How to change language on iPhone is usually easy, until your iPhone suddenly starts speaking a language you don’t understand, or you only want one app to use a different language without changing everything else. The good news is that iOS keeps these settings separate, so you don’t have to change your entire phone just to fix one small problem.
This guide walks you through changing the system language, switching individual apps, adjusting keyboards and Siri, and fixing the setting if you accidentally changed it.
1. How to Change Language on iPhone System-Wide
The main language setting controls the text you see throughout iOS, including menus, Settings, and other system apps. If you want to change the language of your entire iPhone, this is the setting to use.
- Open Settings, then tap General.
- Tap Language & Region.
- Tap Add Language.
- Search for or select the language you want.
- When prompted, choose the new language as your primary language.
Your selected language is then used throughout iOS where it is supported. If you add several languages, they appear under Preferred Languages, and you can change their order. iOS uses that order when an app supports more than one of your preferred languages.
If you’re only trying to change one app or Siri, however, you don’t need to change the entire iPhone. The sections below explain those separate options.
2. Changing Language for Specific Apps (Per-App Override)
You don’t always have to change your entire iPhone just to use one app in another language. On supported apps, iOS lets you choose a language separately from the system language.
- First, make sure the language you want is added under Settings > General > Language & Region.
- Return to the main Settings screen.
- Scroll down and tap the app you want to change.
- Look for Language or a similar language option.
- Select your preferred language and reopen the app.
Not every app offers this option. If you don’t see a language setting for a particular app, the developer may control the language from inside the app or the app may simply use your iPhone’s preferred language order.
This is useful when, for example, you want your iPhone menus in English but prefer to use a specific app in Spanish, French, or another supported language.
>>>Read more: How to Change Font on iPhone: What’s Actually Possible
3. Managing Multilingual Keyboards, Dictation, and Siri Settings
Your keyboard, Dictation, and Siri have their own language controls. So if you want to type in another language without changing your entire iPhone, you can simply add another keyboard.
Adding and Switching Between Multilingual Keyboards
- Go to Settings > General > Keyboard.
- Tap Keyboards.
- Tap Add New Keyboard and select the language you want.
Once you have multiple keyboards, tap the globe icon while typing to switch between them. You can also press and hold the globe icon to see your available keyboards.
Setting Voice Recognition Languages for Siri and Dictation
Siri’s language is separate from your iPhone’s main language.
- Open Settings.
- Tap Siri or Apple Intelligence & Siri, depending on your iPhone and iOS version.
- Tap Language.
- Select the language you want Siri to use.
For Dictation, add the language’s keyboard first. You can then switch to that keyboard’s language while dictating, just as you would when typing.
This separation is handy when you regularly use two languages: your menus can stay in one language while your keyboard, Dictation, or Siri uses another.
4. Troubleshooting: How to Revert Your iPhone When Stuck in an Unknown Language
Accidentally changing your iPhone to a language you can’t read can be frustrating, but you usually don’t need to reset the phone. The Settings layout remains familiar even when the words don’t.
- Use Siri if available. Ask Siri to change your iPhone language to the one you want.
- Follow the Settings path by position. Open Settings, then find General, followed by Language & Region. Look for the language or globe-related icons if the text is unfamiliar.
- Use Apple’s support guide from another device. Open Apple’s language instructions on a computer or another phone and follow the same menu path step by step.
Avoid resetting the entire iPhone just because the language changed accidentally. In most cases, changing it back through Settings > General > Language & Region is all you need.
5. Region Settings vs. Language: How Dates, Currencies, and Formats Change
Language and Region appear together in the same settings screen, but they control different things. Think of Language as the words your iPhone uses and Region as the local formatting rules it follows.
| Setting | What it controls | What it doesn’t control |
|---|---|---|
| Language | Menus, system text, and supported app text | Currency and date formatting |
| Region | Date, number, measurement, temperature, and other regional formats | Your iPhone’s main language |
To change your region, go to Settings > General > Language & Region > Region, then choose the country or region you want.
So, if your iPhone is displaying the right language but showing dates, measurements, or numbers in an unfamiliar format, changing the Region may be the setting you actually need.
6. What Happens to Apps, Media, and Apple ID Purchases After the Change
Changing your iPhone’s language does not delete your apps, photos, messages, subscriptions, or purchases. Your existing content stays on the device.
However, device language and Apple Account country or region are separate settings. Changing your iPhone’s language does not automatically change the country or storefront associated with your Apple Account.
That distinction matters if you’re trying to change the App Store’s available content, currency, or payment options. Those settings are tied to your Apple Account country or region and require a separate change.
7. FAQs
Will changing the language delete my apps or messages?
No. Changing your system language, an app’s language, or your region doesn’t delete apps, messages, photos, or any other data. Your iPhone restarts briefly to apply the change, but everything you had stays in place.
Can I use two languages on my iPhone at the same time?
Yes, in a couple of ways. You can add multiple languages under Preferred Language Order and let apps fall back to whichever one they support, or use the per-app override to run individual apps in a language different from your system default.
Why does an app still show the old language after I changed it?
Usually this means the app needs to be fully closed and reopened before the change registers, or the app simply doesn’t support the language you selected and is falling back to its default. Double-check that the new language is added under Language & Region first, since per-app overrides only offer languages already on that list.
Does changing the region also change my currency and date format?
Yes. Your iPhone’s Region setting controls formats such as currency, dates, numbers, measurements, and the first day of the week. It is separate from your iPhone’s language and Apple Account country.
Conclusion
How to change language on iPhone comes down to knowing which of the several language-related settings you actually need: the system-wide one under Language & Region, a per-app override, or something specific to Siri, Dictation, or your keyboards.
Region and your Apple ID’s country sit alongside these and control different things entirely, which is usually the source of confusion when a change doesn’t seem to “stick” everywhere you expected it to.
