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slotosch
New Member
December 21, 2025
Question

How to change the keyboard layout in managed chromebooks?

  • December 21, 2025
  • 1 reply
  • 1 view

We currently have around 100 Chromebooks that we use for exams. I have now been asked to make it possible for participants to change the keyboard layout. Most use the German keyboard, but a few want to write with an English or French layout. What do I need to set in the management console so that participants can change the layout on their devices?

1 reply

Lynda
Lynda
Community Manager
January 7, 2026

Hi @slotosch good to hear from you.

 

If you're referring to language and keyboard layout on the sign-in screen, you can specify the settings by following the below set of instructions:

 

  1. From the Admin console Home page, go to Devices > Chrome
  2. Click Settings > Device
  3. To apply the setting to all devices, leave the top organizational unit selected. Otherwise, select a child organizational unit
  4. Under Device Settings, scroll down to Sign-in settings
  5. Locate Sign-in language and Sign-in keyboard, change the settings and click on Save

 

The user themselves will also be able to amend their keyboard preferences by following the guidance outlined here: https://support.google.com/chromebook/answer/1059492?hl=en-GB

S
slotoschAuthor
New Member
January 7, 2026

Dear Lynda,

 

thanks for your reply. Unfortunately this doesn't work for us. Since the devices are used for exam, we put them into "Managed Guest Mode" and therefore the users do not sign in or have access to the settings.

Is there still a way to enable users to change the keyboard layout of the devices, either via the management console or by the users themselves?
So far, I have only found a way to switch the devices to one language without allowing the user to choose which language they want to set.

 

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