How to Change Keyboard Layout on Ubuntu 26.04

Changing your keyboard layout on Ubuntu 26.04 is essential when working with multiple languages or when your physical keyboard doesn’t match the default system configuration. Whether you prefer the graphical interface or command line tools, Ubuntu 26.04 provides straightforward methods to keyboard change settings and switch between different layouts. This guide covers both GUI and CLI approaches, ensuring your preferred layout persists across reboots.

Software Requirements

Change Keyboard Layout on Ubuntu 26.04 via GUI

The graphical method provides the most intuitive way to keyboard change configuration on Ubuntu 26.04. GNOME Settings offers a comprehensive interface for adding, removing, and reordering keyboard layouts.

1. Open Settings: Click the system menu in the top-right corner of your screen and select the gear icon, or search for “Settings” in the Activities overview.
2. Navigate to Keyboard settings: In the Settings window, scroll down the left sidebar and click on “Keyboard”. This opens the keyboard configuration panel where you can manage input sources.
3. Add a new keyboard layout: Under the “Input Sources” section, click the “+” button to add a new layout. Browse or search for your desired language and keyboard variant, then click “Add”.

   

4. Remove unwanted layouts: To remove a layout, select it from the list and click the “Remove” button (trash icon). You must keep at least one input source configured.
5. Reorder layouts: Drag and drop layouts in the list to change their order. The first layout in the list becomes your default keyboard layout.

Change Keyboard Layout on Ubuntu 26.04 Server

For server environments accessed via remote console (VNC, IPMI, or physical terminal), Ubuntu 26.04 provides command line tools to keyboard change settings. This section covers both temporary and permanent configuration methods.

List Available Keyboard Layouts

Before changing your layout, view the available options:

$ localectl list-x11-keymap-layouts

This displays all supported keyboard layouts. For a specific layout’s variants (such as Dvorak for US):

$ localectl list-x11-keymap-variants us

To set a specific keyboard eg. “sk” run:

$ sudo localectl set-x11-keymap sk

Temporary Keyboard Layout Change

The loadkeys command changes the console keymap immediately without modifying system configuration. This is useful when you need quick access with a different layout during a remote console session.

$ sudo loadkeys de

Replace de with your desired layout code (e.g., us, fr, sk). The change takes effect immediately on the current console but does not persist after reboot.

Permanent Keyboard Layout Change

To permanently change the keyboard layout on Ubuntu 26.04 server, edit the keyboard configuration file directly.

1. Edit the keyboard configuration file: Open the configuration file in a text editor:

   $ sudo nano /etc/default/keyboard

   Locate the XKBLAYOUT line and change it to your desired layout:

   XKBMODEL="pc105"
   XKBLAYOUT="us"
   XKBVARIANT=""
   XKBOPTIONS=""

   For example, to set German layout, change to XKBLAYOUT="de". Save and exit the editor.

2. Apply the configuration: Apply the new keyboard layout without rebooting:

   $ sudo setupcon

   The new layout is now active and will persist across reboots.

Verify Keyboard Configuration

Check your current keyboard configuration:

$ localectl status

Expected output:

System Locale: LANG=en_US.UTF-8
    VC Keymap: (unset)
   X11 Layout: us
    X11 Model: pc105

The X11 Layout field shows your configured keyboard layout.

Switch Between Multiple Keyboard Layouts

Ubuntu 26.04 desktop supports multiple keyboard layouts with easy switching, which is particularly useful for multilingual users. In GNOME Settings under Keyboard, add multiple input sources as described earlier. Once you have more than one layout configured, you can switch between them using:

• Super+Space: Opens the input source switcher overlay
• Input indicator: Click the keyboard layout indicator in the top panel to select a different layout

Conclusion

Configuring keyboard layout on Ubuntu 26.04 is straightforward using either the graphical GNOME Settings interface or command line tools like localectl. The GUI method suits desktop users who prefer visual configuration, while the CLI approach works well for servers and automation. Remember that localectl changes are permanent and system-wide, whereas setxkbmap affects only the current session. For multilingual workflows, configure multiple layouts with a convenient switching shortcut to boost your productivity. Similar to how you might set timezone or configure timezone settings for your locale, keyboard layout is a fundamental system configuration that ensures comfortable daily use.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How do I change keyboard layout on Ubuntu 26.04 server without GUI? For temporary changes during a console session, use sudo loadkeys LAYOUT (e.g., sudo loadkeys de). For permanent changes, edit /etc/default/keyboard and set XKBLAYOUT="your_layout", then run sudo setupcon to apply. Note that loadkeys only works on virtual consoles and remote console sessions, not SSH.
2. Why does my keyboard layout reset after reboot? If you used loadkeys to change your layout, those changes are session-only and do not survive reboots. Edit /etc/default/keyboard and run sudo setupcon for permanent configuration. On desktop, changes made through GNOME Settings persist automatically.
3. How can I quickly switch between multiple keyboard layouts? On desktop, add multiple input sources in GNOME Settings, then use Super+Space to toggle between them. The keyboard indicator in the top panel also allows clicking to switch layouts.
4. Where are keyboard layout settings stored in Ubuntu 26.04? System-wide settings are stored in /etc/default/keyboard. GNOME desktop settings are stored in the dconf database under /org/gnome/desktop/input-sources/. You can view GNOME settings with gsettings get org.gnome.desktop.input-sources sources. Use localectl status to check the current system configuration.