Manage the input and display language settings in Windows 10

To manage all aspects of the input and display language settings on your Windows 10 device, use the following methods.

To switch the keyboard layout you’re using in Windows 10, press and hold the Windows key and then repeatedly press the Spacebar to cycle through all your installed keyboards. (If this doesn’t do anything, it means you have only one installed.)

You can also select the language abbreviation on the far right of the taskbar and then choose the language or input method you want to use.

Note: In the input field, press Windows +period (.) to access the emoji keyboard, if your language supports this.

If you can’t find the keyboard layout you want, you may have to add a new keyboard.

Adding an input language lets you set a language-preference order for websites and apps, as well as change your keyboard language.

Select the Start button, then select Settings > Time & Language > Language.

Under Preferred languages, select the language that contains the keyboard you want, and then select Options.

Select Add a keyboard and choose the keyboard you want to add. If you don’t see the keyboard you want, you may have to add a new language to get additional options. If this is the case, go on to step 4.

Return to the Language settings page, and select Add a language.

Choose the language you want to use from the list, and then select Next.

Review any language features you want to set up or install, and select Install.

The display language you select changes the default language used by Windows features like Settings and File Explorer.

Select the Start button, then select Settings > Time & Language > Language.

Choose a language from the Windows display language menu.

If a language is listed under Preferred languages but doesn’t appear on the Windows display language list, you’ll first need to install its language pack (if it’s available).

Select the Start button, then select Settings > Time & Language > Language.

Choose a language from the Add a language list under Preferred languages, and then select Options.

Select Download from the Download language pack option.

After the language pack is installed, select Back .

Choose a language from the Windows display language menu.

If you receive an «Only one language pack allowed» or «Your Windows license supports only one display language» message, you have a single language edition of Windows 10. Here’s how to check your Windows 10 language edition:

Select the Start button, select Settings > About, and then scroll down to the Windows specification section.

If you see Windows 10 Home Single Language next to Edition, you have a single language edition of Window 10, and you can’t add a new language unless you purchase an upgrade to either Windows 10 Home or Windows 10 Pro.

Select the Start button, then select Settings > Time & Language > Language.

Under Preferred languages, select the language you want to remove, and then click Remove.

To remove an individual keyboard, select the language in question (see step 2), select Options, scroll down to the Keyboards section, select the keyboard you want to remove, and click Remove.

How to set default GPU for apps on Windows 10

If you have a multi-GPU system running Windows 10, you can now manually specify the preferred graphics processor an app should use for performance or to improve battery life.

On Windows 10, computers with multiple GPUs have the ability to select the preferred graphics card an app should use within the graphics control panels software available from Nvidia and AMD.

However, since version 1803 (April 2018 Update) and later versions, the Windows 10 Settings app includes a page that allows you to select the preferred graphics card for traditional and Microsoft Store apps to improve system performance or battery life.

In this guide, you will learn the steps to set the GPU an app uses on your Windows 10 laptop or desktop with multiple graphics processors.

Specify preferred GPU for apps using Settings

To force an app to use a discrete GPU instead of the integrated adapter, use these steps:

Open Settings on Windows 10.

Click on System.

Click on Display.

Under the “Multiple displays” section, click the Graphics settings option.

Graphics settings option

Select the app type using the drop-down menu:

• Classic app — traditional (Win32) desktop programs.
• Microsoft app — apps available through the Microsoft Store.

If you select the Classic app option, you will need to click the Browse button to locate the “.exe” file to specify the app. On the other hand, if you select the Microsoft Store app option, you will see a second drop-down menu to select the app.

Use the drop-down menu and select the app.

Click the Add button.

Set GPU for app

Click the Options button.

App GPU options

Set the graphics preference you want to use for the app:

• System default — (default) Windows 10 decides which GPU to use automatically.
• Power saving — runs the app on the GPU that uses the least power, usually the integrated graphics processor.
• High performance — runs the app on the most capable GPU, usually an external or discrete graphics processor.

Click the Save button.

Select GPU preference per app

Once you complete the steps, the app you selected will use the graphics processor you specified to optimize battery life or performance the next time you launch it.

It is important to note that these settings will take precedence from the same settings available in other control panels (which you can continue to use).

While you can manually set the preferred GPU for an app on Windows 10, the app always decides which processor to use. This means that if you change the settings and the app continues to use a different GPU, you may need to change the preferences in the app itself.

If you want to stop an app from using this feature, then in the “Advanced graphics settings” page, select the app from the list, and click the Remove button. Or select the app, click the Options button, and select the System default option.

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How to open and use Windows 10 Settings

If you have installed Windows 10, you might have started exploring it already. Windows 10 comes with new opportunities for users to personalize it, according to their own preferences. In this post, we will take a bird-eye view of the settings offered by Windows 10.

While Microsoft has always been offering a decent range of settings options and personalization capabilities in all its Windows versions, things are a bit different in Windows 10. While the familiar Control Panel is still there, the new Settings app comes with a new design and a new interface.

The latest version of Windows 10 offers a wide range of settings, which include personalization, system, and privacy options. You will be able to see this once you open the Windows 10 Settings window and explore your way through all the options. The new Windows 10 Settings app now comes with a new design and a new interface that allows its users to customize and personalize it according to their preferences.

In this post, we will be covering the following points:

1. How to open the Windows 10 Settings app.
2. How to use the Windows 10 Settings app.

Users can sync their settings by using their email id, manage sign-in options, change privacy settings, manage and update security, customize the Start menu and Taskbar, and a lot more. We will first see how to open the Settings app in Windows 10 and then go step by step through all the settings. So, let’s get started!

