How to change keyboard layout on MAC OS? Switch keyboard layout on MAC: keyboard shortcut. How to switch the language on the keyboard on a Macbook How to switch the language on an aimac

Most modern users, when working with a computer, are often forced to use, in addition to their primary Russian language, an additional language - English, since most passwords, links and commands are entered in it. On Apple laptops there are several ways to change the layout, and it is also possible to set hotkeys yourself to quickly change the input language.

By default, changing the layout is assigned to pressing the Cmd+Space keys simultaneously.

If you use more than two languages ​​to work on your laptop, then use the keyboard shortcut Cmd+Option+Space (Space).

Video tutorial: “How to switch the language on the Macbook keyboard”

Adding a language layout - instructions

To add a new input language, follow these steps:

  • Open the device menu.
  • Open the "Language and Region" section.
  • Click on the plus sign under the list of available languages ​​to add a new one.
  • Select the desired layout and save the settings. If you do not need multiple languages ​​to work, you can leave only one language activated, in which case you will no longer have to switch between layouts.
  • Changing hotkeys to change layout on a MacBook

    If for some reason the standard key combination for changing the input language does not suit you, then you can assign your own by following these steps:

  • Open the device menu.
  • Go to the "System Settings" section.
  • Click on the “Keyboard” button.
  • Go to the Keyboard Shortcuts section.
  • Open the "Input Sources" section.
  • Click on the old keyboard shortcut and enter new ones that will be convenient for you. But be careful, use those combinations that are not used elsewhere.
  • What to do if the language does not switch the first time

    In the latest versions of Mac OS, a problem may arise that the keyboard layout does not switch the first time. The reason for this is that the keys with which you switch the input language are the same as the keys with which you call the Siri assistant. To get rid of this conflict, follow these steps:

  • Open the laptop menu.
  • Go to the "System Settings" section.
  • Click on the Siri icon.
  • Click on the “Keyboard shortcut” section, in which we select one of the available combinations or click “Customize” to offer your own.
  • Or turn off Siri completely if you don't plan to use it anytime soon by unchecking the checkbox under its icon next to the words "Enable Siri."
  • Macbook laptops allow the user to work with two or more languages ​​at once. Switching the keyboard layout occurs by simultaneously pressing certain keys, which you can configure yourself. But when creating a new combination, be careful that the combination of these keys is not used for any other function.

    When switching to a Mac from Windows and encountering a very similar hotkey system, it may seem to a beginner that in fact the systems are completely identical. And then there is a need to switch the keyboard from one layout to another language. And here some difficulties begin.

    The language on the MacBook is switched by Cmnd+Space, but the same combination switches the Spotlight application. You can switch languages ​​using the mouse button by clicking on the layout icon in the corner of the screen, but using hotkeys should be easier.

    And to make it easier, you first need to change the Spotlight activation combination. For this:

    1. Go to your MacBook's system settings.
    2. Find the tab with the Spotlight application.
    3. Uncheck the enable box next to it using Cmnd (command)+Space (Space).

    Next, with this combination you will simply switch the layout. If more languages ​​are used (not only English and Russian layouts are connected), then using the same combination you can visually control them, rather than switching every now and then from one language to a third. To do this, you need to hold down the combination and wait until the visual menu appears. Languages ​​in this menu can be quickly switched with a spacebar.

    Setting up language switching

    If you don't like the basic combination of how to change the language on a MacBook, you can reconfigure the system for yourself. To do this you will need:

    • Go to system settings through the Apple menu.
    • Open the "language and text" tab.
    • Select "input sources".
    • Find “show in keyboard menu” and check this box.
    • Set these checkboxes on each input source you need.
    • Select a source in the keyboard menu and check the box next to it.

    Icons with flags of the countries whose language you are using will appear in the tray. It will be very easy to switch between them, regardless of their number.

    Adding a language

    You can add any necessary layout to which you will periodically need to change the language. For this:

    • Go to system settings again.
    • Find the "Language and Region" tab.
    • In the window that appears, click on the plus sign to add a language or, conversely, on the minus sign to delete it.

    There you can set any other language as the main one. On Russian MacBooks, the main language is usually Russian, but you can customize the laptop to suit you in any way you like, including changing the default language. You also need to know where to add a language if you bought your MacBook abroad. In the list of layouts, Russian will be listed as “Russian - PC”.

