the Settings app warns you before downloading; on Windows 10 Pro and Enterprise this warning can be disabled by policy but not usually by mistake. If the machine is offline or on a slow link, install the language pack from an ISO or from Microsoft's Volume Licensing Service Center media.
Microsoft doesn't publish a single number for every language — the language pack size lives in the Settings > Apps > Installed apps page (Windows 11) or under Settings > Apps > Apps & features (Windows 10) once installed. To check before installing, hover over the "Install" button on the language's Options page; the size shows in a tooltip on Windows 11 and not at all on Windows 10, which is a known inconsistency.
Why Windows 10 Pro and Enterprise Give You a Second Path Through Control Panel
Windows 10 Pro and Enterprise expose an older administrative route that still works and that Microsoft's documentation for Windows 10 continues to reference. Control Panel > Clock and Region > Region > Administrative tab > "Copy settings" lets you copy your current user's language and locale settings to the welcome screen and to new user accounts. That's not the same as changing display language, but it's what confuses people who read older guides.
The actual Language control panel is at Control Panel > Clock and Region > Language. On Windows 10 Pro and Enterprise, this page lets you add a language, move it to the top of the list to make it the display language, and set it as the Windows display language. The Settings app does the same thing; the Control Panel exposes it for administrators managing many PCs.
Windows 10 Home lacks the "Copy settings" administrative tab in some builds, and Microsoft's own documentation notes that Home SKUs don't include the full Control Panel language route. That's the main reason a Home user reading a Pro-based guide can't find the button. If you're on Home, use Settings.
Policy and Administrator Blocks That Stop the Change Cold
On a work or school PC, the display language dropdown in Settings can be greyed out or missing entirely. Two mechanisms explain this. First, Group Policy: Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Control Panel > Regional and Language Options includes settings that force a specific display language. Second, the Microsoft Intune "Device restrictions" profile under "Localization" can lock the display language for a device.
If both your dropdowns are greyed out, you cannot override it from your account. The change requires administrator rights. Ask your IT team; the policy setting is usually called "Restrict UI language selection" or a similar name, and unlocking it is a one-line policy change once they find the setting.
A related failure case: on PCs joined to Azure AD, the Windows display language is sometimes forced to the tenant's regional default, and the "Sign out" button appears but signing back in restores the forced language. The fix is at the tenant level, not on the device. Microsoft's Intune documentation under "Localization settings" covers the specific policy (Settings Catalog > Administrative Templates > System > Locale Services).
Switching the Welcome Screen and New Users Separately
Most guides skip this: the display language on the sign-in screen and for new accounts is set by the "Copy settings" mechanism, not by the display language dropdown. On Windows 11 and Windows 10 Pro/Enterprise, open Control Panel > Region > Administrative > "Copy settings" and check "Welcome screen and system accounts" and "New user accounts" before clicking OK. On Windows 10 Home, that checkbox is unavailable.
After the copy, you must restart the PC, not just sign out. The welcome screen language and the default language for new user accounts are read at boot, so signing out doesn't refresh them. This is the most common reason a user says "it's still English on the login screen."
The per-user setting stays separate from the system-wide setting. If you set display language to French on your account but don't copy settings, a colleague who logs in will still see English. That's usually what you want in a multi-user environment; it becomes a problem only when the stated goal is a fully localized PC.
A Comparison Table of the Four Paths and What Each One Actually Changes
| Path | What it changes | Availability | Sign-out or restart needed | Common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Settings > Time & language > Language & region | User's display language | Windows 10 and 11 | Sign-out required | Language pack not installed |
| Control Panel > Language | User's display language and input | Windows 10 Pro/Enterprise | Sign-out required | Greyed out on Home SKUs |
| Control Panel > Region > Administrative > Copy settings | Welcome screen and new-user default | Windows 10 Pro/Enterprise, Windows 11 Pro | Restart required | Checkbox missing on Home |
| Group Policy / Intune profile | Forces display language device-wide | Managed PCs only | Sign-out required | User cannot override |
Read the table by goal. If you just want your own menus in a different language, use Settings. If you want the login screen and every new profile localized, copy settings and restart. If you're on a managed PC and can't change anything, the table's bottom row is your blocker.
Changing Display Language Without Touching the Keyboard Layout
The most common complaint after a display language change is that the keyboard starts typing the wrong language. That's because the display language dropdown and the input language toggle are separate settings. Windows keeps your original keyboard layout when you change display language; if you added a new language pack, Windows may have auto-added its input method at the same time.
To check, go to Settings > Time & language > Language & region and look at the "Input" section (Windows 11) or "Preferred languages" list (Windows 10). Each language shows its associated keyboard. If the new language added a keyboard you don't want, click the language, click Options, and remove the extra keyboard. Windows key + Space cycles between installed keyboard layouts and is the fastest way to confirm which one is active.
