Add Arabic on Windows
- 01
Open Settings
Press Windows key + I, or click the Start menu and choose Settings.
Win+I - 02
Go to Time & language → Language & region
In Windows 11, click Time & language in the sidebar, then Language & region. On Windows 10 it's Time & Language → Language instead. (Names shift a little between versions; either way, you want the page that lists your languages.)
Fig. windows 11 settings → time & language → language & region - 03
Add a language
Under Preferred languages, click Add a language. (Windows 10 calls it Add a preferred language.)
- 04
Search for Arabic
Type "Arabic" in the search box. You'll see a long list: Arabic (Saudi Arabia), Arabic (Egypt), and so on. They all give you the same keyboard. Pick the one that matches the dialect you're learning, or just go with Arabic (Saudi Arabia) if you're not sure.
Fig. add a language dialog with arabic options - 05
Install (but watch one checkbox)
Click Next. Before you hit Install, make sure "Set as my Windows display language" is unchecked, or your whole Windows interface flips to Arabic, menus and all. You don't need the handwriting or speech extras either. Then click Install and let the language pack download.
- 06
Switch to Arabic
Look at the right end of your taskbar. There's a small language indicator there now (it reads ENG until you switch). Click it and choose Arabic, or press Windows key + Space.
Win+SpaceFig. taskbar language switcher showing eng and arabic
How to switch between English and Arabic
Press Windows + Space to cycle through your installed keyboards; hold Windows and keep tapping Space to step through the list. Alt + Shift works too. That's the older shortcut, and it flips language directly without showing a menu. Plenty of people still swear by it. When in doubt, check the taskbar indicator: ENG means English, ARA means Arabic.
Good to know on Windows
A few things that surprise people the first time:
The Arabic 101 keyboard layout
Windows uses the standard Arabic 101 layout. Your physical keys still show English letters, so early on you'll be typing from memory, with the layout below as your crib sheet.
Windows Arabic keyboard questions
Do I need to download anything to type Arabic on Windows?
No. Arabic ships with both Windows 11 and Windows 10, so the steps above are switching on something you already have. Windows fetches a small language pack the first time, which takes a few seconds on any normal connection.
My whole Windows interface turned Arabic. How do I undo it?
That's the "Set as my Windows display language" checkbox, ticked during install. Go back to Settings, Time & language, Language & region, set the Windows display language back to English, then sign out and in again. Your Arabic keyboard stays; only the menus revert.
What is the keyboard shortcut for switching to Arabic?
Windows key + Space cycles through every keyboard you have installed. Alt + Shift is the older shortcut and switches language without showing a menu, which some people prefer. The small indicator at the right end of the taskbar reads ENG or ARA, so you can always check which one is live.
Should I pick Arabic (101) or Arabic (102)?
Arabic (101). Windows pairs it with Arabic by default, it is what nearly every Arabic typist uses, and it is the layout taught on this site. Arabic (102) is a rare variant that moves a couple of keys.
Do I need Arabic stickers or an Arabic keyboard to buy?
Not to start. The letters are in software, not in the plastic, and most people have the common positions memorised within a week or two of daily practice. Stickers are worth it mainly if you share the machine with someone who does not read Arabic.
If the keyboard is step one of learning the language itself, our sister site Tfaddalu picks up from there: spoken Palestinian Arabic, taught at the same unhurried pace as this site.