The Mac can keep going different keyboard layouts and you may switch between them quite easily . It ’s one way you’re able to get more out of the keyboard , peculiarly if you act upon in multiple languages .

However , it ’s not slap - your - face obvious on how to change the keyboard layout in macOS Monterey and Big Sur . First , you ’ll necessitate to go to System Preferences and spread theKeyboardpane . The keyboard layout appear in theInput Sourcestab , and the ones you currently have participating will be in the left column . Apple offer several keyboard layout based on different languages , and you could append more by clicking on the “ + ” push button on the lower odd ( clicking “ - ” slay a layout ) . A pop out - up windowpane will appear with the layouts that are available .

How to impart keyboard layout in macOS Big Sur .

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How to add keyboard layouts in macOS Big Sur.

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you could add as many keyboard layouts as you want . The illusion then becomes how to switch the layout . You have a few options :

The default Keyboard menu bar icon ( left ) does n’t look like a keyboard . When you set up Keyboard with different layouts ( center ) , the icon changes to a masthead or symbolic representation that represents the speech that is active . If you spark off the keyboard shortcut and employ the default Control - spacebar jazz band , a layout whipper ( right ) seem in the middle of the silver screen and you tap the spacebar until the layout you require is spotlight .

macOS Big Sur add keyboard layout

How to add keyboard layouts in macOS Big Sur.

Change keyboard layout at login

you could set up macOS so that whenever a user sign in , they can select the keyboard layout at the login screenland . To do this , you need to have administrator right . exploiter can still change the layout in the Keyboard system preference after sign in . Here ’s how to set it .

With that option on , the Keyboard ikon look in the upper right of the login CRT screen . Click it and pick out the keyboard layout you desire , and then sign in to the Mac .

When the Input menu appears at login , you could select the layout you want to habituate when you lumber in .

macOS Big Sur Input Switcher

The default Keyboard menu bar icon (left) doesn’t look like a keyboard. When you set up Keyboard with different layouts (middle), the icon changes to a flag or symbol that represents the language that is active. If you activate the keyboard shortcut and use the default Control-spacebar combo, a layout switcher (right) appears in the middle of the screen and you tap the spacebar until the layout you want is highlighted.

Change the default keyboard layout in the Terminal

If you apply multiple keyboard layouts and want to exchange the one that is the default , you have to do that in the Terminal , the command - line port for the Mac . The Terminal is located in Applications > Utilities . Here are the instructions .

Before restart the Mac to follow through this change , confirm that the files can be read by using the Terminal . Launch the Terminal and then enter the following ( you’re able to imitate and paste the syntax below ):

sudo chown root : wheel /Library / Preferences / com.apple . HIToolbox.plist ; sudo chmod 644 /Library / Preferences / com.apple . HIToolbox.plist

macOS Big Sur Show Input menu in login window

After you enter that command , Terminal will call for for your parole . If the Terminal prompt comes back up and no other messages appear , you ’re good to go . re-start the Mac and you should see the keyboard layout that you pick as the one the Mac boots into .

If you want to retrovert the preferences , go toMacintosh HD > Library > Preferencesfolder , cancel the “ com.apple.HIToolbox.plist ” file . Then look for the file cabinet key out “ com.apple.HIToolbox.plist-old.plist ” and rename it “ com.apple.HIToolbox.plist ” . Then resume your Mac to utilize the changes .

macOS Big Sur keyboard menu bar startup

When the Input menu appears at login, you can select the layout you want to use when you log in.