How to switch languages using the Android Gboard keyboard
Learning a new language on an Android device? If the language uses a different alphabet or employs accents that your primary language does not, you may need to add a new software keyboard to your phone.
Luckily, Google’s standard Gboard keyboard includes a plethora of language-related keyboards; at last count, it offered over 500 languages over 40 different writing systems. If you’ve already installed Gboard in the US, you’re likely already set up with US English. But it’s not difficult to add one or more new keyboards and quickly switch from one language to another. Here’s how to install and use one or more of the many languages available. (Note: this was tried out using a Pixel 3 phone and Android 12; your interface may vary.)
First, you need to get to the “Languages” page.
You can also get to the page from your Android device’s main settings menu. From the settings:
Once you’ve reached the “Languages” page, you can add a new language:
You’ll now see the keyboard’s language named on the space bar. (If you enabled multilingual typing, you’ll see abbreviations of both language names.) In addition, there will now be a globe icon to the left of the keyboard instead of the emoji icon. (The emoji icon can now be accessed via a long press on the comma key.)
To change keyboards, tap on the globe; your keyboard will switch to the next in line. You can also long press on the space bar and select the language you want from the pop-up menu.
If you’re no longer using one of your languages and you want to remove it from the list:
Find the language you no longer need, and swipe to the left to remove it.
Update October 1st, 2021, 4:45PM ET: This article was originally published on January 3rd, 2020 and has been updated to allow for updates in the Android OS.
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