To change an app’s language without losing your settings, select the language you want in the app’s own menu or in your device settings if the app uses the system language. Before switching, make sure you’re signed in to your account so your personal preferences are more likely to remain linked to your profile.
The steps depend on the app and operating system: sometimes you can change the language separately, and sometimes it changes along with your phone’s interface language. We’ll look at where to find the setting and what to check if your preferences reset or the app still shows the old interface after you change the language.
| App type | First place to check | What to check next |
|---|---|---|
| App on iPhone or iPad | iOS Settings → app | Device language and region |
| App on Android | App settings | System language section |
| Program for Windows or macOS | Settings or Preferences | General, Interface, or Appearance sections |
| Web app | Profile or service settings | Browser and account language |
- 4 sources Where the language may be set: app, device, account, or browser
- 2 platforms Mobile systems with separate paths to check: iOS and Android
- 0 changes Changing the language alone shouldn’t require resetting settings or clearing data
Where to start if the app interface isn’t in English?
If the app interface isn’t in English, first check its own settings and note any preferences you don’t want to lose: theme, notifications, units of measurement, and region. That way, you’ll be able to tell if you accidentally changed anything besides the language while looking for the switch.
Where to look for the language setting—and what to do if it’s missing
Open the Settings, Preferences, or equivalent menu and look for Language, App language, Languages, or the language option. If there’s no such item, don’t change settings at random: the app’s language may be determined by your device or account settings, and the available options depend on the app version.
To find the exact steps, check the app’s name and platform—for example, Android, iOS, Windows, or macOS. Menu names and the switch’s location may vary between versions, so instructions for one platform may not apply to another.
How to change the language in just one app
You can change the language for just one app in its settings or in your operating system settings: on iPhone and iPad, open Settings, select the app, and tap Language or Preferred Language, if that option is available. This changes the language of the selected app, not the entire device.
- iPhone and iPad: Go through the system Settings and open the page for the specific app; not every app has its own language switch.
- Android: Check the app’s own settings and the system’s “App language” option. Whether it’s available depends on your Android version and whether the developer has added support for it.
- Desktop programs: Open Settings or Preferences and check the General, Interface, or Appearance sections—language selection is often located there.
After changing the language, close and reopen the app so it can load the interface in the new language. If the labels haven’t changed, check whether the app needs a full restart, and make sure you changed the language in the settings for the app itself, not for the entire system.
What to do if the app uses your device’s language settings
If the app uses your device’s language settings, check the system’s primary language and list of preferred languages: an app without its own switch may choose its language based on these settings.
On iPhone and iPad, open Settings → General → Language & Region. The list of preferred languages may affect Apple apps that don’t have their own language setting. So if the app you want doesn’t offer a switch, check not only the primary language but also the order of languages in the list.
On Android, find the system’s Languages or Language & input section. Setting a separate language for an individual app isn’t available in every Android version; it also depends on whether the app itself supports the feature. Before changing the system language, consider the consequences: the change may affect other system elements as well as the app interface.
When does the interface language depend on your account or region?
An app’s language may depend on your account if there’s no switch in its menu: check the language preferences in the service settings. In a web app, start with your profile or the settings section—the site’s language may be set separately from your browser’s language.
Region and language are different settings: changing your country may alter the catalog or feature availability, but it won’t necessarily translate the interface. So don’t change your region just to translate the menu; first check your account’s language setting, then the language setting in the web app itself.
If the interface hasn’t changed after you switch languages, refresh the page; if that doesn’t help, sign out and back in. This will prompt the service to apply your saved profile settings again.
How to check that changing the language hasn’t affected other settings
To check that changing the app’s language hasn’t affected other settings, compare them before and after restarting the app: note the theme, notification settings, units of measurement, and region separately. Then make sure the theme and notifications are unchanged and that the region and units haven’t changed without your input.
The interface language and data formats may be set separately: after switching languages, check the menu labels, then check the units of measurement and region separately. For example, if the app showed distances in kilometers, make sure it hasn’t switched to miles; changing the language alone isn’t a reason to assume the data format has changed.
Before restarting or resetting
If the app asks to restart, save any open documents and drafts first, then check your settings again after it launches. Don’t choose “Reset settings” or “Clear data” to change the language: those are separate actions that may delete local preferences or content. To check, all you need to do is change the language setting and compare the values listed above.
Why isn’t the language change working, and when won’t it help?
Changing the language won’t work if the app doesn’t include a Russian localization or uses the language set for your account, browser, or profile instead of your device’s language. For example, choosing Russian in your phone settings won’t add a translation to an app whose developer hasn’t provided one.
What to check before changing settings
- App localization. Check the list of languages in the app’s own settings: if Russian isn’t there, changing the system language won’t help.
- Account and web version language. If the app saves your preference in your profile, that setting may take priority over your device’s language; a website in your browser may, in turn, use the browser’s language or the saved profile settings.
- App version. New language options may not be available in an older version. Check for an update in the official store or from the developer.
Change settings one at a time: start with the app or account language, then change the system language if necessary. Don’t change your device language, region, and profile settings all at once: if the interface changes, it will be harder to tell which setting caused it.
Frequently asked questions
Can I change the language in just one app?
Why is the app still in the old language after I changed the setting?
Do I need to change my region to enable Russian?
What should I do if Russian isn’t in the list?
