How to Change the Language on Your Samsung TV

Where to find the language setting on your Samsung TV

The language setting on a Samsung TV lives in the same menu where you control picture and sound — the Settings app. On most Samsung models made in the last five years, you reach it by pressing the Menu button on your remote, then looking for a gear icon or the word "Settings" near the bottom of the list. Once you open Settings, look for a section called General or System, depending on your model year.

Inside General or System, you will see Language listed alongside options like Time, Region, and Accessibility. Select Language, and your TV will show you a list of available languages — usually 20 to 40 options depending on your region. Highlight the language you want and press Select on your remote. The TV will explore the change when ready, and all menus, buttons, and on-screen text will switch to that language.

If you cannot find Settings using the Menu button, try pressing the Home button on your remote instead. This opens the main home screen, where you should see a Settings icon (usually a gear) in the top right corner or in a row of apps at the bottom. Select it and follow the same path into General or System, then Language.

Key Takeaways

Press Menu or Home on your remote, then select Settings, then General or System, then Language to change your TV's display language.
The language change takes effect when ready and affects all menus, subtitles, and on-screen text on your TV.
If your TV is connected to a Samsung account, the language preference may sync to other Samsung devices on the same account.
Changing the language does not affect streaming apps like Netflix or YouTube — those apps have their own separate language settings.

What happens when you change the language

When you select a new language, your Samsung TV switches every word on the screen to that language within seconds. This includes the Settings menu itself, the guide for live TV channels, voice commands if you use Bixby (Samsung's voice assistant), and any on-screen notifications. If you use subtitles, the default subtitle language will also change to match — though you can override this later for individual shows.

The change is permanent until you switch it again. If someone else in your household uses the TV and prefers a different language, they will need to go back into Settings and change it themselves. Samsung TVs do not have separate user profiles with individual language settings, so there is no way to have the TV automatically switch languages based on who is using the remote.

If you chose the wrong language by mistake

If you selected a language you do not understand, you can still fix it without calling for help. The Settings menu structure is the same in every language — the icons and order of options do not change. Press Menu or Home, look for the gear icon (it looks the same regardless of language), select it, then navigate to the section that is usually second or third in the list (General or System), then select the option that is usually fourth or fifth (Language). You will recognize it because it will show a list of language names written in their own alphabets.

If you get lost, try pressing the Home button and looking for a settings icon. If that does not work, unplug the TV for 30 seconds, plug it back in, and try again — a fresh restart sometimes makes the menus easier to navigate. You can also consult your TV's manual or look up your specific model number on Samsung's support website to see a visual guide to the Settings menu in your current language.

How language settings work with streaming apps

Changing your TV's language does not change the language inside Netflix, YouTube, Disney+, or any other streaming app. Those apps have their own language settings that live inside each app, separate from your TV's system settings. If you want Netflix to display menus in Spanish but your TV's system language to stay in English, you can do that — they do not affect each other.

To change the language inside a streaming app, open the app, look for a Settings or Preferences option (usually found by pressing the menu button while inside the app or by selecting your profile icon), and look for a Language or Display Language option. Each app stores this setting independently, so you may need to change it in Netflix, then separately in YouTube, then separately in any other app you use.

If your TV is connected to a Samsung account

If you signed into a Samsung account on your TV — something you may have done when you first set it up or when you connected it to SmartThings — your language preference may sync to other Samsung devices on the same account. This means if you change the language on your TV to French, and you also own a Samsung phone or tablet signed into the same account, those devices might also switch to French the next time they sync.

You can prevent this by changing the language on your TV without signing into a Samsung account, or by checking your account settings on Samsung's website to see which devices are linked. If you want to keep your TV's language separate from your other devices, sign out of your Samsung account on the TV before changing the language, or change the language and then check your other devices to make sure they did not switch unexpectedly.

Resetting language to the factory default

If you want to return your TV's language to the way it was when you first bought it, you can reset the entire TV to factory settings. This will erase all your preferences — including picture settings, sound settings, and any apps you downloaded — and return the language to whatever your region's default is (usually English in North America, the local language in other regions).

To do this, go to Settings, then General or System, then look for an option called Reset or Factory Reset. Select it, confirm that you want to proceed (the TV will ask you to confirm because this action cannot be undone), and the TV will restart and return to its original state. This is a drastic step and should only be done if you want to erase everything and start fresh. If you only want to change the language back, it is faster to go into Settings and select the language you want directly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will changing the language affect my picture or sound settings?

No. Language is a separate setting from picture, sound, and all other features. Changing the language will not touch your brightness, contrast, volume, or any other adjustment you have made. Everything else stays exactly as it was.

Can I have the TV display in one language and subtitles in another?

Yes. The TV's system language and the subtitle language are separate settings. You can set your menus to English and your subtitles to Spanish, or any other combination. Each streaming app also has its own subtitle language setting, so Netflix subtitles can be different from YouTube subtitles if you want.

What if my language is not on the list?

Samsung TVs typically offer 20 to 40 languages depending on your region and model. If your language is not available, the closest related language is usually the best option — for example, if Brazilian Portuguese is not listed, European Portuguese may be available. Check Samsung's support website for your specific model to see the complete list of supported languages.

Does changing the language affect voice commands?

Yes. If your TV has Bixby voice control, changing the system language will change the language Bixby listens for and responds in. If you switch to Spanish, Bixby will expect Spanish voice commands. You can usually change this separately in the Bixby settings if you want voice control in a different language than your menus.

This guide is for general information only and is not medical, financial, legal, or other professional advice. For decisions specific to your situation, consult a qualified professional. See our Editorial Policy.