How to remove Phantom Keyboard Layout

Question

How to remove Phantom Keyboard Layout

Jin Huang 0

Hello.
I have encountered phantom keyboard layout.

In the settings, there is only 3 languages. The English (Malaysia) is using the US layout.

User's image

However, the taskbar shows a fourth language which is English (UK) with UK layout.

User's image

This heavily affects me due to the extra language disrupt my Alt+Shift sequence.

I have tried a lot of methods to remove it. I tried the followings.

Add then remove the language. I added the English (UK) in the language setting then removing it. It temporarily solves the issue. But after a while it returns again.
Set the system locale After some research, some suggested to change the locale settings, which I did as follows I also copy the current setting into the welcome screen and new user accounts and then reboot the system. However, it did not permanently resolve the issue. The phantom keyboard layout still returns.
Then Copilot suggested to delete the UK layout registry key (00000809) in registry editor. But when I open the regedit. There is no UK layout present in the editor. HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Keyboard Layout\Preload I even checked in HKEY_USERS.DEFAULT\Control Panel\International\User Profile But the UK layout is still there in the taskbar. Despite these methods, the phantom English (UK) layout keeps haunting me. Please help.

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5 answers

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Answer 1

Anonymous

Hi Jin Huang, please go to Settings > Accounts > Windows backup > Click Remember my preferences > Uncheck "Language preferences" > Sign out and sign back in to apply the change.

You can also use command by right-click Start > Windows PowerShell (Admin) and paste the following and press Enter: Set-WinUserLanguageList en-MY -Force

Anonymous

2025-09-24T10:23:07.35+00:00

Hi @Jin Huang , if you stuck somewhere, let me know! Thanks.
Jin Huang 0 Reputation points

2025-09-24T10:58:15.56+00:00

Hi Harry, I did your method, signed out, signed back in and also restarted the system. So far, the issue hasn't reappeared yet. Will let you know after some times of usage.
Jin Huang 0 Reputation points

2025-09-24T16:46:50.9433333+00:00

Hello @Anonymous , unfortunately the issue reappeared again, even after I disabled the language preferences in the windows backup, signed out, signed back and restarted.

I haven't tested the powershell method yet and will try that now.
After pressing Enter, the powershell advised me to signed out and signed back in, which I will do. Hopefully this can remove the phantom layout permanently.
Jin Huang 0 Reputation points

2025-09-24T16:52:30.7+00:00

Update:

I did the powershell script and pressed Enter, signed out, and signed in. Now there is only English (Malaysia) in the language setting. I will add on back the Chinese and Japanese language. Hopefully the phantom layout won't reappear. I will update you then.
Jin Huang 0 Reputation points

2025-09-24T17:18:03.4633333+00:00
Update:
Unfortunately, the problem reappears....
So far, I have tried:

Add then remove the language in settings

Set the system locale

Delete Registry (registry is not found though)

Disable Language References in Windows Backup

Powershell script to force the language list

All methods cannot permanently prevent the phantom layout.

The phantom layout will always disappear after restart system, sign out and in, and add then remove the language in settings. And it will always come back.

😢
Alessandro 0 Reputation points

2025-10-24T19:53:43.4933333+00:00

I was struggling for months now with phantom UK keyboard coming out of nowhere with no foreseeable way to remove, tried all possible tips and tricks but no avail. But oh what a miracle the Set-WinUserLanguageList powershell command worked like a charm! Hope this fix lasts.

Answer 2

Pauli O 15,465 Volunteer Moderator

This issue is caused by bug in Notepad and Microsoft is already released fixed Notepad version to insiders in Release Preview channel so you can assume it will be almost ready to be released to public versions as well.

Anonymous

2025-10-27T03:25:02.6666667+00:00

Sorry for bothering but I wonder how Notepad and Keyboard layout is related.
Pauli O 15,465 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator

2025-10-27T04:20:51.1733333+00:00

There may be two different issues in this thread. Some times I have seen that after installing there is extra en-UK with UK qwerty shown in taskbar language selector (OP's case), but it doesn't show in Settings page. That can be removed by installing and removing that extra language and it doesn't popup again, but there is another issue with Notepad (Andre' Melancia and some another users in separate threads).

