Keyla

The setup process of Windows usually involves picking a preferred keyboard language input, so you’re all good to go when reaching the desktop. Multiple types can be selected, and added later on, with a default hotkey to make the switch. In case the hotkey stops working, or you want to use an alternative method, Keyla can help you out.

It takes little time and effort to deploy the application on your computer. Note that the setup process asks whether you want to have it launched at every system startup, and it’s best to decide then, because there’s no built-in function to configure this later on. On the other hand, adding it to the list of startup items can be manually done by placing a shortcut in the system Startup folder.

When launched, the application directly goes to the tray area, with no tooltip to inform you it’s there. Interacting with the tray icon allows you to toggle availability of the switch function, or to bring up the settings panel to handle how switching the keyboard layout is done, and viewing layouts.

Common settings aren’t abundant. These refer to basic behavior, such as the keyboard shortcut to use for the switch. There’s no default configuration, and you’re free to use any combination of buttons you see fit. Moreover, all other layout switching methods can be forcefully disabled, just to prevent accidental switching.

Layouts are only those already configured in Windows. Paying a visit to the dedicated settings tab enlists all of them, with the possibility to decide whether or not a language is used in cyclic switching, with an additional option to configure a custom hotkey for each language, so you don’t waste any time cycling through a large set of layouts.

Bottom line is that Keyla can help efficiently switch between installed keyboard layouts on your computer. Although you can’t add any new input methods through the application itself, existing ones can be fitted with individual hotkeys, thus providing a great deal of flexibility.