Change your YouTube language in account settings
YouTube shows you content in the language your account is set to. To change it, sign into your YouTube account, click your profile picture in the top right corner, and select Settings. On the left menu, click Language, then pick the language you want from the dropdown list. YouTube will reload in that language within seconds.
This change affects only your account. If you share a device with someone else who has their own YouTube login, their language stays the same — each person's settings are separate. If you use YouTube without signing in, you can still change the language, but it will only stay changed on that specific browser until you clear your cookies.
The language setting controls the words YouTube uses for buttons, menus, and labels. It does not automatically translate video titles, descriptions, or comments — those stay in whatever language the creator or commenter used. If you want subtitles in a different language, that is a separate setting on individual videos.
Key Takeaways
- Sign in to your account, click your profile picture, select Settings, then choose Language from the left menu to change your YouTube interface language.
- Your language choice applies only to your account, so other people using the same device with their own logins will see their own language settings.
- Changing the language setting affects menus and buttons, but does not translate video titles, descriptions, or comments that creators posted in another language.
- Video subtitles are controlled separately on each video and do not change when you switch your account language.
Where to find the language setting on different devices
On a computer, the process is the same whether you use Windows, Mac, or Linux. Sign in, click your profile picture in the top right, select Settings, then click Language on the left side. The dropdown shows all available languages, organized alphabetically. Scroll to find yours and click it.
On a phone or tablet using the YouTube app, tap your profile picture at the top right, then tap Settings. Scroll down and tap Language. The app will show you a list of languages. Tap the one you want, and the app will restart in that language.
If you are using YouTube on a phone through a web browser instead of the app, the steps are the same as on a computer. The mobile website has the same Settings menu and Language option in the same location.
What changes and what does not change
When you switch languages, YouTube changes the words for everything it controls: button labels like "Subscribe" and "Like", menu names, search suggestions, and notification text. The home page layout, recommendations, and trending sections all appear with labels in your new language.
YouTube does not change the language of video titles, descriptions, comments, or channel names that creators wrote in another language. If a creator uploaded a video titled in Spanish, it will still show in Spanish even if your account is set to English. The same is true for comments — they stay in whatever language the person who wrote them used.
If a video has subtitles available in multiple languages, you can turn them on and pick a language separately for each video. This is independent of your account language setting. A video might have subtitles in five languages, and you can choose any of them regardless of what language your YouTube interface is in.
How to turn on subtitles in a specific language
Open any video and look for the CC button in the bottom right corner of the player. Click it to turn subtitles on. A menu will appear showing which languages have subtitles available for that video. Click the language you want. If the video does not have subtitles in your language, that option will not appear — the creator did not add them.
Some videos have auto-generated subtitles, which YouTube creates automatically using speech recognition. These are usually less accurate than subtitles a creator added by hand, but they are available in more languages. Auto-generated subtitles appear in the language list with a note saying they are auto-generated.
Your subtitle choice for one video does not carry over to the next video. Each time you watch a different video, you need to turn subtitles on again if you want them. However, if you turn subtitles on in your account settings, YouTube will remember to show them by default on most videos you watch.
Changing the language for YouTube in a web browser
If you want YouTube to appear in a different language only in one specific browser, you can change it without signing in. At the bottom of any YouTube page, click the language selector — it usually shows the current language. Pick a new language from the list. YouTube will remember this choice in that browser until you clear your cookies or use a different browser.
This method is useful if you share a computer with someone and do not want to sign into your own account. The language will change for anyone using that browser, but it will not affect other browsers on the same computer or other people's accounts.
If you sign into your account, your account language setting overrides the browser language setting. The account setting always takes priority, so signing in will switch YouTube back to whatever language your account is set to.
Troubleshooting when the language does not change
If you changed the language in Settings but YouTube is still showing in the old language, try signing out and signing back in. Sometimes YouTube needs you to refresh your session to explore the change. Click your profile picture, select Sign out, then sign back in with your email and password.
If you are using the YouTube app and the language did not change, try closing the app completely and opening it again. Swipe it away from your recent apps list or force-close it through your phone's settings, then reopen it. The app sometimes needs a full restart to explore language changes.
Clear your browser cache if you are on a computer and the language is still not changing. In Chrome, press Ctrl+Shift+Delete (or Cmd+Shift+Delete on Mac), select All time, check Cookies and other site data, and click Clear data. Then reload YouTube. This removes any stored settings that might be overriding your new choice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will changing my YouTube language affect my Google account language?
No. YouTube has its own separate language setting. You can change YouTube to Spanish while keeping your Google account in English, or vice versa. The two settings do not affect each other.
Can I set different languages for different devices?
Yes. Each device where you sign into your account has its own language setting. You can set YouTube to English on your phone and French on your computer, and each device will remember its own choice when you sign in.
What happens if I change my language and then watch a video with subtitles?
The video subtitles do not change automatically. Your account language only changes the YouTube interface. You still need to click the CC button and pick a subtitle language for each video separately.
If I change the language, will my recommendations change?
No. YouTube recommends videos based on what you have watched and liked, not on your language setting. Changing the language will not affect which videos appear on your home page or in recommendations.
Can I use YouTube in multiple languages at the same time?
Not on the same account. You can only set one language per account. If you need to use YouTube in two languages regularly, you can create a second account and set each one to a different language, then switch between them.