How to Delete a Keyboard Layout in Windows 10

To delete a keyboard layout in Windows 10, open Settings > Time & language > Language, choose the language that contains the layout, select Options, then remove the unwanted item under Keyboards. This removes that typing layout; it does not remove the language pack or change the Windows display language.

Windows can associate a layout with a language other than the one its name suggests. If you do not see it under the expected language, check the current display language and the language that matches the layout. The examples below illustrate the Windows 10 Settings route; the language names and available controls can vary with your setup.

Before you remove a layout

Check which layout is active before deleting anything. Select the input indicator in the taskbar, or hold Windows and press Spacebar to cycle through installed layouts. If you use the unwanted layout for a language you type in, choose a replacement first so you can keep entering the characters you need. Microsoft explains how Windows lists and switches layouts in its keyboard and language settings guide.

Remove a keyboard layout in Windows 10 Settings

1. Open Language settings. Press Windows + I to open Settings. Select Time & language, then choose Language in the left pane.

   

2. Open the language options. Under Preferred languages, select the language row that owns the unwanted keyboard, then select Options. A layout is not always listed under a matching language: Windows may associate it with the current Windows display language. If needed, open Options for that language as well as the language that matches the layout.

   

3. Find the keyboard entry. In the language options page, scroll to Keyboards. Read each listed layout carefully; for example, a list might contain both US and United States-Dvorak. The layout names on your PC may be different.

   

4. Remove only the layout you no longer want. Select the target keyboard layout and choose Remove. If Windows asks you to confirm, confirm the removal. Leave at least one layout you can use for that language and for typing your sign-in credentials.

   

5. Repeat and verify. If the extra layout appears under another language, repeat the same steps there. Press Windows + Spacebar or open the taskbar input indicator again; the removed layout should no longer appear in the list of available layouts.

If the Remove button is unavailable

Microsoft notes that Remove can be disabled when the selected layout is the only keyboard layout installed for the current Windows display language. Add another layout you intend to keep, then return to the list and remove the unwanted one. If your goal is to keep only one layout, make sure the remaining layout is the one you actually use before you finish.

Also check which Remove control you selected. The language row has its own Remove option, which removes the whole language pack; the keyboard's Remove control is inside that language's Options page. Removing a keyboard layout should not require deleting a language or editing the Registry.

If the extra layout still appears

Go back through Preferred languages and check each installed language, especially the current display language and the language that matches the keyboard layout. Microsoft notes that a layout can be associated with either one. Then check the taskbar input indicator again; it shows the installed choices, while the current abbreviation only tells you which one is active. On a work- or school-managed PC, an administrator may control language settings, so ask them if the layout returns after you remove it in Settings.

Keep the language, remove only its keyboard

If you want to keep menus and apps in a language but stop typing with one of its keyboard arrangements, remove the entry under Keyboards rather than removing the language from Preferred languages. A keyboard layout changes how key presses produce characters; it does not change the Windows display language. For the current Windows 10 path and Microsoft's notes about where layouts are stored, consult the official Manage language and keyboard/input layout settings in Windows page.

Support note: Microsoft ended support for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025. The PC continues to run, but Microsoft no longer provides free Windows Update software updates, technical assistance, or security fixes for Windows 10. See Microsoft's support notice on the linked page for details.