Change Your Facebook Language in Settings

To change your Facebook language, open Facebook and go to the menu in the top right corner. Click the downward arrow, then select Settings and privacy, then Settings. On the left side, click Language and region. Next to the language listed, click Edit, choose your preferred language from the dropdown menu, and click Save changes. Facebook will refresh in your new language within seconds.

The process is the same whether you use Facebook on a computer or the mobile app. On mobile, tap the three horizontal lines (the menu icon) at the bottom right, scroll down to Settings and privacy, tap Settings, then tap Language and region. Tap the language option and select a new one from the list.

Your language choice affects the text Facebook displays — menus, buttons, notifications, and labels all switch to your selected language. It does not change the language of posts or messages from your friends; those remain in whatever language the person who wrote them used.

Key Takeaways

  • Go to Settings and privacy, then Settings, then Language and region to find the language option.
  • Click or tap Edit next to your current language and choose a new one from the dropdown menu.
  • The change takes effect when ready and affects only Facebook's interface, not the content your friends post.
  • You can change your language back at any time using the same steps.
  • Facebook offers more than 100 languages, including regional variants like Brazilian Portuguese and Mexican Spanish.

What Happens When You Change Your Language

When you select a new language, every part of Facebook's interface switches to that language. Your News Feed, menus, buttons, and settings labels all display in the language you chose. Friend requests, event invitations, and other notifications from Facebook itself appear in your new language.

Your friends' posts, messages, and comments stay in whatever language they wrote them in — changing your language does not translate their content. If a friend posts in Spanish and you switch Facebook to English, you will still see the post in Spanish. Facebook does offer a translation feature for individual posts if you want to read something in a different language, but that is separate from your overall language setting.

Finding Less Common Languages

Facebook's language list includes major languages like English, Spanish, French, German, Mandarin, and Arabic, but also smaller regional languages. If you speak a less widely used language, scroll through the full dropdown menu — it is alphabetical and quite long. Languages like Welsh, Icelandic, Esperanto, and Tagalog are all there.

If you do not see your language in the list, Facebook may not have translated its interface into that language yet. In that case, English or another major language is your only option. You can check Facebook's Help Center to see which languages are currently supported, though the dropdown menu itself is the most up-to-date source.

Changing Language on Different Devices

The steps are slightly different depending on whether you use Facebook on a computer, iPhone, or Android phone, but the menu structure is the same. On a computer, use the arrow menu in the top right. On iPhone or Android, use the three-line menu icon at the bottom of the screen. Both routes lead to Settings and privacy, then Settings, then Language and region.

If you use Facebook on multiple devices, your language choice syncs across all of them. Change it on your phone and it changes on your computer too. You do not have to update each device separately.

Switching Back to Your Original Language

If you change your language and then realize you chose the wrong one, or you want to switch back, use the same steps. Go to Settings and privacy, then Settings, then Language and region, click or tap Edit, and select a different language. There is no limit to how many times you can change it, and the change takes effect when ready.

If you changed your language to something you cannot read and now you cannot find the Settings menu, look for the icon that looks like a question mark or a gear. These usually stay in the same place regardless of language. Clicking the gear icon or the menu arrow will get you back to Settings, where you can find Language and region even if you cannot read the words.

Regional Language Variants

Facebook offers different versions of some languages to match regional spelling and vocabulary. For example, you can choose English (US), English (UK), or English (Australia). Spanish speakers can select Spanish (Spain) or Spanish (Mexico). Portuguese speakers can choose Portuguese (Brazil) or Portuguese (Portugal). These variants use different words and spellings for the same concepts.

If you speak a language with regional variants and you are not sure which to pick, choose the one that matches where you live or where you learned the language. The differences are usually small — similar to the difference between American and British English — but they matter if you want menus and labels to match the language you use every day.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will changing my language affect my friends' ability to message me?

No. Your language setting only changes how Facebook's interface looks to you. Your friends can message you in any language, and you will receive their messages the same way. They cannot see what language you have Facebook set to.

Can I set different languages for Facebook and Messenger?

No. Facebook and Messenger share the same language setting. If you change your Facebook language to Spanish, Messenger switches to Spanish too. They are controlled from the same Settings menu.

What if Facebook does not have my language?

If your language is not in the dropdown menu, Facebook has not translated its interface into that language. You will need to use Facebook in English or another available language. You can check Facebook's Help Center for a list of supported languages, though the dropdown menu shows the current options.

Does changing my language change the language of my posts?

No. Your language setting controls only how Facebook's menus and buttons appear to you. Posts you write stay in whatever language you type them in. If you write in English, your post is in English, even if your Facebook interface is set to Spanish.

Can I use Facebook in multiple languages at once?

No. You can only set one language at a time. If you want to switch languages, you have to go back to Settings and change it. There is no way to have some menus in one language and other menus in another.