The distinction matters for accent characters. A French display language does not make the keyboard type accented letters automatically. If you need accents, add the appropriate keyboard layout — for French, "French (France)" or "Canadian French" — rather than relying on the display language.
Rolling Back to the Original Language When the New One Breaks
If the new display language behaves badly — missing strings, half-translated dialogs, or a corrupted Start menu — you can flip back without a reinstall. Open Settings and repeat the same steps, choosing your original language. The language pack stays installed on disk; removing it is a separate step and not necessary for switching back.
To fully remove a language pack, go to Settings > Time & language > Language & region (Windows 11) or Language (Windows 10), click the language, and choose "Remove." Windows deletes the display pack but leaves optional features like handwriting unless you remove them individually in the language's Options page. A full removal reclaims the disk space the pack used, which on some languages runs past 300 MB.
A real edge case: some IT departments push language packs via WSUS or Configuration Manager and re-install them at the next policy refresh. If you remove a language and it returns within 24 hours, that's the explanation. Locate your IT contact and ask them to exclude the device from the deployment; no user-level setting will prevent the reinstall.
Four Practical Checks Before You Commit to a Language Switch
Check 1: your account type. Windows 11 and Windows 10 Home allow display language changes for standard users, but on domain-managed accounts the policy path above can block it. Confirm by opening Settings and looking for the dropdown; if it's present, you have permission.
Check 2: your apps. Windows UI strings come from the OS, but individual apps (Microsoft 365, Chrome, Adobe) each have their own language settings and do not follow the Windows display language automatically. Microsoft 365 follows the display language of the Microsoft account, not the PC. Chrome follows its own language settings. A Windows display language change won't translate those.
Check 3: your keyboard layout. Confirm your typing language survives the display language change. In most cases it does; in the language pack install flow it usually gets added automatically, and you may need to remove it from the Input list if you don't want it.
Check 4: available disk space. Windows language packs need a few hundred MB free during install and a reboot of the language service once installed. On a nearly full drive (under 1 GB free), Windows may fail midway and leave a half-installed pack. Free 1 GB before trying again.
FAQ
Does changing the display language also change the keyboard?
No. Display language and keyboard layout are controlled separately. Changing the display language leaves your current keyboard layout selected, and if the new language pack adds an input method, you'll see it under Settings > Time & language > Language & region > Input. You can remove the extra keyboard without touching the display language by opening the language's Options page and deleting the input method.
Can I change the display language in Windows 11 Home?
Yes. Windows 11 Home includes the same Language & region page and the same language pack downloads as Pro and Enterprise. The path is Settings > Time & language > Language & region, then pick the display language. Windows 11 Home lacks the "Copy settings" administrative tab in Control Panel, so the login-screen language cannot be changed on Home accounts.
Why does Windows ask me to sign out after changing display language?
Windows loads the user interface strings at sign-in. The display language setting is read when the shell starts, so switching it mid-session shows the old language until the shell restarts. Signing out and back in restarts the shell cleanly. A shutdown and restart achieves the same thing; a reboot is also required after copying settings to the welcome screen.
How large is a Windows language pack download?
Microsoft's language packs typically run between about 30 MB and 100 MB for the display language alone, with optional features like speech and handwriting adding another 100–300 MB. Final size depends on the language: character-heavy scripts like Japanese, Chinese, and Korean tend to be larger. Confirm the exact size on the language's Options page before installing.
Why is the display language setting greyed out on my work PC?
Greyed-out display language dropdowns come from Group Policy or an Intune "Localization" device-restriction profile forcing a specific language. You cannot override it from your account. Ask your IT department to release the "Restrict UI language selection" setting or exclude your device from the localization policy. Microsoft's Intune documentation covers the policy location.
Can I keep my original keyboard when I switch to French display language?
Yes. The display language dropdown does not affect input. After selecting French as the display language, open Settings > Time & language > Language & region > Input and confirm that your original keyboard layout remains listed. If Windows added a French keyboard during install, remove it and your typing stays in the original layout.
Does changing display language affect Windows Update or installed apps?
No for Windows Update; Windows Update installs updates in the same language regardless of display language. Apps vary widely: Microsoft 365 follows the Microsoft account's language, Chrome follows its own setting, and Adobe follows its own preference. Each app has to be changed separately if you want it in the new language.
What happens if I remove the language pack after switching back?
Removing an unused language pack reclaims its disk space — on large scripts, past 300 MB — and removes its display strings. Your current display language is unaffected. If a device management policy re-pushes the language pack after removal, contact IT to exclude your PC from the deployment.
If your PC is managed by a company or school and the display language controls are missing or locked, the article's scope ends at the policy level: only your IT administrator can change those restrictions. The material here describes standard Windows 11 and Windows 10 behavior for personal or unmanaged devices; Windows Insider builds and customized OEM images may differ, so confirm on Microsoft's Settings documentation for your exact version.