Access System Settings to change your Mac's language

Open System Settings (called System Preferences on older Macs) by clicking the Apple menu in the top-left corner and selecting System Settings. In the sidebar, look for General, then click Language & Region. This is where you control what language your Mac displays and how it formats dates, times, and currency.

The Language & Region panel shows your current language at the top. Click the dropdown menu next to it to see all available languages. Your Mac comes with dozens of languages pre-installed, including English (US), English (UK), Spanish, French, German, Mandarin, Japanese, Arabic, and many others. Select the language you want, then your Mac will ask you to restart to apply the change.

Before you restart, you can also set your region in the same panel. Region controls how dates appear (MM/DD/YYYY versus DD/MM/YYYY), which currency symbol shows up, and phone number formatting. These can be different from your language choice — for example, you can use English language with UK region formatting.

Key Takeaways

  • Go to System Settings, then General, then Language & Region to change your Mac's display language.
  • Click the language dropdown, select a new language, and restart your Mac to complete the change.
  • You can set your region separately from your language to control date, time, and currency formatting.
  • Individual apps may have their own language settings that override your system language for that app only.
  • If you need a language that is not installed, you can download additional language packs through System Settings.

What happens when you change your Mac's language

When you select a new language and restart, your entire Mac interface switches to that language. Menus, buttons, system dialogs, and built-in apps like Mail, Calendar, and Notes will all display in your chosen language. The change takes effect immediately after restart — you do not need to do anything else.

Some third-party apps (apps you downloaded from outside the App Store) may not switch languages automatically. They may stay in English or their original language even after you change your system language. This depends on whether the app developer built in support for multiple languages. You can often change the language within individual apps through their own preferences or settings menus.

Download additional languages if yours is not listed

If the language you want does not appear in the dropdown menu, your Mac may not have it installed yet. Click the plus sign (+) button at the bottom of the Language & Region panel to see languages available for download. Select the one you need and click Add. Your Mac will download the language files, which may take a few minutes depending on your internet speed.

After the download finishes, the new language appears in your language list and you can select it immediately. You do not need to restart during the download process, but you will need to restart after you choose the language to make it your system language.

Change language for a single app instead of your whole Mac

If you want to keep your Mac in English but use a different language in one specific app, you can change that app's language individually. Right-click the app in Finder or Applications folder, select Get Info, and look for a Language section. Some apps have this option; others do not. If your app does not have a language setting in Get Info, check the app's own preferences menu (usually under the app name in the menu bar).

This approach is useful if you use one app for work in another language but want the rest of your Mac to stay in English. Not all apps support this feature, so you may need to check each one.

Switch back to your original language

Changing your language back is the same process: open System Settings, go to General > Language & Region, click the language dropdown, select your original language, and restart. If you forgot which language you started with, English (US) is the default on most Macs sold in North America, and English (UK) is the default in the UK and many Commonwealth countries.

If you changed your language and now cannot read the menus to change it back, the layout of System Settings stays the same even if the words are different. Look for the gear icon in the menu bar, then the first option in the sidebar (General), then the second option in that section (Language & Region). The dropdown menu is always in the same location.

Keyboard layout and input methods when you change language

When you change your Mac's language, the keyboard layout may change too. For example, if you switch to French, your keyboard might switch to AZERTY layout (where A, Z, E, R, T, Y are in the top row instead of Q, W, E, R, T, Y). This can feel strange if you are used to QWERTY.

You can keep your keyboard layout separate from your language. Go to System Settings > Keyboard > Input Sources and add or remove keyboard layouts independently. This way you can display everything in French but type using a QWERTY keyboard, or vice versa. You can switch between keyboard layouts using the flag icon in the menu bar at the top of your screen.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will changing my language affect my files or documents?

No. Your files, photos, and documents stay exactly the same. Only the Mac interface language changes — the words in menus and system dialogs. Any text you have written in your documents remains unchanged.

Can I use multiple languages at the same time on my Mac?

Your system language is one at a time, but you can add multiple keyboard layouts and input methods. Use the flag menu in the top menu bar to switch between them while typing. You can also set Spotlight search to work in multiple languages at once through System Settings > Siri & Spotlight.

What if my language is not in the download list?

Some languages have limited support on macOS. Check Apple's official language support page to see which languages are available for your Mac model and operating system version. If a language is not listed, your Mac may not support it yet.

Do I need to restart my Mac immediately after changing the language?

Yes, your Mac will prompt you to restart right after you select a new language. You can save your work first, then restart when ready. The language change does not take effect until after the restart is complete.

Will changing my language change my Apple ID or iCloud settings?

No. Your Apple ID, iCloud account, and all your account settings stay the same. Only the display language of your Mac interface changes. You can still sign in and use all your services normally.