Change Your Facebook Language in Three Steps
Facebook defaults to the language your device or browser uses, but you can override it anytime. The fastest way is to go to your settings, find the language option, and switch it to English — the whole process takes about one minute. If you're logged in on a computer or phone, you have the same controls either way.
The language you set applies only to your account. Other people on your friends list will still see Facebook in whatever language they chose. If you share a device with someone else, each person's account will show in their own selected language when they log in.
Key Takeaways
- Open your Facebook settings, scroll to the Language section, and select English from the dropdown menu.
- The change takes effect when ready across all pages, menus, and notifications on your account.
- You can change your language back anytime using the same settings menu.
- If you use Facebook on multiple devices, you only need to change the language once — it syncs across all of them.
- Some content posted by other users (like captions or comments they wrote) will still appear in their original language.
Changing Language on a Computer or Laptop
Click the downward arrow in the top right corner of Facebook, next to your profile picture. A menu will drop down with several options. Look for Settings & Privacy and click it, then select Settings from the submenu that appears.
On the left side of the settings page, you'll see a list of categories. Scroll down until you find Language and Region. Click on it. You'll see a section labeled Language with your current language displayed. Click the Edit button next to it.
A dropdown menu will open showing available languages. Type "English" or scroll to find it, then click to select it. Facebook will ask you to confirm the change. Click Save Changes or Confirm (the exact wording varies slightly). The page will refresh, and all menus, buttons, and labels will now appear in English.
Changing Language on a Phone or Tablet
Open the Facebook app and tap the three horizontal lines (the menu icon) in the bottom right corner. Scroll down to the bottom of the menu and tap Settings & Privacy, then tap Settings.
Scroll down to find Language and Region and tap it. You'll see your current language listed. Tap Language to open the language selector. A list of languages will appear — tap English to select it. The app will refresh automatically, and your interface will switch to English.
On some phones, the menu structure is slightly different. If you don't see Settings & Privacy, look for a menu labeled More or a gear icon, then navigate to Settings from there. The language option is always in the same place once you're in settings.
What Changes When You Switch to English
When you change your language to English, Facebook translates all of its own text — menu items, button labels, notification text, and system messages. Your News Feed, messages, and friend requests will all display in English. The date and time format may also adjust to match English-speaking regions, depending on your location setting.
Posts and comments written by your friends will still appear in whatever language they originally wrote them in. If a friend posted in Spanish, you'll still see Spanish text in that post. Facebook offers a See Translation option on some posts, which you can click to see a machine-translated version, but that's separate from your language setting.
Ads may also change language, though some advertisers target specific languages regardless of your setting. Your own posts and comments will remain in whatever language you typed them — changing your account language doesn't translate your past activity.
If English Doesn't Appear in Your Language List
English should always be available, but if it's not showing up, try refreshing the page or closing and reopening the app. If you're using Facebook in a region where English isn't the default, it may be listed as "English (US)" or "English (UK)" — look for either of those options.
If the language menu is completely empty or won't load, log out of Facebook, clear your browser cache or app cache, and log back in. Then try the language change again. On a phone, you can clear the app cache by going to your device settings, finding the Facebook app, and selecting Clear Cache (the exact steps vary by phone type).
If you're still having trouble, try accessing Facebook through a web browser instead of the app, or vice versa. Sometimes one platform loads the language menu more reliably than the other.
Changing Your Region Setting at the Same Time
While you're in the Language and Region settings, you may also see a Region option. This controls which country's version of Facebook you see — it affects which ads are shown to you and which local features are available. You can change your region independently of your language.
For example, you could set your language to English and your region to United States, or language to English and region to Canada. These two settings work separately, so changing one doesn't force the other to change. If you want to adjust your region as well, click Edit next to the Region field and select your country from the dropdown.
Undoing the Change or Switching Languages Again
You can change your language back anytime using the same steps. Go to Settings, find Language and Region, click Edit next to Language, and select a different language from the dropdown. The change takes effect when ready.
If you switch languages frequently or share a device with someone who uses a different language, you might want to bookmark the settings page for faster access. On a computer, you can also use the keyboard shortcut to open settings more quickly — though the exact shortcut depends on your browser and device.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will changing my language to English affect my friends' accounts?
No. Your language setting is personal to your account only. When your friends log into their own accounts, they'll see Facebook in whatever language they selected. Changing your language doesn't change anything for anyone else.
What if I accidentally selected the wrong language?
You can change it back when ready using the same steps. Go to Settings, find Language and Region, and select English again. If you can't read the menus because you selected an unfamiliar language, look for the gear icon or three-line menu icon — those are usually in the same place regardless of language.
Does changing my language affect the language of messages I receive?
No. Messages from your friends will appear in whatever language they wrote them in. Your language setting only changes Facebook's own interface — the buttons, menus, and labels that Facebook itself displays.
Can I set different languages for different devices?
Your language setting syncs across all devices once you log in with the same account. If you want different languages on different devices, you would need to use different Facebook accounts. Most people find it simpler to keep one language setting across all devices.
Why is my Facebook still showing in another language after I changed it?
Try refreshing the page or closing and reopening the app. Sometimes the change takes a few seconds to display. If it's still showing the old language after a refresh, log out completely, clear your browser or app cache, and log back in. Then check your language setting again to confirm it saved.