Need to explain a phone setting to your Danish cousin? Picking up a new language? Find out here how to change the language on iPhone and iPad, both for the user interface and for apps.
First, Say “Cucumber Salad” on the Phone
You have just repeated parts of one of the firs sentences ever spoken over a telephone.
The full sentence was, of course, “The horse does not eat cucumber salad” (or “Das Pferd frisst keinen Gurkensalat” in its German original), an unlikely combination of words for demonstration purposes. So, inventor Philipp Reis hoped, the person at the other end would not yet have heard (and would not come up with) that sentence by chance.
Either way, want the cucumber salad and horse on your “telephone” in German? Or Maithili?
How to Change the Language on iPhone and iPad
For the iOS Interface and as Default Language for Apps
Time needed: 5 minutes
To change the language used for the iOS interface and applications on iPhone and iPad:
- Open the Settings app.
- Open the General category.
- Go to Language & Region.
- Tap Add Language… beneath the current list of languages.
iOS and iPadOS 15 and earlier: Tap iPhone Language or IPad Language.
Language already on the list: If the language you want to use for the iPhone interface is already on the list, drag it to the topmost spot. - Choose the desired iPhone interface language.
Searching languages: Find the language (or language variant) with the Search field: type a country name (in the current interface language or in the country’s language) or a language’s name (either how it is written in the language itself or in the current interface language).
Countries: Typing a country in Search only works if a special language variant exists for the country.
- Click Use <Language> under Would you like to use <Language> as your primary language?
Existing language: If you picked a language already installed, select Continue under Applying this setting will restart your iPhone. instead.
Tippen Sie: How to Change the Language on the iPhone Keyboard
Change the Language for a Specific App on iPhone or iPad
You can also make exceptions for specific apps—one your need for school, say, or an app to communicate with distant friends.
To change the language for an app on your iPhone or iPad:
- Open the Settings app.
- Now select the app for which you want to change the language selectively.
- Tap Language under PREFERRED LANGUAGE.
No “Language”: If you see no Language item, the app does not offer interface translations. - Select the desired language from the list (or lists).
Language missing: If your preferred language is not in the list the app, alas, does not support it.
How to Change the Language on iPhone and iPad: FAQ
Do I have to restart to change the language?
No. The new language will apply immediately.
(How to change the language on iPhone and iPad tested with iOS and iPadOS 14–17; updated April 2024)