    The usual combination for switching keyboard layouts, Command+Space, has changed. This combination now opens the Spottight search app. Today we will tell you how to switch the keyboard layout, as well as how to change the new key combination to a user-friendly combination.

    How to change layout in MacOS?

    First of all, you need to pay attention to the checkbox in the upper right corner of the screen, which is always visible in the menu bar in macOS. It shows the user which language he is currently using for character typing. That is, if the US flag is lit, then the language is American English.

    Currently, macOS uses the Ctrt+Space key combination to change the language. You can check that after pressing these keys simultaneously, the icon on the toolbar will change to the Russian flag.

    How to change hotkey combination on Mac?

    • You need to click on the Apple menu (in the upper left corner of the screen). Next, select the System Settings – Keyboard section.
    • In the window that opens, you need to go to the 3rd tab “Keyboard shortcuts”. Here you can change the combination for almost all default options.


    • On the right side of the window you need to click on the “Input Sources” item. Then, in the left part of the window, select the line “Select previous input source”.

    Photo: “Input Sources”
    • If you hover your cursor over a line, you will see which combination is currently in use.


    I know that the true Makovods will throw slippers and rotten eggs at me for such heresy, but over the years of living on a PC I have become accustomed to certain things and relearning them only because someone decided so for me is simply laziness. Therefore, I switched the keyboard layout in mac os using the usual Alt+Shift, instead of combinations like Cmd+Space (by the way, for some reason it suddenly changed to Ctrl+Space). Dedicated to altshift fans...

    So, I haven’t found any standard means of changing the layout in Mac, I doubt that they exist, but if there is, please write in the comments. Therefore, after some searching, the solution was found in the Punto Switcher application, so beloved by me since the days of Windows. I think everyone will be able to find it in the search and install it. Install it more carefully, as I understand it, Yandex has taken over its support and therefore, if you do not uncheck the “Install Yandex extensions” checkbox during installation, then a bunch of all sorts of obscenities will be built into your browsers.

    So, with the application installed and running, go to the settings on the “Keyboard shortcuts” tab and in the bottom item “Change layout:” add the key combination you need.

    That’s all, of course, it’s a bit of a crutch to install a separate application to change the layout, especially if you don’t use Punto Switcher, but what can you do, you have to pay for personal convenience and comfort.

    As you can see in the screenshot, it completely lacks the letter E, without which I am also extremely unusual. It is added by editing the current layout in the Ukelele program
    Open Ukelele, switch to the layout that we want to edit, in the File menu item select “New From Current Input Source”

    And we do magic on the original keyboard as you like, right-clicking on any key you don’t like and changing its value by selecting the “Change Output...” option.

    Thus, in addition to adding the letter E, I returned the Delete key to its usual place on the numeric keypad. After editing, save your keyboard to the ~/Library/Keyboard Layouts/ folder and add it in the system keyboard settings.

    Well, the last thing I changed in the layout was the unusual combinations for copying and pasting “Cmd + C” and “Cmd + V”; I replaced them with the “Orthodox” “Ctrl + C” and “Ctrl + V” using standard tools in System Settings-> Keyboard->Modification keys, simply replacing them with opposite functions

    These are, in fact, all the manipulations that were required in order to make a familiar PC-like layout from a Mac-like layout. I will be glad to receive comments and if this article is useful to someone. I wish everyone happiness =)

    Questions about switching the language on the Mac keyboard arise for users who are used to working with a PC keyboard. In most cases, you should memorize new key combinations, but there are other options.

    Use System Preferences to change the language of a specific application. Launch the utility and find “Language and Text”. Go to the "Language" section. Study the module and determine whether it is possible to switch the application's working language to the required one. First on the list is the preferred language that your application uses by default. Close your application. Find the language you want in the list and put it first in the list. Run the application again and check the result of the manipulations. Repeat step 1 and return the tongue to its original position. If this is not done, then the working language will change in all computer programs.


    On devices with the MacBook operating system, two keys “Cmd” and “Space” on the keyboard are used simultaneously to change languages. All users are required to remember another way to change the working language without using the keyboard.


    Go to "System Settings". Select “Keyboard”, then “Spotlite”, check two boxes in the window that opens. After that, repeat “System Preferences” -> “Keyboard” -> “Keyboards and Input”. Check "Cmd" + "Space" if you are using two languages, or "Cmd" + "Option" + "Space" to work with multiple languages.


    To change working languages, you can install special programs on your computer, which, in addition to their main purpose, also perform auxiliary functions. Such programs include, for example, language switcher.

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