How to change the language on your computer

Updated: April 13, 2023
6 min read
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How to change the language on your computer
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by Peter Davis
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Meet the best options for different operating systems.

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How to change the interface language on a Windows computer

You can configure the system language in Windows 10 and 11 using the Control Panel. To do this, proceed as follows.

  1. Right-click the Start icon. Select Settings.
  2. On the menu that appears, tap Region & Language.
  3. Click on the Language tab in the left-hand menu.
  4. Click Add a language. This button with a + sign is located at the bottom of the window, in the section with the available languages.
  5. Select another language to use on your computer. Click Next.
  6. Click on the desired language to open a page with a list of available options. You can select handwriting recognition as well as speech-to-text translation.
  7. Click Install. The new language will appear in the general list, all the necessary files will be gradually downloaded to your computer.
  8. Under Windows display language select a dialect from the drop-down list.
  9. The system prompts you to restart your profile to apply the changes. Confirm the action. Log back into your account. The selected language will become the primary language for all system menus, windows, and other elements.

How to change the system language on a macOS computer

the system language on a macOS computer

In macOS, you can switch the language in the system settings. To do this, do the following:

  1. On the desktop, click the Apple logo in the upper left corner of the screen. A drop-down menu opens and you can select System Preferences.
  2. Next, tap Language & Region with the flag icon.
  3. Click the + button in the lower-left corner of the Preferred Languages field. A pop-up window opens with a list of languages.
  4. Select the one you want and click Add.
  5. Confirm that you want to use this language as your primary language when prompted with the blue button.
  6. If, after adding a language, you decide that another language should be the primary language, drag it to the top of the Preferred Languages list. Reboot the system for the language change.

How to change the system language on a Linux computer

the system language on a Linux computer

Here is a configuration option through the graphical interface of one of the most popular versions of Linux - Ubuntu.

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  1. On your desktop, click on the icon area in the upper right corner. From the drop-down menu, select System Settings, then locate Region & Language.
  2. Click on the name of the language under Language. A list of installed languages appears. If you already have the language you want, click on it and press the Select button.
  3. If you don't have the option you want, you will have to download it. Click on Manage Installed Languages and then on Install / Remove Languages.
  4. Select the desired language from the list with a checkmark and press Apply.
  5. After installation, the added language appears in the list of available languages, select it for activation. Reboot the system.
  6. After restarting, Ubuntu will prompt you to rename the system folders according to the new primary language. You can keep the old names or confirm the update.

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