Language Bar - Turn On or Off in Windows 8

How to Turn the Desktop Language Bar On or Off in Windows 8 and 8.1​

   Information

How you switch between input methods depends on the app and which text services are installed on your PC. Some apps don't work with the new way of switching between input methods in Windows 8. For these apps, you can use the Language bar from previous versions of Windows to switch between input methods. Closing the Language bar doesn’t remove any languages from your PC so if you don't need it for a specific app, you can turn it off.

This will show you how to turn on or off the Language bar to use on your desktop instead of the new metro way to switch input methods in Windows 8, Windows RT, Windows 8.1, and Windows RT 8.1.

   Note

This is the new default way to switch between input methods on the taskbar from the desktop in Windows 8.

• If you turn on the Language bar, you will have the Language bar available on the desktop instead of the new metro way above.
• If you turn off the Language bar (default), you will have the new metro way on the desktop instead of the Language bar.

EXAMPLE: Language Bar
NOTE: This is with the Language bar either docked in the taskbar (top) or floating on the desktop (bottom) with languages (left) and input methods (right).

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Here's How:

1. Do step 2, 3, or 4 below for how you would like to open Language.


2. Click/tap on the input indicator system icon in the notification area on the taskbar, click/tap on Change language preferences, and go to step 5 below. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: The input indicator system icon will only be displayed if you had already previously added a language.

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3. Open the Control Panel (icons view), click/tap on the Language icon, and go to step 5 below.

4. In Windows 8 or Windows RT, open PC settings, click/tap on General on the left side, click/tap on the Language Preferences link under Language on the right side, and go to step 5 below. (see screenshot below)

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5. In the left pane, click/tap on the Advanced settings link, then do step 6 or 7 below for what you would like to do. (see screenshot below)

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6. To Turn On the Desktop Language Bar

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A) Under Switching input methods, click/tap to check the Use the desktop language bar when it's available box. (see screenshot below step 8)​

NOTE: The Language bar will only be available if there is more than one added language or input method, and is not set to be hidden in Options below.​

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B) If you like, click/tap on Options to the right of the Use the desktop language bar when it's available, select the Language bar options you would like, click on OK to apply, and go to step 8 below. (see screenshot below)​

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7. To Turn Off the Desktop Language Bar
NOTE: This is the default setting.

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A) Under Switching input methods, click/tap to uncheck the Use the desktop language bar when it's available box, and go to step 8 below. (see screenshot below step 8)​

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8. Click/tap on Save. (see screenshot below)

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9. Close the Language window. (see screenshot below step 5)


That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Add or Remove Languages in Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Install and Uninstall Language Packs in Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Change the "Windows Display Language" in Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Add or Remove Input Methods for Keyboard Layout in Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Set a Default Input Method or Keyboard Layout Language in Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Create a "Language Settings" Shortcut in Windows 8 and 8.1

 

[boohbah]

All of a sudden after lois was using the laptop ENG is showing on the bottom right of the systems tray, i dont seem to be able to remove it or hide it. any ideas.

edit, got it,
i set it to transparent when inactive and left the other boxes unchecked. odd it showed in the first place.

 

[Brink]

Hello Julian,

You might double check to see if Lois may have added a language other than the default one to trigger the language bar to show.

Hope this helps.

 

[boohbah]

thanks shawn, it was only showing one language,

i recently installed xbmc and i think it may oddly be related. before the last laptop i had died i installed xbmc and the language bar started to show on that also , the language bar never shows for me and in years of using 7 it never did until xbmc,
i cant quite see how this could be related but it is a huge co-incidence.

 

[Brink]

In that case, check to see if it may have added a keyboard "input method" for that language. If you have more than one input method for a language, it will also show the language bar.

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/5891-input-methods-add-remove-keyboard-layout-windows-8-a.html

 

[boohbah]

thanks shawn, i checked but again there was only one input method, no worries its not showing now so i dont mind.
thanks for your help

 

[Brink]

You're welcome Julian. Odd that program would cause that.

 

[kevinlor]

Help !! There's no input indicator icon, and after I turned it on, nothing is displayed there. Before it's "ENG" or something like that, then I didn't notice that the icon is gone and I can't switch to other language. After following the tutorial guide, I've added a "ctfmon"="CTFMON.EXE" in the regEdit, and I am able to type in Chinese again. But the thing I want to ask is : Is it possible to have the language indicator like you show in the first picture? (Note : I had it before, but it suddenly turn the icon off automatically even if I switch it on every time.) Thank you.

 

[Brink]

Hello Kevinlor, and welcome to Eight Forums.

The input indicator system icon will only be displayed if you had already previously added a language. Do you have more than one language added?

Do you add an input method?

Ctfmon is for Office instead. It's not related to this tutorial.

 

[kevinlor]

Thanks for the quick reply, I do have more than one language input, (English and Chinese) Now I can switch them by pressing Shift . (Before this, I switch between languages using shift + alt. And the indicator icon was showing in the task bar. The icon disappeared.) I just wanna have the input indicator input like I used to have, I've showed and asked the guy in the pc shop who sold me this laptop, he also have no idea about it and advised me to reformat my laptop.

 

[Brink]

I'm assuming that you have everything set like in step 6.

You might see if removing and adding the Chinese input method, or adding any language may trigger the language indicator icon on the taskbar again.

 

[kevinlor]

Yep, . And I've tried to remove and adding the language back, nothing changed. (I think my laptop may be infected be virus?) If it's rare case and the problem can't be solved in the moment, never mind, I still can type in Chinese (but not in the way i use to).Thank you anyways, you've help a lot. :thumb:

 

[Brink]

I just noticed that in your screenshot that there's a space on your taskbar just to the left of the clock on the far right still there where the language bar would be. If you click on this space, does it open the language bar by chance?

You might see if resetting the notification area may help.

If still not, then see if running a sfc /scannow command may help if it's a corrupted file issue.

 

[kevinlor]

I've tried resetting the notification area, still didn't work. Then I remove the US English. The language icon turned into the style that looks alike with Windows 7. Then the US English didn't go away too.....

 

[Brink]

You're currently using the English language since it shows as checked. Once you select the other language, it should go away possibly after a restart.

 

[kevinlor]

Thank you for your help these days, I have just refreshed my laptop and the problem seems to go away. Thank you very much.

 

[Brink]

Great news Kevin. You're welcome.

 

[EShirou]

After running some games I had the issue of the language changer thingy appeared near my clock and i didn't know how to disable it but after finding this and checking the box Use the desktop language bar when it's available (it was unchecked = disabled) the thingy near the clock is gone and I hope it's gone for good ^^

 

[Tiffany]

I need help. For some reason ENG suddenly appeared on my taskbar and I can't get it to go away. I use a custom keyboard layout and what appears happened is that Windows for whatever reason has removed it from the list of languages and re-added English (United States). It shows that it's there when I hover over the ENG symbol but in the languages panel I had English (United States) removed and only my custom layout but the custom layout is gone and doesn't even appear in the list when I try to re-add it so I can remove English (United States) again to make the ENG thing disappear because the language bar settings straight up don't work at all.

 

[Brink]

Hello Tiffany,

Please go ahead and post screenshots of your added input methods like under step 5 and 6 in Option One below to see if you may have more than one keyboard input added for a single language.

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/5891-input-methods-add-remove-keyboard-layout-windows-8-a.html