How to change the language on YouTube

YouTube offers its users the possibility to select the language in which the site or the application itself is displayed. Although this is usually a default depending on your particular location, you are always free to change the settings to your liking. Below are the steps needed to change the language on YouTube according to your current platform.

How to Change Language on YouTube from Windows 10 PC, Mac, or Chromebook

If you're using a computer, whether your operating system is Windows, macOS, or Chrome OS, the steps required to change the language remain the same. When you access YouTube with a computer, you must open it with a browser and the settings are not platform-dependent. To change your YouTube language on a computer, follow these steps:

1. Open Youtube and login to your account.
2. Click on your account icon. This should be your profile picture located in the upper right corner of the screen.
   
3. Scroll down and click Language. If you currently cannot understand the menu selections because the language is unfamiliar to you, it should be the selection with the Chinese character and a capital A.
   
4. Select the language of your choice from those in the list. All languages ​​are written in their own native script. As long as you know the language you want to switch to, you can choose them from the list.
   
5. Your language will now be automatically changed to the selected one. Otherwise, click the Home button to refresh the screen. The language change should apply to the entire YouTube site, but the videos will remain in their original language. If you want to apply the change to videos as well, you will need to clear your internet browser's cache and cookies. This process is different depending on the browser you are using.

How to Change Language on YouTube from Android Device

If you are using an Android device to access YouTube, there are several ways you can turn to if you want to change the language settings depending on how you choose to open YouTube. The steps for each are listed below:

Changing language settings in the YouTube app.

If you're using the YouTube mobile app, you can indirectly change the default language by changing your app's localization settings. To do this

1. Open your YouTube mobile app and sign in.
   
2. Tap your profile icon. It should be in the upper right corner of the screen.
   
3. Scroll down and tap Settings. If you can't understand the language because of a different script, that should be the selection next to the gear icon.
   
4. Tap General. This should be the first menu selection.
   
5. Scroll down and tap Location. This should be the penultimate selection. It does not have a toggle button on the right side.
   
6. Choose the name of the country where you want the location to be set as default.
   
7. If you want to change the language settings directly, you will need to do so in the phone settings. While this may change depending on your phone model, most Android devices will have them under Settings and then under System.

Using the Mobile Web Browser

By default, YouTube's language when using a mobile web browser will follow your phone's language. To change this, follow these steps:

1. Open YouTube mobile on your phone's web browser.
2. Press Menu. It should be the three vertical dots in the upper right corner of the screen.
   
3. Tap Settings. This should be the second to last selection in the drop-down menu.
   
4. Scroll down and then tap Languages. This should be the fourth to last selection. It should be right above the Easy Mode menu which has a percentage symbol.
   
5. The resulting window should display a selection of languages, ordered by preference. You can move a language up or down in the rankings by tapping the three dots icon to the right of each. If you want to add a new language, tap Add language. It should be the selection with a plus icon to its left. Choose a language from the list. All languages ​​are listed in English and their original script.
   
6. Once you have set a language, exit this screen or press Home.

How to Change Language on YouTube from iPhone

The YouTube app is platform independent, so the way to change the settings does not change depending on the mobile platform. If you're using an iPhone, see the steps on Android above. They are similar.

How to Change the Language on YouTube from a Firestick

On Amazon Firestick, YouTube can be accessed the same way as the mobile version, either through the YouTube app or through a web browser. If you're using a web browser to watch YouTube on your Firestick, follow the detailed steps in Windows, Mac, or Chromebook as detailed above. If you're using the YouTube for TV app, follow these steps:

1. Open the YouTube TV app. Log in if you haven't already.
2. Scroll down and open Settings. It should be the option with the gear icon.
   
3. Scroll down until you reach Language & Location. Select it.
   
4. Choose the language. On your screen, you should see a Chinese character and an A. Choose Edit. Choose the language you want to set as default.
   
5. Click Confirm Change.

If you want to change the language of the videos, you will need to change the language settings of the Firestick. To do so, follow these steps:

1. Go to your Firestick home screen.
2. Choose Settings. It should be the last option in the top menu.
   
3. Choose Preferences. It should be the option with lines and circles.
   
4. Scroll down, then select the language. It should be the penultimate option.
   
5. From the list, select the language you want to use.
   
6. Exit this screen.

How to Change the Language on YouTube from an Apple TV

The process of changing languages ​​using an Apple TV is similar to that of the Firestick. If you watch YouTube through the web browser, follow the steps given in the computer platform version. If you are using the YouTube for TV app, follow the steps given on the Firestick platform. If you want to change the language of the videos, you will have to do it directly in the settings of your Apple TV. You can do this by:

1. Go to your Apple TV home screen.
2. Select Settings. It should be the option with the Gears image.
3. Choose General. This will be the first option in the list.
4. Scroll down until you get to the Language & Region tab. Each tab is separated by labels. Language and region are the fourth in the menu. It's just below the keyboard settings.
5. Select the Apple TV language. It should be the first option on the Language & Region tab.
6. Choose your preferred language from the list.
7. On the screen that appears, select Change language.
8. You can now leave this screen.

How to Change the Language on YouTube from a Roku Device or Streaming Stick

If you're using a Roku device or stick, you'll use the same methods as previously shown for the Firestick or Apple TV. If you're using a web browser or the YouTube TV app, follow the steps already listed. If you want to change the language on the Roku itself, follow these instructions:

1. Go to your Roku homepage.
2. Choose Settings.
3. Scroll down until you see System. Click the right arrow on the remote to open the System menu.
4. Scroll down until you come to Language. On the screen, it should show a callout bubble. Click the right arrow on the remote again.
5. From the selection, choose the language you want to change to.
6. Press OK on the Roku remote.
7. You can now leave this menu.

Change subtitle language

If, instead of the site language, you want to change the caption or subtitle language, follow these steps:

If you use the web browser version, either for computers or Smart TVs

1. Choose a video and click on it.
2. At the bottom right of the video, click the settings menu. It should be the gear icon.
   
3. In the menu, click Subtitles/CC. It should be the penultimate option.
   
4. The next menu will display the available languages. If you don't see the language you want, click Generate automatically, then click Captions/CC again. Choose automatic translation.
   
5. Choose the language in which the subtitles should be displayed.

If you use YouTube for mobile

1. Open the YouTube app, then choose a video.
2. Pause the video.
   
3. Press Menu. It should be the three vertical dots in the upper right corner of the screen.
   
4. Tap Subtitles.
   
5. Select your preferred language.

Note that not all videos have subtitles and even then subtitles are rarely available in all languages. If a particular video does not have subtitles, the subtitles icon will be grayed out or not clickable.

Practical information

Knowing how to change the language on YouTube, no matter what platform you are on, is handy information. Whether it's because you want to change the language of your YouTube page or change it after accidentally mixing up your default language.

Do you know any other ways to change the language on YouTube? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.