Change Google Language: Desktop & Mobile Guide

Updated 6 November 2026 · Standard formula, shown below

To change the language Google uses for its interface and search results, go to your Google Account settings at myaccount.google.com, select “Personal info,� then “General preferences for the web,� and choose your preferred language. On mobile, the same setting applies, but you can also change the language within the Google app’s settings or directly on the search results page. This article explains the exact steps for desktop, Android, and iOS, what each setting actually changes, and how to fix common issues like Google ignoring your choice.

What the Language Setting Actually Controls

Google has two separate language layers that people often confuse. The interface language changes the text of buttons, menus, and help pages on Google.com, Gmail, and other Google services. The search results language determines which pages Google prefers to show you, and it is influenced by your interface language, your region, and the language of the pages themselves.

When you change the language in your Google Account, you are changing the interface language. To also affect search results, you need to set a preferred language for search, which is a separate option. On the Google search settings page (google.com/preferences), you can add languages and reorder them by priority. Google will then favor results in those languages, but it will still show pages in other languages if they seem more relevant.

How to Change Language on Desktop (Windows, Mac, Linux)

Go to myaccount.google.com and sign in if you aren’t already.
Click Personal info in the left sidebar.
Scroll to the General preferences for the web section and click Language.
Click Add another language or select an existing one, then choose your preferred language from the list.
Drag the language to the top of the list to make it the primary language.
Click Save. The change applies immediately to most Google services, but you may need to refresh the page.

Alternatively, you can change the search language directly by visiting google.com/preferences, clicking Languages on the left, and selecting which languages you want Google to use for search results. This does not change the interface language, only the results.

How to Change Language on Android and iPhone

On Android, the Google app and Chrome use the system language by default. If you change your phone’s system language (Settings > System > Languages & input > Languages), Google will follow that. To change only the Google app language without touching the system:

Open the Google app.
Tap your profile picture in the top right.
Tap Settings > Language.
Select your preferred language from the list.

On iPhone, the Google app does not have its own language setting; it uses the system language. To change it: go to Settings > General > Language & Region > iPhone Language, and pick your language. This changes the entire phone, not just Google. If you only want Google in a different language, you can use the Google app’s “Search language� setting (tap your profile > Settings > Search language) which affects results, but the interface stays in the system language.

Why Google Sometimes Ignores Your Language Choice

You set the language to Spanish, but Google still shows English. This is a common complaint and usually has one of these causes:

Your region overrides language. If you are in the US, Google may default to English because it assumes you want local results. You can change this by going to google.com/preferences and setting “Region� to a country that matches your language, or by using a different domain like google.es.
You changed the interface language but not the search language. These are separate settings. Make sure you also add your preferred language under “Languages� in the search settings.
You are not signed in. Language preferences are saved to your account. If you are using an incognito window or not logged in, Google uses the browser’s language and your IP location.
Browser language is different. Google Chrome and other browsers send a “Accept-Language� header. If your browser is in English, Google may prioritize that. Check your browser’s language settings and move your preferred language to the top.

Changing Language for a Single Search or Without an Account

If you don’t want to change your account settings, you can use the Google Translate feature on the search results page. After you perform a search, click the “Translate� button that appears at the top of the results if the page is in a different language. This only translates the current page, not the whole interface.

Another quick method is to add the interface language parameter to the URL. For example, google.com/search?q=hello&hl=es will show the search interface in Spanish for that session. You can replace “es� with any two-letter language code (e.g., “fr� for French, “de� for German, “ja� for Japanese). This works even when not signed in, but it does not change your saved preferences.

Common Mistakes and Misconceptions

One widespread misconception is that changing the Google interface language will also change the language of search results. It does influence ranking, but Google’s algorithm decides which pages to show based on many factors, including your location, search history, and the language of the indexed pages. Even with Spanish as your interface language, a search for “best restaurants� in the US may return English results because those are the most relevant.

Another mistake is changing the language in the Google app but expecting it to affect the browser. The Google app and Chrome are separate. If you want Chrome’s new tab page and search bar in a different language, you need to change Chrome’s language settings (Settings > Languages > Language) and move your preferred language to the top.

Also, note that some languages have regional variants (e.g., Portuguese (Brazil) vs. Portuguese (Portugal)). Google treats these as separate languages. If you select the wrong variant, you may see mixed results. Always pick the specific variant you want.

How to Reset to Default or Remove a Language

If you accidentally added a language you don’t want, go back to myaccount.google.com > Personal info > General preferences for the web > Language. Next to the language, click the trash icon to remove it. You can also reorder the list by dragging. To reset everything to the default, simply remove all languages except one and save. Google will use that single language.

If you want to clear all language preferences entirely, you can delete your Google account’s web activity, but that is an extreme step and not recommended. A simpler approach is to use a different browser profile or an incognito window, which will ignore your saved preferences.

Comparing Desktop, Android, and iOS Methods

Desktop: Full control over interface and search language via account settings and preferences. Works across all Google services.
Android: Follows system language by default, but you can override the Google app language individually. Chrome uses system language.
iOS: No per-app language override for Google; you must change the system language. Search language can be set separately in the Google app.

For most users, the desktop method is the most reliable because it directly edits the account-level preferences. On mobile, the lack of a per-app language setting on iOS is a frequent source of frustration, but changing the system language is the only official way.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Google keep reverting to English after I change it?

This usually happens because your browser’s language is set to English and overrides the account setting. Check your browser’s language settings and move your preferred language to the top of the list. Also, if you are using a VPN or a different country’s Google domain (like google.co.uk), the region may force English. Try using google.com and ensure you are signed in.

Can I change the language for just one Google service like Gmail?

Yes. Gmail has its own language setting. Click the gear icon in Gmail, select “See all settings,� then the “General� tab, and choose a display language. This only affects Gmail, not Google Search or YouTube. Other services like YouTube also have a separate language setting under their own preferences.

Does changing the language affect my search results ranking?

It affects which results Google shows, but not the ranking algorithm itself. Google will prioritize pages in your preferred language, but if there are no good results in that language, it will show results in other languages. Your location and search history also play a role, so results may still be in the local language.

How do I change the language on Google Chrome specifically?

Open Chrome, go to Settings > Languages, and click “Add languages� to add your preferred language. Then click the three-dot menu next to it and select “Move to the top.� You can also check “Offer to translate pages in this language� to get automatic translation prompts. This changes the browser’s interface and the language it requests from websites.

What is the difference between “interface language� and “search language�?

Interface language is the text you see on Google’s buttons and menus. Search language is the language of the results themselves. You can set them independently. For example, you can have the interface in English but search results in French by adding French to your search preferences and moving it to the top.

Method: the standard formula for this calculation, rounded as each result states. See how the calculators work or report an error.