How to change your phone's language
The steps depend on whether you have an iPhone or Android phone, but both let you change the language your phone displays in under a minute. You do not need to restart your phone or download anything — the change takes effect immediately once you save it.
On an iPhone, go to Settings, tap General, then Language & Region, and select your preferred language from the list. On Android, open Settings, go to System or About Phone (depending on your manufacturer), find Languages or Language & Input, and choose your language. The exact menu names vary slightly between Android manufacturers like Samsung, Google Pixel, and others, but the process is the same.
Key Takeaways
- iPhone users access language settings through Settings > General > Language & Region, while Android users go through Settings > System > Languages.
- Your phone will display menus, notifications, and system text in the new language immediately after you select it and confirm the change.
- Changing your phone's language does not affect the language of apps you have downloaded — each app has its own language setting.
- You can change back to your original language at any time using the same steps, even if you do not recognize the menu names in the new language.
Changing language on an iPhone
Open the Settings app and tap General. Scroll down and select Language & Region. You will see a list of languages — tap the one you want. Your phone will ask you to confirm; tap Change to [Language Name] and wait a few seconds while your phone updates.
Once the change completes, all system text — your home screen, notifications, settings menus, and built-in apps like Messages and Calendar — will appear in the new language. Third-party apps you downloaded from the App Store may or may not change language depending on whether the app developer added support for that language.
Changing language on Android
Open Settings and look for System or About Phone — the exact location depends on your phone manufacturer. Once you find it, tap Languages or Language & Input. Select Languages (not Keyboard Languages), then tap Add a Language or the plus icon. Choose your preferred language from the list.
If you want to change your primary language rather than add a new one, look for the language currently listed as default, press and hold it, and drag it to the top of the list. Your phone will update within seconds. Some Android phones let you set multiple languages — your phone will then use the first language for system text and fall back to the second if an app does not support the first.
What changes and what does not
Changing your phone's language affects the operating system only: menus, settings, notifications, system alerts, and built-in apps. Downloaded apps like Instagram, Gmail, or Spotify have separate language settings and will not automatically switch. You need to change the language inside each app individually if you want them to match your phone's language.
Your phone's keyboard language may also stay the same. If you want your keyboard to match your phone's language, you will need to add that language to your keyboard settings separately. On iPhone, go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards and add your language. On Android, open Settings > System > Languages & Input > Virtual Keyboard and select your language.
If you accidentally change to a language you do not understand
You can change back even if you cannot read the menu names. On iPhone, look for the gear icon (⚙️) on your home screen — that is Settings. Tap it, then look for the second option in the list (that is General), then the fifth or sixth option down (Language & Region). Tap the language at the top of the list and select your original language.
On Android, find the gear icon and tap it. Scroll down to find the option with lines and a wrench icon (System). Tap it, then look for the option with "A" letters (Languages). Tap Languages, then tap the language at the top of the list and select your original language. If you are still stuck, restarting your phone and trying again usually helps.
Regional settings separate from language
Language and region are two different settings. Language controls what words appear on your screen. Region controls how your phone formats dates, times, currency, and phone numbers. You can set your language to English but your region to the United Kingdom, which will show dates as DD/MM/YYYY instead of MM/DD/YYYY.
On iPhone, both settings are in Language & Region, so you can adjust them together. On Android, region settings are sometimes called Locale or Regional Format and may be in a different menu depending on your manufacturer. Check your phone's support page if you want to change region separately from language.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will changing my phone's language delete my photos or messages?
No. Changing the language only changes the words that appear in menus and notifications. All your data — photos, messages, contacts, and apps — stays exactly as it is. You can change the language back and forth as many times as you want without losing anything.
Do I need to restart my phone after changing the language?
No. The change takes effect immediately. Your phone may take a few seconds to update the display, but you do not need to turn it off and back on. If something looks wrong after the change, try restarting anyway — it usually fixes display glitches.
Why did my apps not change language when I changed my phone's language?
Apps have their own language settings separate from your phone's system language. Some apps automatically match your phone's language, but many do not. Open each app, go to its settings or preferences, and look for a Language option to change it manually.
Can I use two languages on my phone at the same time?
Your phone displays in one language at a time, but you can add multiple languages and switch between them quickly. On iPhone, you can add languages in Language & Region and reorder them. On Android, you can add multiple languages and your phone will use the first one as default, with others available as backups.