Learn how to change the language of iOS apps without changing the default systemwide language of your iPhone or iPad.
There are several reasons why you may want to change or try a different language for some apps. Perhaps you prefer to use that app in a specific language, or maybe it works better in that language. Whatever the reason, you can change an app’s language on iOS. However, before we show you how, there are a few things you should know about this process.
- Developers must package their apps with various languages for this to work
- Some apps may have their own list of additional languages they support.
Also see: How to translate words and sentences on iPhone, iPad, and Mac
Change the app language from iPhone Settings
This method involves adding a second language to your list of added languages, which results in showing a new ‘Language’ option in individual app settings. You can then tap the Language tab and select some other langauge — just for that app.
1) Open the Settings app on your iPhone and go to General > Language & Region.
2) You will see your phone’s current language at the top. Tap Add Language and pick the second language. I’m selecting French.
3) The iPhone will now show you a popup asking if you’d like to use this new language (French, in my case) as the primary language for your iPhone. Primary language is the one that’s used throughout your iPhone, from Settings and menus to the keyboard and everywhere else. Since I do not want to use French as my primary language, I will tap Use English (US).
Now, you will have your primary language on top of the added language (English, in my case) and French below it. I can tap Add Language to add more.
4) With more than one language added to your iPhone, go back to the first page in the Settings app, scroll to the bottom, and tap Apps.
5) Select the app whose language you want to change.
6) Tap Language and select one of the other languages from the list. As mentioned earlier, this option is not visible for all apps. Only those that have been localized will offer that option.
7) Now launch the app, and it should show the options in this new language.
If the app doesn’t show the new language, force quit the app and relaunch it. Note that a few apps (like Amazon) may not reflect a specific new language even though they offer the option to pick another language in iOS Settings!
Change the language from inside the app settings
A few apps have the option to change the language from inside their setting. Simply open the app, go to its Settings, and look for a Language option.
If you do not find such an option, follow the method mentioned earlier.
On a related note: The best free language learning apps for kids on iPhone and iPad