How to Change YouTube's Language to English on Any Device

Change YouTube's language in settings on desktop or mobile

YouTube defaults to your browser or device language, but you can override it in your account settings. On desktop, click your profile picture in the top right corner, select Language, and pick English from the dropdown menu. On mobile, tap your profile picture, go to Settings, then Language, and choose English. The change takes effect when ready across all your devices if you are signed into the same Google account.

If you do not see a Language option in your profile menu, you may be looking at the wrong settings. Make sure you are clicking your profile picture (usually a circle with your initial or photo) in the top right corner of YouTube, not a different menu. The Language option appears only when you are signed in to a Google account.

Some users find that YouTube reverts to their device language after clearing browser data or cookies. If this happens, check your browser's language settings as well. In Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge, you can set a preferred language in the browser itself, which YouTube may use as a fallback if your account settings are cleared.

Key Takeaways

Click your profile picture in the top right corner of YouTube and select Language to change it to English on desktop.
On mobile, tap your profile picture, go to Settings, then Language, and choose English from the list.
The language change applies to all devices signed into the same Google account within a few seconds.
If YouTube reverts to another language, check your browser or device language settings, as YouTube sometimes falls back to those defaults.
You must be signed into a Google account to access the Language setting; it does not appear for guest users.

Desktop steps in order

Open YouTube in your web browser and sign in to your Google account if you are not already. Look for your profile picture or initial in a circle at the top right corner of the page, next to the search bar and notification bell.

Click that profile picture. A dropdown menu will appear with options including Create a channel, Settings, Help, and others. Scroll down in this menu until you see Language. Click it. A submenu will open showing a list of available languages, with English variants at the top (usually English, English (UK), and English (US)). Select the English variant you prefer. The page will refresh and YouTube will display in English from that moment on.

Mobile steps in order

Open the YouTube app on your phone or tablet and sign in if needed. Tap your profile picture in the top right corner of the screen. A menu will slide up from the bottom showing options like Your channel, Purchases and memberships, Settings, and Help & feedback.

Tap Settings. On the next screen, look for General or scroll down to find Language. Tap Language. A list of languages will appear. Find and tap English or your preferred English variant. YouTube will switch to English when ready, and the change will sync to your other devices within a few minutes.

What to do if the language does not change

If YouTube remains in another language after you select English, the most common cause is that your browser or device language setting is overriding your YouTube account setting. On desktop, check your browser's language preferences. In Chrome, click the three-line menu (top right), go to Settings, then Languages, and make sure English is at the top of the list. In Firefox, click the menu button, select Settings, scroll to Language, and set your preferred language to English.

On mobile, check your device's system language. On Android, go to Settings > System > Languages and input > Languages and move English to the top. On iPhone, go to Settings > General > Language & Region and set the iPhone Language to English. After changing your device language, sign out of YouTube and sign back in to refresh the setting.

If you have cleared your browser cookies or cache recently, YouTube may have lost your language preference. Sign out of your Google account, clear your browser cache, then sign back in and set the language again. This forces YouTube to read your account settings fresh rather than relying on stored data.

Why YouTube might be in another language

YouTube uses several signals to guess your language: your Google account language, your browser language, your device language, and your location. If these conflict, YouTube picks one, and the result is not always what you expect. A common scenario is traveling to another country — YouTube may switch to the local language based on your IP address, even if your account is set to English.

Another reason is that you may have accidentally changed the language in a YouTube menu that is separate from your account settings. Some YouTube pages have their own language selector (often at the bottom of the page), which overrides your account setting temporarily. If you see a language option at the bottom of a YouTube page, make sure it is set to English as well.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will changing YouTube's language affect my Google account language?

No. YouTube's language setting is separate from your Google account language. You can have YouTube in English while your Gmail, Google Drive, and other Google services remain in another language. To change your overall Google account language, go to myaccount.google.com, click Personal info, then Language.

Does the language change explore to YouTube on my TV or smart device?

Yes, if you are signed into the same Google account on your TV or smart device. YouTube will use your account's language setting. If it does not, sign out and sign back in on that device to refresh the setting. Some older TV apps may not support language switching through account settings and may require you to change the TV's system language instead.

Can I set different languages for different devices?

Not through your YouTube account — the language setting syncs across all devices signed into the same account. However, you can use different Google accounts on different devices, each with its own language preference. Alternatively, you can change your browser's language setting on a specific device without affecting your account setting.

What if YouTube is in English but the subtitles are in another language?

YouTube's interface language and subtitle language are separate. To change subtitles, click the CC button on a video player, then click the gear icon and select your subtitle language. This setting is per-video and does not affect YouTube's menu language.

Why does YouTube switch back to another language after I restart my browser?

This usually means your browser is set to a different language than English, and YouTube is falling back to that setting. Check your browser's language preferences and move English to the top of the list. You may also need to clear your browser cache and sign back into YouTube to force it to read your account settings again.

This guide is for general information only and is not medical, financial, legal, or other professional advice. For decisions specific to your situation, consult a qualified professional. See our Editorial Policy.