Change your YouTube language in three steps

YouTube lets you change the language of the interface—the menus, buttons, and labels you see on screen—in your account settings. The process takes less than a minute and applies across all your devices when you're signed in. If you're using YouTube on a phone, tablet, or computer, the steps are slightly different, but all three routes lead to the same language menu.

Your choice affects only how YouTube displays to you. Videos themselves keep their original language and subtitles; changing your interface language does not change what creators uploaded or what captions are available on any video.

Key Takeaways

  • On a computer, go to your account icon in the top right, select Settings, then Language under "Location and language".
  • On a phone or tablet, tap your account icon, go to Settings, then Language and region, and pick your language from the list.
  • YouTube supports over 100 languages, and your choice syncs across devices when you're signed into your account.
  • If you change your mind, you can switch back to any other language the same way—there is no limit to how often you can change it.

Changing language on a computer or web browser

Sign into your YouTube account and look for your profile picture or initial in a circle at the top right of the screen. Click on it to open a dropdown menu. From that menu, select Settings.

Once you're in Settings, look for the left sidebar. Find the section labeled Location and language and click on it. You'll see a Language option with a dropdown menu showing your current language. Click the dropdown to see all available languages, scroll to find the one you want, and click it to select it. YouTube will explore the change when ready, and the entire interface will switch to your new language.

Changing language on a phone or tablet

Open the YouTube app and tap your profile picture or initial in the top right corner. A menu will appear. Tap Settings from that menu.

In Settings, look for Language and region (on some Android devices it may appear as just Language). Tap it to see a list of available languages. Find the language you want, tap it, and the app will switch when ready. If you use YouTube on multiple devices, sign out and back in on those devices, or wait a few hours for the change to sync automatically to your account.

What happens when you change your language

When you select a new language, YouTube changes every label, menu, button, and notification you see. Search suggestions, recommended videos, and your subscriptions list will all display in your new language. Your watch history and playlists keep their original titles—if a creator named a video in English, it stays in English—but the YouTube interface around it switches.

Your language choice is tied to your account, not your device. If you sign into YouTube on a friend's computer or a public device, you'll see the interface in your chosen language. If someone else signs into your device with their account, they'll see YouTube in their language.

Switching back or choosing a different language

You can change your language as many times as you want. Return to Settings, find the Language option, and pick a different one. There's no waiting period, no limit on changes, and no penalty for switching frequently. Some people change their language temporarily to learn a new language, then switch back.

If you're not sure what language you selected, or if YouTube is displaying in a language you don't recognize, the process to fix it is the same: find your account icon, go to Settings, locate the Language menu, and choose the language you want.

If your language isn't in the list

YouTube supports over 100 languages, but not every language in the world is available. If you don't see your language listed, YouTube may not yet offer it, or it may be listed under a different name than you expect. For example, some languages have regional variants—you might see "Spanish (Spain)" and "Spanish (Mexico)" as separate options.

If your language truly isn't available, you can request it through YouTube's help community, but there's no timeline for when or whether new languages will be added. In the meantime, choosing a related language or English is the only option within YouTube itself.

Language settings on YouTube TV and other YouTube products

If you use YouTube TV (the paid live TV service), YouTube Music, or YouTube Kids, those apps have their own separate language settings. Changing the language on the main YouTube app or website does not automatically change it on those other products. You'll need to go into each app's settings individually and change the language there.

YouTube TV's language setting is in the app menu under Settings. YouTube Music's language setting is in your account menu under Settings and privacy. YouTube Kids has a parental controls menu where the language can be changed. Each one works the same way—find Settings, locate Language, and select your choice.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will changing my language affect the videos I watch or the subtitles available?

No. Changing your interface language only changes the menus and buttons you see. Videos stay in their original language, and the subtitles available on each video don't change. If a video has subtitles in five languages, you'll still see all five options no matter what language your YouTube interface is in.

If I change my language, will my subscriptions and watch history disappear?

No. Your subscriptions, watch history, playlists, and all your account data remain exactly the same. Only the labels and menu text change. You can switch languages back and forth without losing anything.

Does changing my YouTube language change the language of videos YouTube recommends to me?

Not directly. YouTube's recommendations are based on what you watch, not the language your interface is in. However, if you change your language to one that's less common in your region, YouTube may eventually start recommending more videos in that language as it learns your preferences.

Can I set different languages on YouTube for different devices?

Yes. Each device can have a different language setting if you sign in with the same account. However, YouTube will eventually sync your most recent language choice across all devices, so if you want to keep them different, you'll need to change them back periodically.

What if YouTube is in a language I don't understand and I can't find the Settings menu?

Your profile icon is always in the top right corner of YouTube, regardless of language. Tap or click it, then look for the gear icon (⚙️) or the word that appears first in the dropdown menu—that's usually Settings. Once in Settings, the Language option is typically near the top of the menu. If you're still stuck, you can also visit youtube.com/account/language directly while signed in.