James Harper
How To Change the Language on the YouTube App
Sometimes, the YouTube app just refuses to display in your preferred language, or maybe you poked around and accidentally set it to something you can’t even read anymore. It’s kind of weird, but fixing this is usually straightforward — if you know where to look. Changing the language can make browsing smoother, especially if you want content in a different language or just want everything to match your comfort zone. This guide walks through changing the language settings on both mobile and desktop, so you’re not stuck with a confusing jumble of languages or a totally foreign interface.
How to Change Your YouTube App Language
Accessing the Settings in the App
Open up the YouTube app on your device. If you’re logged in, that’s even better. Find the profile icon or the gear icon — on mobile, it’s usually top right, on desktop, it’s often underneath your profile picture. Tap or click there to get to the settings. If you’re on mobile and see a settings menu via your profile icon or the hamburger menu, that’s where the magic starts.
Locating the Language Settings
In the settings menu, scroll till you see options labeled General or similar, sometimes under Account. Here’s where things get a little tricky because the labels might vary depending on your device or YouTube version. On desktop, it’s often nested under Settings in the left sidebar, then inside Language or Appearance. On mobile, look for App Language under General.
Selectting Your Preferred Language
Tap or click on App Language or Language — on PC, it might say something like Change Language. A list with supported languages will pop up. This list can be huge, so scroll through for your language — or if you’re lucky, just type “English” or whatever you need into a search box, if available.
Pick your language, and on mobile, it should switch in an instant. On desktop, sometimes you have to refresh or restart the app to see the changes. Not sure why it works this way, but somehow, YouTube sometimes needs a quick kick — so closing and reopening the app isn’t a bad idea.
Verifying That Your Language Changed
Open menus, check labels, and make sure it looks right. If menus are now in your chosen language, congrats — it worked. If not, try repeating the steps or closing the app entirely, then opening it again. A reboot might help on your device if the language stubbornly stays the same.
Extra Tips & Common Pitfalls
- Make sure your app is up-to-date — outdated versions might hide or misplace some options.
- If the app keeps reverting back to the default language, check your device’s overall language settings — sometimes, the device’s language can override app preferences.
- In some setups, changing the app language also affects your watched content language recommendations, so consider matching the language with what you want to see more of.
Another thing to keep in mind — if you’re using the web version, the process is similar but located in Settings near the bottom left of the homepage. Simply click Language, pick your preferred one, and that’s usually it.
Summary
- Open the app and navigate to Settings.
- Find App Language or similar inside General.
- Select your language and restart if needed.
- Check menus and labels for confirmation.
Wrap-up
Changing your YouTube app language isn’t rocket science, but it can feel a bit fiddly thanks to different UI layouts or version quirks. In practice, just poking around in the settings and picking from the list works most of the time. And if it doesn’t, maybe your device language or an app update is messing with things — in which case, fixing those might be the next step. Hopefully, this shaves off a few hours searching for answers — worked for me on multiple setups, so fingers crossed it helps you, too.