How to Add a Different Keyboard Language on iPhone

Adding a different keyboard language on your iPhone lets you type in another language without switching apps or copying text. You can add as many languages as you like and switch between them with a tap or a swipe. This guide walks you through adding a keyboard language, switching between them, and fixing common issues. All you need is your iPhone with iOS 13 or later.

What You’ll Need

Your iPhone with iOS 13 or later (the steps are similar on older versions)
The language you want to add must be supported by iOS (most major languages are)
An active internet connection is not required, but may help if you want to download a dictionary or predictive text for the new language

Step-by-Step

Open Settings. Tap the gray gear icon on your home screen.
Go to General. Scroll down and tap “General.”
Tap Keyboard. Scroll down and tap “Keyboard.”
Tap Keyboards. At the top of the Keyboard settings, tap “Keyboards.” You’ll see a list of your current keyboards (usually just “English” or your default language).
Add a New Keyboard. Tap “Add New Keyboard…” at the bottom of the list.
Choose a Language. Scroll through the list or use the search bar at the top to find the language you want. Tap it. Some languages have multiple keyboard layouts (e.g., QWERTY, AZERTY, Dvorak). Choose the one you prefer by tapping it.
Confirm the Addition. The keyboard will be added and you’ll return to the Keyboards list. You’ll see the new language listed.
Start Typing. Open any app that uses the keyboard (Messages, Notes, Safari, etc.). Tap and hold the globe icon (�) at the bottom left of the keyboard to see a list of your keyboards. Slide your finger to the one you want and release. Or simply tap the globe icon to cycle through your keyboards.

Common Mistakes

Adding a language from the wrong settings. Some people go to Settings > General > Language & Region and change the entire system language. That’s different. You only need to add a keyboard, not change the whole phone language.
Not seeing the globe icon. If you only have one keyboard, the globe icon doesn’t appear. You need at least two keyboards to see it. If you added a second keyboard and still don’t see the globe, check that you actually added it (see Troubleshooting).
Forgetting to select the correct layout. Some languages have multiple layouts (e.g., French has AZERTY and QWERTY). If you pick the wrong layout, the keys won’t match what you expect. You can change this later in Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards > [Language] > Layout.
Thinking the keyboard is broken when it’s just a different layout. For example, if you add German, the Y and Z keys are swapped (QWERTZ). That’s normal for that language.

Tips

Use the spacebar to switch quickly. On some iOS versions, you can slide your finger across the spacebar to switch between keyboards without tapping the globe. This is especially handy when typing quickly.
Enable predictive text for the new language. In Settings > General > Keyboard, make sure “Predictive” is on. Then, when you switch to that keyboard, iOS will offer word suggestions in that language.
Add a keyboard for emoji. The Emoji keyboard is separate. If you don’t see it, go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards > Add New Keyboard and tap “Emoji.”
Reorder your keyboards. In the Keyboards list, tap “Edit” in the top right, then drag the hamburger icon next to a keyboard to reorder them. This changes the order they appear when you tap the globe.
Remove a keyboard you no longer need. Swipe left on a keyboard in the Keyboards list and tap “Delete,” or tap “Edit” and then the minus icon.

Troubleshooting

The globe icon is missing. This means you only have one keyboard enabled. Go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards and confirm the new language is listed. If it’s not, add it again. If it is listed, you may need to restart your iPhone (press and hold the side button and volume button, then slide to power off).
The keyboard doesn’t appear in the list. Make sure you actually tapped “Add New Keyboard” and selected the language. Sometimes people tap the language name and think it’s added, but they need to tap the layout (e.g., QWERTY) to confirm. Go back and try again.
I added the language, but it’s not showing the correct characters. Check the keyboard layout. Go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards > [Language] > Layout and make sure you have the right one (e.g., QWERTY vs. AZERTY).
Predictive text isn’t working for the new language. Make sure “Predictive” is enabled in Settings > General > Keyboard. Also, the new language may need to download a dictionary. Go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards > [Language] > Download Dictionary (if available). You’ll need an internet connection for this.
The keyboard switches back to the old language on its own. This can happen if you have “Auto-Switch to Preferred Language” enabled. Go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards and turn off “Auto-Switch to Preferred Language.” This setting automatically switches to the language you use most often, which can be annoying if you’re switching manually.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add more than two keyboard languages? Yes, you can add as many as you want. Just repeat the steps for each language. The globe icon will cycle through all of them.

How do I switch back to the previous keyboard? Tap the globe icon again, or if you have many keyboards, press and hold the globe icon and slide to the one you want.

Will adding a keyboard language change the language of my iPhone’s interface? No. Adding a keyboard only affects the keyboard. The system language stays the same unless you change it separately in Settings > General > Language & Region.

Can I use a third-party keyboard like Gboard or SwiftKey instead? Yes, you can download them from the App Store. After installing, go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards > Add New Keyboard and select the third-party keyboard under “Third-Party Keyboards.” You’ll need to allow full access if you want features like predictive text.

Why is the layout different (e.g., QWERTZ vs QWERTY)? Different languages have different standard layouts. For example, German uses QWERTZ, French uses AZERTY. You can change the layout for a specific language in Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards > [Language] > Layout.

Does adding a keyboard language use more battery or storage? The keyboard itself takes up negligible storage. However, if you download a dictionary for predictive text, it may take up a few megabytes. Battery impact is minimal.

General steps for current mainstream versions; menus can differ by device and version. See the disclaimer or report an error.

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