Change YouTube's language in settings on any device
The YouTube app lets you change the language it displays in through your account settings. The steps are the same whether you use iPhone, Android, or a tablet — you go into the app, find your account menu, and pick a new language from a list. The change takes effect when ready and applies to all your devices that use the same YouTube account.
YouTube shows you menus, buttons, captions, and comments in whatever language you select. If you switch languages, you'll see the interface change right away. Your watch history, subscriptions, and playlists stay exactly the same — changing the language only changes how the app displays information to you, not what information you have.
Key Takeaways
- Open the YouTube app, tap your profile picture in the top right corner, and select Settings to reach the language menu.
- Tap Account, then Language, and choose from the full list of languages YouTube supports in your region.
- The language change applies to all devices signed into your account within a few minutes.
- Changing the app language does not affect video captions, which have separate settings in the video player itself.
- If you cannot find a language you want, YouTube may not support it yet, and you can request it through the Help Center.
Step-by-step: changing language on iPhone or iPad
Open the YouTube app and look for your profile picture in the top right corner of the screen. Tap it once. A menu will drop down with several options — tap Settings, which is usually near the bottom of that menu.
In Settings, tap Account. You will see several rows of options. Find the one labeled Language and tap it. YouTube will show you a list of all the languages available in your country or region. Scroll through and tap the language you want. The app will switch when ready — menus, buttons, and text will all change to that language within seconds.
Step-by-step: changing language on Android
Open the YouTube app and tap your profile picture in the top right corner. Select Settings from the menu that appears. Tap Account, then tap Language.
A list of available languages will open. Tap the one you want to use. The change takes effect right away. If you have YouTube open on other Android devices signed into the same account, those will update within a few minutes as well.
What to do if your language is not in the list
YouTube does not support every language in every country. If you cannot find the language you want, it means YouTube has not added support for it in your region yet. The language list changes over time as YouTube adds new languages, but there is no way to predict when a specific language will become available.
You can request a language through the YouTube Help Center. Go to the Help Center on a web browser, search for "request a language," and follow the form to submit your request. YouTube reviews these requests but does not may provide when or whether a language will be added.
How to change captions and subtitle language separately
The language you set in Settings controls the YouTube interface — the menus and buttons. Video captions and subtitles are separate. If a video has captions in multiple languages, you can choose which language to display while keeping the app interface in a different language.
While watching a video, tap the three-dot menu icon in the top right corner of the video player. Select Captions. If captions are available, you will see a list of languages. Tap the one you want. This choice applies only to that video — the next video you watch will use whatever caption language you set the last time, or no captions if you turned them off.
Changing language on a computer or web browser
If you use YouTube on a computer instead of the app, the language setting is in the same place. Sign in to YouTube.com, click your profile picture in the top right, and select Settings. Click Language and choose from the list. The change applies to YouTube.com and also syncs to your YouTube app on phones and tablets within a few minutes.
If you use YouTube on a web browser but are not signed in, YouTube will use the language your browser is set to. Signing in to your account will override that and use your account's language setting instead.
Troubleshooting: language did not change or changed back
If you changed the language but the app still shows the old language, try closing the YouTube app completely and opening it again. Sometimes the app needs to reload to display the new language.
If the language keeps changing back to something else, check whether you have multiple YouTube accounts signed in on the same device. YouTube will use the language setting from whichever account is set as the default. Tap your profile picture, tap Switch Account, and make sure you are signed into the account whose language you want to change. Then go back to Settings and Language and set it again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will changing the app language affect my recommendations or search results?
No. YouTube's recommendations and search results are based on your watch history and interests, not on the language you have selected. Changing the language only changes how the interface displays — it does not change what videos YouTube shows you or how it ranks them.
Can I set different languages on different devices?
No. Your language setting is tied to your account, not to individual devices. If you sign into the same YouTube account on two phones, both will use the same language. If you want different languages on different devices, you would need to use different YouTube accounts.
What happens to videos I have already watched if I change the language?
Nothing. Your watch history, saved playlists, subscriptions, and all your personal data stay exactly the same. Only the labels and menu text change to the new language.
Can I change the language of the videos themselves?
No. The language of a video's audio and subtitles is set by whoever uploaded it. You can only choose which subtitle language to display if the uploader provided captions in multiple languages. You cannot change the audio language of a video.
Why does YouTube show me a different language than the one I selected?
If you are not signed into your account, YouTube uses your device's language setting or your browser's language setting instead. Make sure you are signed in by tapping your profile picture at the top of the app. If you are signed in and still see the wrong language, try signing out and signing back in.