Multilingual User Interface

MUI products for these versions were available only through volume agreements from Microsoft. They were not available through retail channels. However, some OEMs distributed the product.

Beginning with Windows 8/RT, most editions of Windows are able to download and install all Language Packs,[4] with a few exceptions:

• In Single Language editions of Windows, only one language pack is allowed to be installed, [5] the same behavior as editions of Windows 7 and earlier that are not Enterprise or Ultimate.
• In OEM editions of Windows, the exact language packs that are preinstalled/available for download depend on the device manufacturer and country/region of purchase (and the mobile operator for devices with cellular connectivity). This is a mixture of a local-market feature and a feature for everyone everywhere. There may be multiple display languages preinstalled on the device by the manufacturer and/or wireless carrier, but each manufacturer and/or wireless carrier installs two different sets of languages: one set of preloaded languages and one set of languages that can be installed by the end user. This rule is currently used in Windows Phones as of Windows Phone 7[6] and PCs as of Windows 8 (since Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 share the same Windows NT kernel) and was later dropped in Windows 10 version 1803, but was later quietly reinstated as of Windows 10 version 1809. An end user could install a retail license on top of an OEM license by performing a clean install through the Media Creation Tool to circumvent the region locking and install any display language that they want.
  • The Windows update process does not affect the currently installed display languages in any way, but it may give the end user access to newly released language packs made available by the OEM (PCs only). However, when installing a new feature update, it may change the display language back to the one set during the initial setup process. For example, if the Samsung ATIV Smart PC on AT&T is upgraded from Windows 8.1 to Windows 10 Anniversary Update (not necessarily done in one go), it will now be able to install Portuguese (Brazil), Vietnamese, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), and Japanese in addition to English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, and Korean (the last three languages can be downloaded by the end user at the time of its launch), just like with the Galaxy S8 series and the Verizon-based Galaxy Book.
  • On the other hand, a Samsung Galaxy Book device does not support Afrikaans as a display language, because Samsung apps do not officially support Afrikaans.[7] Furthermore, cellular variants of the Galaxy Book laptops sold in North America support fewer display languages than their Wi-Fi-only counterparts, just like on their smartphones.
  • Certain language packs like English (Australia) and English (Canada) are only supported on the Xbox consoles and the Surface Duo.
  • Some LIP packs require certain MUI packs (base languages) to be present or compatible.[8] If that base language is not present or compatible, then that LIP cannot be installed on that device.

Beginning with Windows 10 version 1803, Microsoft started referring to language packs as "Local Experience Packs" (LXPs), but they still work in the same way.[9] In addition to downloading from Windows Settings, these 110 LXPs are also available for download through the Microsoft Store app and through the web interface, the latter enabling remote installation for consumer editions of Windows.[10] However, as with any other application from the Microsoft Store, only the LXPs that are compatible with that Windows device are shown through the Microsoft Store app. These LXPs receive updates through the Microsoft Store, outside of the normal Windows update cycle.[11]

As of Windows 11, the following language packs are supported.

• GNU gettext
• Language Interface Pack (LIP)

• Windows MUI Knowledge Center (archived)
• Windows Language Packs