How to Turn On or Off Using a Different Keyboard Layout for Each App Window

Windows 11 grants users the ability to assign a keyboard layout per app. This tool greatly benefits multilingual environments, which can configure their Windows keyboard layout to automatically adapt to the task at hand.

This guide explains how to use different input methods for different apps in Windows 11, the key points, and IT management shortcuts you should know.

How to configure keyboard layout per app in Windows 11

Before learning how to turn the “Let me use a different input method for each app window” feature on or off, consider your goals, technical constraints, and targets.

📌 Prerequisites:

• Windows 11 operating system (all editions)
• Expertise with Registry Editor and PowerShell

📌 Recommended deployment strategies:

Method 1: Configure via Windows settings

The simplest way to designate language inputs per app is through a PC’s Windows settings.

📌 Use Cases: Quick, manual changes on a single workstation

Steps:

1. Press Win + I to open Settings.
2. Navigate to Time & Language > Typing.
3. Click on Advanced keyboard settings.
4. Under Switching input methods, select or clear Let me use a different input method for each app window, as desired.
5. Close Settings.

Method 2: Use PowerShell to configure the keyboard layout per app

📌 Use Cases: Enterprise-wide deployment via scripts that automate keyboard layout changes

Steps:

1. Create a .reg file:
   • Press Win + S, type Notepad, and press Enter.
   • Paste the following:
     

     Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\CTF\LangBar] “ShowStatus”=dword:00000004

   • Save the file with a .reg extension (e.g., PerAppKeyboard.reg).
   • Note the registry file’s specific file path.
2. Press Win + R, type powershell, and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter.
3. Deploy your registry file with:
   

   Start-Process regedit.exe -ArgumentList ‘/s “<filepath>”’ -Verb RunAs

   Replace <filepath> with the registry file’s directory

   (e.g., C:\Users\Desktop\PerAppKeyboard.reg).

4. Close PowerShell.

Method 3: Modify registry settings

⚠️ Warning: Editing the registry can cause system issues. Create a backup before proceeding.

📌 Use Cases: Manual system-wide changes that affect all users on a computer.

📌 Prerequisites: Administrator’s privileges.

Steps:

1. Press Win + R, type regedit, and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter.
2. Navigate to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop
3. In the right-hand pane, scroll down and double-click UserPreferencesMask.
   • To turn on per-app keyboard layout changes, type 9E in the first byte.
   • To turn off per-app keyboard layout changes, type 8E in the first byte.
4. Close the Registry Editor.
5. Restart the workstation to apply your changes.

⚠️ Warning: Incorrectly modifying the bit responsible for app-specific keyboard layouts can affect other settings and impact stability. Consider using PowerShell or Windows settings to manage the keyboard layout per app.

⚠️ Things to look out for

Verification

To confirm your keyboard layout per app was correctly applied, do the following:

1. Open multiple application windows (e.g., Notepad and WordPad).
2. Set different keyboard layouts in each application.
3. Switch between applications and verify that each retains its assigned keyboard layout.

Important considerations when you change the keyboard layout on Windows 11 (per program)

Use these insights to optimize your Windows keyboard layout change deployment.

Multiple languages

Having more than one language-specific layout in your toolkit can boost productivity and simplify your process. To add the languages you need, head to Settings > Time & language > Language and region and click Add a language.

Standard keyboard layout

Turning off “Let me use a different input method for each app window” reverts your system back to its default keyboard format. This can be done to standardize your organization’s input methods.

Changes should conform to policy

Low-level tweaks can put your system at risk. Before modifying per-app keyboard settings, make sure that your changes (and the methods you use to achieve them) comply with policy for optimal stability.

Troubleshooting

Here are the most commonly encountered roadblocks when managing the keyboard layout per app, and how to fix them effectively.

Verify the setting is turned on

If your Windows keyboard layout change won’t work, check if the setting is enabled. You can do this in Settings (Settings > Time & language > Typing > Advanced keyboard settings > Let me use a different input method for each app window), or PowerShell.

Install multiple keyboard layouts

Correctly install the languages you need before attempting to use a different keyboard layout per app. Go to Settings > Time & Language > Language & Region, then click the three-dot menu next to a listed language. Select Language Options, scroll down, and click Add a keyboard.

From the language menu, click the language you prefer to install that keyboard layout.

Restart the workstation

Registry-based changes often require the user to log back in or restart for changes to take effect. If you aren’t seeing any apps adapt keyboards, try rebooting the workstation.

Simplify Windows keyboard layout change management

Having the keyboard layout change across different applications empowers diverse work environments to smoothly transition between different languages. That said, the manual processes that achieve this functionality can disrupt operations if done incorrectly.

Consider taking advantage of endpoint management tools to automate the job from a single pane of glass, freeing up your work agenda for more important projects.

Related topics:

• How to Add or Remove Keyboard Layouts for Input Languages in Windows 11
• How to Add or Remove Keyboard Layouts in Windows 10
• How to Reprogram Keyboard Shortcuts in Windows 11