Change Your iPhone's Language in Settings
To change your iPhone's language, open Settings, tap General, then tap Language & Region. At the top, you'll see iPhone Language with your current language listed. Tap it, scroll through the list of available languages, select the one you want, and tap Done. Your iPhone will restart briefly to explore the change — this is normal and takes less than a minute.
The language you choose here controls the system language: menus, buttons, notifications, and built-in apps like Mail, Calendar, and Weather will all switch to that language. Third-party apps (like Facebook or Spotify) may or may not follow this setting — many apps have their own language settings inside the app itself.
Key Takeaways
- Go to Settings > General > Language & Region > iPhone Language to see all available languages and make your choice.
- Your iPhone will restart automatically after you change the language; this takes less than a minute and is not a problem.
- The system language controls Apple's built-in apps and menus, but third-party apps may need their own language change inside the app.
- You can change your region separately from your language in the same Language & Region menu if you want English menus but a different region's date and time format.
What Happens When You Change the Language
When you select a new language and tap Done, your iPhone saves the change and restarts. During this restart, the screen may go black for a few seconds — do not turn off your phone or interrupt this process. Once it comes back on, all system text will be in your new language.
If you change your mind when ready after the restart, you can change it back the same way. Go to Settings, find the icon that looks like a gear (it will be in your new language), tap it, look for the option that says something like "General" or "Général" or "Generales" depending on your language, then find the language menu again and switch back.
Changing Language for Individual Apps
Many apps have their own language setting that overrides your iPhone's system language. To change the language inside an app, open the app and look for Settings or Preferences — this is usually found by tapping a gear icon, three horizontal lines, or your profile picture, depending on the app.
Not all apps offer language choices. Some apps are only available in one language, and some follow your iPhone's system language automatically. If an app is still in English after you changed your iPhone's language, check inside that app's settings first. If there is no language option there, the app may not support your language.
Changing Region Without Changing Language
Your iPhone has two separate settings: iPhone Language and Region. You can keep your menus in English but change your region to affect how dates, times, and currency display. For example, you could have English menus but set your region to France so dates show as day/month/year instead of month/day/year.
To change only your region, go to Settings > General > Language & Region and tap Region (below iPhone Language). Select your region and tap Done. This change does not restart your phone and takes effect when ready.
Troubleshooting Language Changes That Did Not Work
If you changed your language but some text is still in the old language, restart your iPhone completely. Press and hold the power button and either volume button until the power-off slider appears, drag it to turn off your phone, wait 10 seconds, then press the power button again to turn it back on. This forces a full restart and often fixes language display issues.
If an app is still in the wrong language after you changed both your iPhone's language and the app's own settings, try deleting and reinstalling the app. Open the App Store, search for the app, tap the cloud icon to reinstall it, and it should read in your current language. Some older apps do not update their language properly without a fresh install.
Checking What Languages Your iPhone Supports
Your iPhone supports dozens of languages, but the exact list depends on your model and iOS version. To see which languages are available on your device, go to Settings > General > Language & Region > iPhone Language. The full list appears here — if you do not see your language, your iPhone may not support it, or you may need to update to a newer iOS version.
If your language is not listed and you have an older iPhone, check if a newer iOS update is available. Go to Settings > General > Software Update to see if an update is ready. Newer iOS versions sometimes add support for additional languages.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will changing my iPhone's language affect my Apple ID or iCloud?
No. Your Apple ID and iCloud account are separate from your iPhone's language setting. Changing the language only changes what you see on your screen — your account, passwords, and data remain unchanged.
Can I use two languages on my iPhone at the same time?
Your iPhone can only display one system language at a time in menus and built-in apps. However, you can install keyboards for multiple languages and switch between them while typing. Go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards > Add New Keyboard to add a second language keyboard.
What if I accidentally changed my language to one I cannot read?
You can still change it back even if you cannot read the menus. Go to Settings (the gear icon), tap the second option (General), tap the third option (Language & Region), tap the first option (iPhone Language), and select your language from the list. The language names themselves are always shown in English in the language picker.
Does changing my language affect Siri?
Siri will speak and understand your new language after you change it, but you may need to restart your iPhone first. If Siri is still responding in your old language, go to Settings > Siri & Search and check that Siri Language matches your iPhone Language.
Can I change the language for just one app?
Yes, if the app has its own language settings. Open the app, find Settings or Preferences (usually a gear icon), and look for a Language option. Not all apps offer this — some only follow your iPhone's system language.