Change your Facebook language in three steps
You can change the language Facebook displays to you from your settings menu. The process takes less than a minute and works the same way on desktop and mobile. Facebook will switch every menu, button, and message to your chosen language the next time you load the page.
The language you pick affects only your own account — it does not change the language your friends see, and it does not translate posts or comments from other people. If you want to read something someone posted in another language, you will need to use Facebook's separate translation feature instead.
Key Takeaways
- Open your Facebook settings, scroll to the "Language and region" section, and click the dropdown next to your current language to pick a new one.
- Facebook switches your entire interface to the new language immediately, but does not translate posts or comments from other users.
- You can change your language back at any time using the same menu, even if the interface is currently in a language you do not read well.
- If you speak multiple languages, you can set a secondary language so Facebook shows some content in that language when the primary language is not available.
How to change language on desktop
Open Facebook in your web browser and look for the downward-pointing arrow or circle with three horizontal lines in the top right corner of the page. Click it to open a menu. Scroll down until you see "Settings and privacy," then click "Settings."
On the left side of the settings page, you will see a list of categories. Click "Language and region." In the main section, you will see a row that says "Language" with your current language listed next to it. Click on your current language name to open a dropdown menu showing all available languages. Find the language you want and click it. Facebook saves your choice immediately — you do not need to click a separate save button.
Your entire Facebook interface will now display in the new language. If you change your mind, you can return to the same menu and pick a different language at any time.
How to change language on mobile
Open the Facebook app and tap the three horizontal lines (called a menu icon) in the bottom right corner of your screen. Scroll down and tap "Settings and privacy," then tap "Settings."
Scroll down until you find "Language and region" and tap it. You will see your current language listed. Tap on it to open the list of available languages. Find the one you want and tap it. The change takes effect immediately, and your entire app will now display in that language.
If the interface is now in a language you do not read, you can still navigate back to this same menu by tapping the three lines at the bottom right, then tapping the settings icon (a gear or wrench symbol), then scrolling to find the language option again. The menu structure stays the same regardless of language.
What happens when you change your language
When you change your language setting, Facebook translates all of its own text — menus, buttons, notifications, and labels — into your chosen language. This includes things like "Like," "Comment," "Share," and the names of different sections like "Marketplace" or "Groups."
Your own posts and comments do not change. If you wrote something in English, it stays in English. Other people's posts and comments also stay in their original language. Facebook does not automatically translate user-generated content when you change your language setting. If you want to read a post in a different language, you can use Facebook's translation tool by clicking the three dots on that post and selecting "See translation."
Your language choice is tied to your account, not your device. If you log into Facebook on a different phone or computer, it will still show in the language you selected, because the setting is stored on Facebook's servers.
Setting a secondary language
Facebook allows you to set a secondary language in case your primary language is not available for certain features or content. Go to "Settings and privacy," then "Settings," then "Language and region." Below your primary language, you will see an option to add a secondary language. Click or tap it and choose a second language from the list.
Facebook will use your secondary language only when your primary language is not available. For example, if you set English as primary and Spanish as secondary, Facebook will show you content in English whenever possible, and will fall back to Spanish only when English is not an option. This is useful if you are bilingual or if you want a backup language for features that might not support your primary choice.
Troubleshooting language changes that do not work
If you changed your language but Facebook is still showing in the old language, try clearing your browser cache or closing and reopening the app. Sometimes your device holds onto old information and needs to be refreshed. On desktop, you can also try logging out completely, closing your browser, and logging back in.
If you are using Facebook in a web browser and the language still has not changed after refreshing, check that you actually clicked your new language in the dropdown menu. The menu closes automatically after you click, so it is easy to miss whether your click registered. Go back to "Settings and region" and verify that the language listed next to "Language" is the one you selected.
If you are on mobile and the app is still in the old language, try force-closing the app. On iPhone, swipe up from the bottom of the screen to see all open apps, find Facebook, and swipe it up to close it. On Android, go to your phone's settings, find the Facebook app, and tap "Force stop." Then open Facebook again. The app should now display in your chosen language.
Changing language for specific regions
In the same "Language and region" menu where you change your language, you will also see an option for "Region." Your region setting affects which version of Facebook you see — for example, whether you see the US version or the UK version. This is separate from language. You can have your language set to Spanish and your region set to the United States, or any other combination.
Changing your region does not usually affect much for most users, but it can change which ads you see and which local features are available to you. If you have moved to a different country or want to see content from a specific region, you can change this setting in the same menu where you change your language.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will changing my language affect my friends' accounts?
No. Your language setting changes only what you see on your own account. Your friends will continue to see Facebook in whatever language they have set on their own accounts. Changing your language does not change the language of your posts or comments either.
Can I set different languages for different devices?
No. Your language setting is tied to your Facebook account, not to individual devices. If you log into Facebook on your phone, tablet, and computer, all three will show the same language. If you want to use different languages on different devices, you would need to use different Facebook accounts.
What if the language I want is not in the list?
Facebook supports over 100 languages, but not every language is available. If your language is not listed, the closest related language may be your only option. You can also try setting your secondary language to see if that gives you more choices, though the secondary language list is usually the same as the primary one.
Does changing my language translate old posts I wrote?
No. Posts you wrote in English will stay in English. Changing your language setting only changes Facebook's interface — the menus and buttons you interact with. It does not change the content you or anyone else has posted. If you want to translate a specific post, use the translation tool by clicking the three dots on that post.
Can I use Facebook in multiple languages at the same time?
Not in a single session. You can set a primary and secondary language, and Facebook will use the secondary language only when the primary is not available. To actually switch between languages while using Facebook, you would need to change your language setting each time, which takes about 30 seconds.