Change Your iPhone's Display Language in Settings
To change the language your iPhone displays, open Settings and tap General. Then tap Language & Region. At the top, you'll see iPhone Language — tap it to see a list of available languages. Select the language you want, and your iPhone will ask you to confirm. Tap Change to [Language], and the entire interface will switch within a few seconds.
The process is the same whether you're using an iPhone 15 or an older model. The language change applies to system menus, apps, and notifications when ready. You don't need to restart your phone — the change takes effect right away.
Key Takeaways
- Go to Settings > General > Language & Region to find the iPhone Language option.
- Select your preferred language from the list and confirm the change — no restart required.
- Some apps may stay in their original language if they don't support your chosen language, but system menus will always switch.
- You can change the region separately from the language, which affects date and time formats, currency, and measurement units.
- If you change your mind, you can switch back to any supported language using the same steps.
What Happens to Apps When You Change the Language
When you change your iPhone's language, built-in apps like Mail, Messages, Calendar, and Weather switch when ready. Third-party apps — ones you downloaded from the App Store — may or may not follow. If an app supports your new language, it will switch. If it doesn't, the app will stay in the language it was originally set to or in English.
You cannot change individual app languages from Settings. Each app uses whatever language your iPhone is set to, unless the app itself offers a language menu inside the app. Check the app's settings if you want it in a different language than your system language.
Changing Region Separately from Language
Your iPhone has two separate settings: language and region. Language controls what words appear on your screen. Region controls how dates, times, phone numbers, and currency are formatted. You can have your language set to English but your region set to France, for example, and you'll see English text with French date formatting.
To change your region without changing your language, go to Settings > General > Language & Region and tap Region. Choose your region from the list. This is useful if you've moved to a new country but want to keep your iPhone in English, or if you want dates and times formatted a certain way.
Keyboard Languages and Input Methods
Changing your iPhone's system language does not automatically add keyboard layouts for that language. If you switch to Spanish, for example, your keyboard will still be English unless you add a Spanish keyboard separately. Go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards, tap Add New Keyboard, and select the language you want to type in.
Once you add a keyboard, you can switch between them while typing by tapping the globe icon on your keyboard. This lets you type in multiple languages without changing your entire system language. You can add as many keyboards as you need.
Restoring Language Settings If Something Goes Wrong
If you accidentally change your language to one you don't read, you can still navigate back. Open Settings (the gear icon), tap the second item in the list — this is always General regardless of language — then tap the third item, which is always Language & Region. The iPhone Language option is always at the top. Select a language you recognize and confirm.
If you're completely lost, you can also restore your iPhone from a backup or reset it to factory settings, but changing the language back manually takes only a few seconds and is much faster.
Supported Languages on iPhone
iPhones support over 40 languages, including English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Japanese, Korean, Arabic, Russian, Hindi, and many others. The exact list depends on your iPhone model and iOS version, but most common languages are included.
If your language isn't in the list, you may need to update your iOS. Go to Settings > General > Software Update to check for the latest version. New languages are sometimes added with major iOS updates. If your language still isn't available after updating, it may not be supported on your device.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will changing my language affect my data or files?
No. Changing your language only changes how menus and text appear on your screen. Your photos, messages, contacts, and all other data remain exactly the same. You can switch languages back and forth as many times as you want without losing anything.
Can I use two languages at the same time on my iPhone?
Not for the system interface — your iPhone displays in one language at a time. However, you can add multiple keyboard languages so you can type in different languages. You can also use Siri in multiple languages by going to Settings > Siri & Search and adding additional languages there.
What if an app is still in English after I changed my language?
The app doesn't support your chosen language. Check inside the app's own settings to see if it has a language menu. If not, the app developer hasn't translated it yet. You can contact the app's developer to request support for your language, or use a different app that does support it.
Does changing my iPhone language change my Apple ID language?
No. Your Apple ID language is separate and set on appleid.apple.com or in Settings > [Your Name] > Password & Security. You can change it independently of your iPhone language if you want different languages for your account and your device.