Why Notepad do that? I don't know, but apparently MS engineers know because they have already fix that issue in Notepad version 11.2508.28.0. And yes, I can confirm it's fixed on all insider preview builds and all preview channels (RPC, Beta, Dev and Canary) all you have to do is run MS Store updates to get latest version on any of those insider versions.

For some reason launching notepad version 11.2057.26.0 (released 27.08.2025) load additional keyboard to memory (?) and it doesn't appear in Settings/Languages. It can't be removed by using regedit or PS commands and any settings doesn't prevent that happening.

It can be removed by restart or installing and removing that additional keyboard, but it will reappear as soon as Notepad is launched again.

What I have read about that additional keyboard layout it seem to be it's somehow linked to clean installed language version. On my case clean install is en-US with Finnish Qwerty keyboard, but every launch of Notepad reload US Qwerty keyboard to memory.

Let's hope that they released fixed version for public builds as soon as possible, it's annoying to realize middle of typing that keyboard have been changed and some specific characters have been replaced with some other characters.

Here is link to Feedback Hub about this issue with Microsoft response.
https://aka.ms/AAxr7j8

Answer 3

Andre' Melancia 46

I'm having the exact same problem. Different base languages but the same "English (UK)" phantom keyboard layout keeps appearing and something swaps to it.

Incredible disruptive and time consuming.

One more Windows 11 bug that's been around for months, and even after an update keeps appearing.

Anonymous

2025-10-06T03:02:59.0966667+00:00

Hi! Have you tried my solution above?

Answer 4

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Answer 5

Anonymous

Hi Jin Huang, here is the second workaround, it might be complicated though.

Open PowerShell in administrator then run this command:

$LangList = Get-WinUserLanguageList $LangList[0].InputMethodTips

It should display this. The number might be varied but it should start with 0809 which is UK:

044e:00000409 (English in Malaysia)
0809:00000409 (English in UK)
... (the rest)

Then run the next one to remove the UK keyboard:

$LangList[0].InputMethodTips.Remove("0809:00000409")

Optional: Run this command also to remove the UK language:

$LangList = Get-WinUserLanguageList $LangList = $LangList | Where-Object { $_.LanguageTag -ne "en-GB" } Set-WinUserLanguageList $LangList -Force

Jin Huang 0 Reputation points

2025-09-25T12:26:39.5366667+00:00

Hello @Anonymous , I run your first command in Powershell, but it only shows one layout, as such, despite the language bar has all languages
Anonymous

2025-09-26T02:42:29.1433333+00:00
Hi @Jin Huang , have you tried my last optional command in the answer above too?

About this command:

$LangList = Get-WinUserLanguageList $LangList[0].InputMethodTips

Try increasing the number inside [ ] like $LangList[1], $LangList[2] ... and give me the result.
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TAN JIN HUANG 0 Reputation points

2025-09-26T08:28:04.1766667+00:00

Hello Harry,

Here are the results for the command you suggested.
PS: For some unknown reasons, my account has been suspended although I believe it does not violate the Code of Conducts. I have to use another account to stay on this conversation with you.

I also ran the optional command you provided.

I signed out and signed in back. Will update you if the phantom layout keyboard reappears.
Anonymous

2025-09-30T04:20:35.7733333+00:00

According to the result, I don't see the UK keyboard code (it shows 3 instead of 4) so this method cannot continue from this point.

I hope the optional command will work.
Anonymous

2025-10-27T02:44:06.9733333+00:00

Hi @Jin Huang or @TAN JIN HUANG , do you have any update yet?
TAN JIN HUANG 0 Reputation points

2025-10-27T02:55:28.5533333+00:00

Ok, for some unknown reason my account was temporarily banned.
All methods do not resolve the phantom keyboard issue. The UK layout will just keep coming back. So, I just remap the keyboard layout UK to the US in the registry editor and directly use that phantom layout instead. Which I removed the English (Malaysia).
In both the keyboard and taskbar, the settings show UK layout, but it actually is the US layout. And since then, there is no more phantom keyboard appearing now.
Anonymous

2025-10-27T03:27:44.4966667+00:00

Hi @TAN JIN HUANG , I'm glad you finally solved the issue.

If you think my answers is helpful for you in any aspects, please kindly mark it as final answer. Thanks for your time!

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How to remove Phantom Keyboard Layout

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