How to open Windows 10 Settings

To open the Windows 10 Settings app, click on the Start button, and then further click on the gear icon called Settings. The Settings app window will open.

Another way to open it is to simply search for it in the Taskbar Search option. The keyboard shortcut is Windows key + I.

As you can see, the Windows 10 Settings include the following sections.

1. System
2. Devices
3. Phone
4. Network & Internet
5. Personalization
6. Apps
7. Accounts
8. Time & Language
9. Gaming
10. Ease of Access
11. Search
12. Cortana
13. Privacy
14. Update & Security

How to use Windows 10 Settings

Windows 10 Settings allow the users to customize and configure the Operating System as per their needs. We will now go through all the sections and settings in detail.

1. System

The System Settings let you adjust the settings of all your apps, notifications, display, and power. You can change the display resolution, display orientation, and brightness and color of the built-in display. You can also change the size of the text, apps, and other items.

In the Sound category, you can choose your input and output devices, manage all the sounds devices, and set other advanced sound options. You can edit, add, remove, select the quick actions, show or hide notifications, adjust the power and sleep and battery saver settings, configure storage settings, and more.

Storage lets you decide where your apps, documents, music, pictures, and videos are saved by default. If you are using a touch-enabled device, you can set your PC into tablet mode from System Settings > Tablet mode.

The Multitasking feature enables you to work with multiple windows and virtual desktops. Projecting to this PC allows you to project your Windows phone or PC to the existing screen to use its keyboards, mouse and other devices. You can share or receive content with a nearby device using Bluetooth and WiFi. It is also possible to sync your clipboard data across devices as well as clear it.

You can set up Remote Desktop which lets you connect and control your existing PC from a remote device by using a remote desktop client. In the About section, you will be able to see your device specifications such as the device name, processor, installed RAM, device ID, product ID, etc.

2. Devices

You can adjust the Devices Settings for connected devices like printer, scanner, mouse, keyboard, etc. You can explore the touchpad sensitivity and advanced typing and keyboard settings. Other related settings such as AutoPlay, USB, and Pen and Windows Ink are also under this section of settings.

3. Phone

Under Phone Settings, you can add a phone and link it to your PC which will allow you to browse the web and use apps on your phone and then instantly switch onto your computer.

4. Network and Internet

All your WiFi networks, Dial-up connections, VPN, Ethernet, etc. can be managed here in the Network & Internet section of settings. You can check for available networks and change the connection properties. More settings related to a mobile hotspot, airplane mode, data usage, Wi-Fi Sense and the proxy can be found here.

5. Personalization

Under Personalization Settings, the users can customize the background, colours, lock screen, fonts, and themes. The Start menu and the Taskbar can also be personalized as per the user’s preferences.

6. Apps

In Apps & features, you can search, sort, filter, move as well as uninstall the apps here. You can choose the default apps, download offline maps, associate apps with websites, and so on. You can also change the video playback and startup apps settings.

7. Accounts

In the Accounts settings section, you will find all your information, such as billing details, subscriptions, family settings, and all about your Microsoft account. You can add another Microsoft account as well as a work/school account here. There are several sign-in options to choose from, such as a password, picture password, PIN, fingerprint, etc. You can sync your settings as well.

8. Time and Language

The Time & Language settings include the date and time settings, region and language settings, and speech settings. You can change date formats, add additional clocks for different time zones, choose the language you speak with your device, and also add preferred languages.

9. Gaming

The Gaming settings let you control how the Game bar opens and recognizes your game. You can create your own keyboard shortcuts for various functions such as to open game bar, start/stop recording, microphone on / off, and so on.

This section allows you to control and determine the audio quality, microphone volume, system volume, and how you capture your game through screenshots and game clips. You can turn the game mode on here and control how your game appears when you broadcast. Under Xbox Networking, you will find details regarding the connection status and performance.

10. Ease of Access

The Ease of Access settings is categorized into three settings related to vision, hearing, and interaction.

Vision includes settings that make your display, pointer, cursor, and touch feedback easier to see. You can use a magnifier to zoom, a narrator, high contrast, and color filters for a better viewing experience. Hearing includes the settings that make your device easier to hear or use without sound by displaying audio text. Interaction includes all the settings related to speech, keyboard, mouse, and eye control.

11. Search

Under Search Settings, you will find the permissions, search history, and advanced search indexer settings and learn all about the Windows Search and your privacy.

12. Cortana

The Cortana Settings section lets you learn all about Cortana and your privacy settings where you can manage what you permit Cortana to do, see, and use.

13. Privacy

Privacy includes the Windows permissions as well as the App permissions.

Windows permissions include general settings, speech, ink and typing personalization settings, diagnostics and feedback, and activity history. App permissions include all the settings related to location, camera, microphone, voice activation, notifications, account info, calendar, contacts, phone calls, history, email, tasks, messaging, radio, other devices, background apps, app diagnostics, automatic file download, documents, pictures, videos, and file system. Take a look at the Windows 10 Privacy Settings.

14. Update and Security

Microsoft has added an option of Update and Security settings where you can check for the latest Windows updates, Check Activation state, adjust the Windows Defender settings, open Windows Security and also rollback to your previous version of Windows via Recovery option.

In this section, you will find all about the Windows updates and security, delivery optimization and troubleshooting settings. You can backup using file history and explore the recovery options. You will find information regarding the activation and product key here in this section under the Activation tab. You will also see the Find my device settings and Developers settings here.