The language learning app wants you to type an essay in Kiswahili? Writing to your friend in Finland? Find out here how to change the input language for the iPhone keyboard (and how to add or remove languages, of course).
First, Corner, Goalie, Penalty—Geh bitte!
Visit any football ground in Vienna today, and you will hear a curious mixture of very British terms and very Viennese swearing:
Foul—Oida!
Geh bitte—Corner!
Goalie—Heast!
…
As was their wont around the globe, English expatriates founded football clubs in the 19th century’s second half in Vienna. They brought with them a leather ball, association rules and their terminology, of course.
All have survived, deeply engrained in local culture. The same is true in Switzerland, but in Germany, German terms have curiously taken over for the most part.
Now, back in Vienna, for a genuine football ground experience, you’ll need at least two languages for your iPhone keyboard:
How to Change the Input Language on the iPhone Keyboard
Time needed: 1 minute
To quickly switch between input languages (for keyboard layouts and auto-complete) on the iPhone iOS keyboard:
- Press and hold the language switching icon in the iPhone keyboard.
Where: The icon is typically to the left of the spacebar and emoji button at the very bottom.
What: The language switching icon sports a two-dimensional stylized globe with lines of longitude and latitude. - Select the desired language and keyboard layout from the menu that has appeared.
Just switch: Tap the language switching icon instead to switch to the next layout down the list, then cycle back up.
Which language: The iPhone keyboard will briefly flash the language in the Space bar.
Missing language or keyboard layout: See below for adding (or removing) languages to (and from) the list.
Looking to change the interface language? How to Change the Language on iPhone and iPad
Add a Language or Keyboard Layout to the iPhone Keyboard
To edit the list of languages (and keyboard layouts or input methods) available for the iPhone keyboard:
- Open the Settings app on the iPhone.
- Now open the General category.
- Go to Keyboard.
- Now choose Keyboards.
- Click Add New Keyboard….
- Tap a language or language variant to add it to your iPhone keyboards.
Search: Use the Search field to find desired keyboards, of course; you can search by language name and country name (if there is a language variant for that country), both in your iPhone display language (not the language itself).
Choose a Different Keyboard Layout for a Language
To pick a different keyboard layout (such as QWERTY or AZERTY) for a language’s iPhone keyboard:
- Select the language in the iPhone Keyboards settings (see above).
- Now choose the desired keyboard layout.
Remove a Language from the iPhone Keyboard
To delete a language from the list of input languages for the iPhone keyboard:
- Open the Settings app.
- Go to General.
- Choose Keyboard.
- Now open Keyboards.
- Swipe to the left over the language you want to remove.
- Select Delete.
How to Change the Input Language on the iPhone Keyboard: FAQ
Can I have two different keyboard layouts for the same language?
No, not normally.
You can only choose one keyboard layout per language for the iPhone keyboard. If a language has multiple (similar) variants, you can add the variants and choose different layouts, though (e.g., Austrian and German German).
Can I change the order of languages in the language picker?
Yes.
To change the order in which languages appear for the iPhone keyboard:
- Open Settings on the iPhone.
- Go to General | Keyboard | Keyboards.
- Now tap Edit.
- Use the handles to the right of each language to move them up or down the list.
- Tap Done.
(How to change the input language on the iPhone keyboard tested with iOS 15–17; first published July 2022, last updated June 2024)