Change Your Instagram Language in Settings
Instagram's language setting is in your account preferences, not in a separate language menu. Open Instagram on your phone or computer, go to your profile, tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines), and select Settings and privacy. From there, tap Language and region, then choose your preferred language from the list. The change takes effect when ready across your entire account.
The language you select controls the text you see in the app — button labels, menu names, notifications, and error messages will all appear in that language. Your feed content (posts, captions, comments from other users) stays in whatever language people posted it in; changing your app language does not translate other people's posts.
If you use Instagram on both a phone and a computer, you can set different languages on each device. The setting is device-specific, not account-wide, so changing the language on your phone does not change it on your desktop version.
Key Takeaways
- Go to your profile menu, select Settings and privacy, then tap Language and region to see all available languages.
- The language setting changes only the app's interface text, not the content other users have posted.
- Each device (phone, tablet, computer) has its own language setting, so you can use different languages on different devices.
- Instagram supports over 100 languages, and the change takes effect as soon as you select it.
- If you cannot find a language you want, check whether your phone's system language is set to that language — Instagram sometimes pulls from your device settings as a fallback.
Step-by-Step Instructions for Phone
Open the Instagram app and tap your profile icon in the bottom right corner. You will see your profile page with a menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the top right. Tap that icon to open your account menu.
Scroll down and tap Settings and privacy. A new menu will appear with several options. Look for Language and region and tap it. Instagram will show you a list of available languages, usually organized alphabetically. Scroll through the list and tap the language you want to use.
The app will refresh and all text will appear in your chosen language. You can return to this same menu anytime to switch languages again.
Step-by-Step Instructions for Desktop
Go to Instagram.com and log into your account. Click your profile icon in the bottom left corner of the screen (or top right, depending on your screen size). A menu will drop down with several options.
Click Settings near the bottom of that menu. The settings page will open. On the left side, you will see a list of categories. Click Language and region. A dropdown menu will appear showing available languages. Click the language you want, and the change takes effect when ready.
What Happens When You Change Your Language
When you switch languages, every label, button, and menu in Instagram's interface changes to that language. This includes the names of features like Stories, Reels, and Direct Messages, as well as buttons like "Like," "Comment," and "Share." Notifications you receive will also appear in your chosen language.
Your own posts, captions, and comments remain in whatever language you wrote them in. Changing your app language does not edit or translate anything you have already posted. If you wrote a caption in English, it stays in English for everyone who sees it, even if you switch your app to Spanish or French.
Other people's posts, comments, and messages also stay in their original language. Instagram does offer a translate feature for individual posts and comments, but that is separate from your language setting and works on a post-by-post basis.
Languages Available on Instagram
Instagram supports over 100 languages, including major languages like Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Japanese, Korean, Arabic, Hindi, and many others. The exact list changes occasionally as Instagram adds support for additional languages.
If you do not see your language in the list, it may not yet be supported by Instagram. In that case, you can set your phone's system language to your preferred language, and Instagram may use that as a fallback. However, this is not may provide — some languages are not fully supported even if your device uses them.
Troubleshooting Language Settings
If you change your language but the app still shows text in the old language, try closing and reopening Instagram completely. Force-close the app (swipe it away from your recent apps list on phone, or fully close the browser tab on desktop) and then reopen it. This usually forces the language change to take effect.
If the language list does not appear or you cannot find Language and region in your settings, make sure you are using the latest version of Instagram. Older versions may have the setting in a different location or may not support all languages. Check your app store (Apple App Store or Google Play Store) to see if an update is available.
On desktop, if the language dropdown does not work, try using a different browser or clearing your browser cache. Sometimes cached data can prevent settings from updating properly.
Switching Back to Your Original Language
You can change your language back anytime by following the same steps. Go to Settings and privacy, tap or click Language and region, and select your original language from the list. The change takes effect when ready.
If you forget which language you are currently using and cannot read the menu labels, look for the gear icon (settings) or the three-line menu icon on your profile page — these are usually in the same location regardless of language. Once you find Settings and privacy, the Language and region option is typically in the same spot in every language version of the app.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does changing my language affect what posts appear in my feed?
No. Your language setting only changes the app's interface text. The posts, Reels, and accounts you see in your feed are determined by Instagram's algorithm and who you follow, not by your language choice. You will still see posts in all languages from the accounts you follow.
Can I use different languages on my phone and computer?
Yes. Each device stores its own language setting separately. You can set Instagram to Spanish on your phone and English on your computer, and each will stay set to that language independently.
Will changing my language translate other people's posts?
No. Changing your app language only translates Instagram's own interface. Posts and comments from other users stay in their original language. Instagram does offer a translate button on individual posts if you want to see a translation, but that is a separate feature.
What if my language is not in the list?
Instagram supports over 100 languages, but not every language is available. If yours is not listed, you can set your phone's system language to your preferred language and sometimes Instagram will use that. Otherwise, you may need to use Instagram in a different language.
Why is my Instagram still in English after I changed the language?
Close the app completely and reopen it. Sometimes the change does not take effect until you fully restart the app. If that does not work, check that you have the latest version of Instagram installed, as older versions may have bugs with language switching.