How to Change the Language in Google Chrome

Sina Weibo's new social media platform Oasis is seen on a mobile phone in Beijing, China. You could translate this into English through your Chrome browser. VCG/VCG via Getty Images

The web is a sprawling network that connects most of the world. As such, there are a whole lot of languages online, many of which you'd never be able to understand without assistance. Fortunately, most browsers will translate other languages on the fly. Here, we'll focus on how to do it in Google Chrome.

Contents

Translating a Page on a Desktop Computer
Changing Language Displayed on Desktop Browser
Mobile Translation
On an iPhone or iPad
On an Android Device

Translating a Page on a Desktop Computer:

Open Chrome and go to a website that uses a different language.
You should see a dialog box offering to translate the page.
Click Translate and the page will reload in your language.

If this doesn't work, you can right-click a blank spot on the page and then click "Translate."

Changing Language Displayed on Desktop Browser

You can tweak whether Chrome offers to translate all the pages you read, and you can also change your preferred language.

At the top right of the Chrome browser, click Settings.
Scroll down and click Advanced.
Then click Languages and expand the Languages section on the right.
You can toggle the option that says, "Offer to translate pages that aren't in a language you read."
If you want to change the default language on the browser permanently to another, click Add Languages, then select your new language and click Add.
Click on the three buttons (Settings) next to the new language to determine whether to display Chrome in that new language or to move it to the top of your list of languages.

Mobile Translation

If you're using a mobile device, the steps are similar to a computer but vary depending on your device's operating system.

On an iPhone or iPad:

Open Chrome and go to a website that uses a different language. Near the bottom of the page, choose the language you want to translate the article into. For instance, if you're reading an article from the French news site Le Monde, Google will ask you whether you want to read this in English or French.
If you'd like to change the language, tap the gear icon (Settings) and choose the appropriate language. In Settings, tap General > Language & Region > iPhone or iPad Language. Find your target language. You will be asked whether you'd like to change the iPhone to that language permanently.
If you want Chrome to translate an article into a different language, tap the gear icon and then tap More Languages.

If Chrome doesn't offer translation, try reloading the page. If you still don't see Translate, the language may not be available for translation. Or, manually request translation by tapping More and then Translate.

On an Android Device:

Open Chrome and go to a website that uses a different language. Using Le Monde, as our example, Google will ask you whether you want to read this in English or French. Near the bottom of the page, choose the language you want to translate the article into.
If you'd like to change the target language, tap the three vertical dots (Settings) to access browser settings, then tap Settings > Languages > Add Language. Tap the language you want to see search results in.
You can also toggle the button to translate pages into other languages.

If Chrome doesn't offer translation, try reloading the page. If you still don't see Translate, the language may not be available for translation. Or manually request translation by tapping the three dots to access browser options then tap Translate.

Frequently Answered Questions

How do I change the language back to English on Google Chrome?

Click on the three dots in the top right corner of the screen. Select "Settings" from the drop-down menu. At the bottom of the page, click "Advanced." In the "Languages" section, click "Language." Select "English" from the list of languages.

How do I change my language settings on Google?

To change your language settings on Google, go to your Google account settings. Click on the drop-down menu next to "Language" and select the language you want to use.