Change Input Sources settings on Mac
On your Mac, use the options in Input Sources settings to add input sources that allow you to type in other languages. You can also change options for specific sources. When you use an input source, you can type in any language that uses the same script or alphabet. Learn how to use input sources.
To change these settings, choose Apple menu > System Settings, then click Keyboard in the sidebar (you may need to scroll down). Go to Text Input on the right, then click Edit.
Option | Description | ||||||||||
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All Input Sources | Select this on the left to change options for all input sources. Some options only appear when you add certain input sources. | ||||||||||
Input sources list | The input sources that have been enabled for use. Click an input source to see its keyboard layout and set additional options. For example, if a Hebrew input source is selected, options for bidirectional text and keyboard shortcuts are shown. | ||||||||||
Add , Remove | Add or remove an input source from the list. | ||||||||||
Show Input menu in menu bar | The Input menu appears on the right side of the menu bar. It lets you quickly switch between your enabled input sources, as well as easily access the Character Viewer and the Keyboard Viewer. This option is automatically turned on when you add more than one input source. | ||||||||||
Use the Caps Lock key to switch to and from [last used Latin input source] | Turn on to be able to quickly switch between a non-Latin input source (such as Chinese or Korean) and a Latin input source (such as French or English). This option appears only when you add a non-Latin input source, and the text after “Use the Caps Lock key to switch to and from” varies, depending upon your list of input sources. Note: Depending on your keyboard, you may have a Caps Lock key or a dedicated language switching key (for example, “中 / 英” on Chinese – Pinyin and Chinese – Zhuyin keyboards). To activate continuous uppercase typing, press and hold the key until the Caps Lock symbol appears. | ||||||||||
Automatically switch to a document’s input source | Choose an input source for a document and have it used every time you work in the document until you close it, even if you switch to other documents that use other input sources in the meantime. This option appears only when you add more than one input source. | ||||||||||
Correct spelling automatically | Turn on automatic spelling correction in any app that supports it. You can change the setting for this option in an app by choosing the command from the app’s Edit > Spelling and Grammar menu. | ||||||||||
Capitalize words automatically | Turn on automatic capitalization correction in any app that supports it. This option automatically capitalizes the first word of a sentence and proper nouns (such as New York or Sonia) as you type. | ||||||||||
Show inline predictive text | Get predictions in line for completing a word or phrase as you type. See Automatically complete words you’re typing. Note: Inline predictions aren’t available in all languages. | ||||||||||
Add period with double-space | Turn on this option to quickly end a sentence with a period and a space by just pressing the Space bar twice. | ||||||||||
Spelling | By default, spelling is checked automatically by language (useful if you type in different languages). To select the languages that are checked automatically, click the pop-up menu, scroll down, then choose Set Up. To have spelling checked for a specific language, choose the language from the pop-up menu. | ||||||||||
Use smart quotes and dashes | Turn on typographical quotes and dashes, using the selected styles, in any app that supports them. You can change the setting for this option in an app by choosing the command from the app’s Edit > Substitutions menu. | ||||||||||
For double quotes | Choose a style for double quotes. | ||||||||||
For single quotes | Choose a style for single quotes. |
In addition to the options detailed above for switching input sources, you can also change input sources by using the Fn key or key (if available on the keyboard). To use this option, in Keyboard settings, click the “Press fn key to” or “Press key to” pop-up menu, then choose Change Input Source.
Chinese, Korean, and Japanese input sources include numerous options. If you added one of these input sources, switch to it (using the Input menu in the menu bar), then open its help to learn about the options.