RedNote defaults to Chinese, but you can switch the interface to English in the app settings

RedNote is a Chinese social media platform that became widely downloaded outside China in early 2025. When you first open it, the entire interface — menus, buttons, profile settings, everything — appears in Simplified Chinese. Changing it to English takes about two minutes and requires only a few taps in the app's settings menu. The language setting applies to your account across all devices where you log in.

The steps differ slightly depending on whether you use iPhone or Android, but both routes lead to the same language menu. Once you switch to English, the change sticks even if you close and reopen the app. You do not need to reinstall RedNote or create a new account.

Key Takeaways

  • Open RedNote, tap the profile icon in the bottom right, then tap the three-line menu icon to reach settings.
  • Look for the option labeled with a globe icon or the Chinese characters 语言 (language) and select English from the list.
  • The language change takes effect when ready and applies to your account on all devices where you are logged in.
  • If you cannot find the language menu, make sure you are in your profile settings, not in the main app menu.

Steps to change RedNote to English on iPhone

Start by opening the RedNote app and looking at the bottom of your screen. You will see five icons: Home, Explore, Create, Messages, and Profile. Tap the Profile icon on the far right — it looks like a person's head and shoulders.

Once you are on your profile page, look for a three-line menu icon (sometimes called a hamburger menu) near the top right of the screen. Tap it. A dropdown menu will appear with several options. Scroll down until you see an option for Settings or Preferences — this is often labeled with a gear icon or the word "设置" in Chinese. Tap Settings.

Inside Settings, look for a Language or Localization option. This may be labeled with a globe icon or appear as "Language" in English if the menu has already partially switched. Tap it. A list of available languages will appear, including English. Select English, and the interface will change when ready.

Steps to change RedNote to English on Android

Open RedNote and tap the Profile icon at the bottom right of your screen. This takes you to your profile page. Look for the three-line menu icon, usually positioned near the top right corner of the screen, and tap it.

A menu will slide out or drop down. Scroll through the options until you find Settings — it may have a gear icon next to it. Tap Settings to open the preferences menu. Inside Settings, find the Language option. It may be labeled with a globe icon or listed as "Language" or "语言". Tap it to see the available languages.

Select English from the list. The app will refresh, and all text, buttons, and menus will switch to English within a few seconds. You may need to close and reopen the app for the change to fully take effect on some Android devices.

What to do if the language menu does not appear

If you cannot find a language option in Settings, make sure you are looking in the right place. The language menu is in your account settings, accessed through your Profile icon, not in the main app menu or Explore section. Double-check that you tapped the three-line menu icon on your profile page.

If you are still unable to locate it, try logging out and logging back in. Sometimes the app needs to refresh your account data before all settings options appear. You can also try uninstalling and reinstalling RedNote, which will force the app to read the latest version and may resolve missing menu items.

RedNote's language support and what stays in Chinese

RedNote offers English as a full interface language, meaning nearly all menus, buttons, and system messages will appear in English once you switch. However, content posted by other users — captions, comments, and descriptions — will remain in whatever language the user posted it in. RedNote does not automatically translate user-generated content, though your phone's built-in translation tools (like Google Translate on Android or the Translate feature in Safari on iPhone) can translate individual posts if you copy and paste them.

The English translation is maintained by RedNote's development team and updates when the app receives new features. If you notice text that still appears in Chinese after switching to English, it may be a bug in that particular version of the app. Updating RedNote to the latest version through your app store usually fixes these issues.

Switching back to Chinese or changing to another language

If you want to switch RedNote back to Chinese or change to a different language, follow the same steps: go to Profile, tap the three-line menu, open Settings, find Language, and select your preferred language from the list. The change takes effect when ready. RedNote supports several languages beyond English and Chinese, including Spanish, Japanese, and Korean, depending on your region and the app version you have installed.

You can change languages as often as you want without affecting your account, followers, or posts. Each time you switch, the interface updates within seconds, and the new language persists until you change it again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will changing the language affect my account or data?

No. Changing the language is purely a display setting. Your account, followers, posts, and messages remain exactly the same. You can switch languages as many times as you want without any impact on your account.

Do I need to change the language on each device separately?

Yes. The language setting is tied to the individual app installation, not your account. If you use RedNote on both your phone and tablet, you will need to change the language on each device separately.

What if RedNote does not have English as an option?

This is rare, but it can happen if you are in a region where RedNote has not yet released the English version. Check your app store to see if an update is available. If no update exists, your region may not have English support yet.

Can I translate other users' posts automatically?

RedNote itself does not offer automatic translation of user posts. However, you can use your phone's built-in tools: on iPhone, open a post in Safari and use the Translate button; on Android, copy the text and paste it into Google Translate.