How to Change the Language in Telegram

To change Telegram's language, open Settings, tap Language, and choose the one you want from the list. The menus switch at once, with no restart. The setting is stored per device, so repeat it on each phone, computer or browser you use.

This guide covers each platform, what to do if you picked a language you cannot read, how community language packs and language links work, and how the interface language differs from translating messages.

What the language setting changes

The language setting controls Telegram's own interface: menus, buttons, settings, system messages and notifications. It does not change:

• the language other people write in;
• the language of channel posts or bot replies (bots may adapt, but that is up to each bot);
• your keyboard, which is controlled by your phone or computer.

If what you actually want is to read messages written in another language, the tool you need is translation, not the language setting. That is covered further down.

Before you start

Two things are worth knowing first.

The default comes from your device. When you first install Telegram, it usually picks your phone or computer's system language if Telegram supports it. If your device is set to a language Telegram does not offer, it falls back to English.

It is per device, not per account. Changing the language on your phone leaves your laptop as it was. This is handy when, for example, you want your work computer in English and your phone in your native language.

Change the language on Android

1. Open Telegram and tap the menu icon (three lines) in the top corner.
2. Tap Settings.
3. Tap Language.
4. Pick a language from the list. Official languages are at the top; you can scroll or search.
5. The app updates immediately. Go back to check.

Change the language on iPhone and iPad

1. Open Telegram and tap Settings at the bottom right.
2. Tap Language.
3. Choose your language.

The iPhone also has a system-wide per-app language option. In the iPhone's own Settings app, open Telegram's entry and look for a language option. Telegram's in-app choice is the easier one, and it is the one this guide assumes.

Change the language in Telegram Desktop

1. Open the menu (three lines) and click Settings.
2. Click Language.
3. Select the language you want.
4. Some versions ask you to confirm or restart the app. Do so if prompted.

The native macOS app works the same way: open Settings, then the language section.

Change the language in Telegram Web

1. Open the menu in the top corner and go to Settings.
2. Find Language.
3. Choose the language.

Telegram Web stores this choice in your browser. If you clear your browser's site data or use a different browser, you may need to set it again.

Picked a language you cannot read?

This happens more often than you would think, usually after tapping a language link or a wrong row. The Language screen is the one to find again, and its position in Settings does not move when the language changes.

1. Open Settings the same way as before. The icons stay the same in every language.
2. The language entry usually has a globe icon. On most versions it sits in the main settings list, a short way down.
3. Inside, your previous language is still listed, normally written in its own name (for example, "Deutsch" rather than "German"), so you can recognise it.
4. Tap it.

If you really cannot find it, a language link is the quickest way back. Telegram supports links in the form t.me/setlanguage followed by a language code, such as en for English. Opening one inside Telegram shows a prompt to switch. You can send such a link to yourself in Saved Messages and tap it.

As a last resort, reinstalling the app usually resets the language, because the setting is stored on the device and a fresh install starts again from your system language. Make sure you can log in again before you uninstall, for example that you can receive a login code and know your two-step verification password. That is rarely needed.

Your keyboard is a separate setting

A common surprise: after switching Telegram to another language, the keyboard still types in the old one, and spell check underlines every word. That is because the keyboard belongs to your phone or computer, not to Telegram.

• On Android, add the language in your keyboard app's settings, then switch between languages with the globe or space bar shortcut on the keyboard.
• On iPhone, add a keyboard in the iPhone's own keyboard settings, then switch with the globe key.
• On a computer, add an input language in the operating system's language or keyboard settings.

Spell check and autocorrect follow the keyboard language too. If you write in two languages, keeping both keyboards installed and switching as you type works better than changing Telegram's interface back and forth.

Right-to-left languages

Telegram offers some languages that are written from right to left, such as Arabic and Persian. When you choose one, interface text reads from the right, and some layouts adjust to match. Messages are displayed according to the direction of the text in each message, so a chat can show left-to-right and right-to-left messages side by side whatever your interface language. If a mixed message, for example Arabic with an English brand name, looks jumbled, that is a general limitation of mixing directions in one line, not a Telegram setting you can change.

Community language packs

Telegram has an official translation platform. Volunteers translate the apps into languages and dialects that are not official yet, and Telegram publishes them as language packs that anyone can apply with a link.

How to apply one

1. Find a link to the pack, usually shared by the people who translate it.
2. Open the link inside Telegram.
3. Telegram shows the pack's name and how complete it is on your platform, and asks whether to apply it.
4. Confirm. The pack appears in your language list from then on.

What to expect from an unofficial pack

• It may be incomplete. Untranslated parts fall back to English, so you may see a mix of languages.
• Quality varies. Wording is chosen by volunteers and is not reviewed as tightly as official languages.
• Some packs are jokes. Playful packs exist, written in made-up styles. They are fun but not practical for daily use.
• Platform matters. A pack can be complete for Android and partial for Desktop, because each app is translated separately.

Language packs only change interface text. They cannot read your messages or access your account. Still, a pack controls the wording of buttons and warnings, so a carelessly or mischievously written one could make a button's label misleading. If a pack's wording ever seems odd around sensitive actions, such as deleting chats or logging out, switch back to an official language before doing anything important.

Helping with a translation

If your language is missing or you spot a mistake, the translation platform lets signed-in users suggest wording and vote on others' suggestions. Each language usually has its own discussion group. This is how many smaller languages reached official status.

Interface language versus translating messages

Telegram can also translate the messages you receive. That is separate from the interface language, and it lives on the same Language screen in most versions.

• A translate button can be shown on messages in other languages. Tapping it shows a translation in place.
• A do not translate list tells Telegram which languages you already read, so it does not offer to translate them.
• Whole-chat translation, where an entire chat or channel is shown translated as you scroll, is a Telegram Premium feature at the time of writing.

Translation uses your interface language as the target by default. If your interface is in English and a message arrives in Spanish, the translation will be in English. For the full walkthrough, see how to translate messages on Telegram.

Language and finding channels

Your interface language does not filter what you can find in search. Telegram's global search shows public channels and groups in many languages whatever your settings. If you want channels in a specific language, search using words in that language. The guide on how to find Telegram channels has more methods, and you can browse by topic on our categories page.

For channel owners, the language your audience uses matters far more than your own interface setting. If you run a channel in one language and post in another, readers will find it through the words in your posts and description. The tips in how to write a Telegram channel description apply in every language.

Worked examples

Example: a bilingual household. One tablet is shared by a parent who reads only Turkish and a teenager who prefers English. Because the setting is per device, the shared tablet can stay in Turkish while the teenager's own phone stays in English, even though they each have separate accounts on their own phones.

Example: learning a language. Someone learning French switches their phone's Telegram to French to see everyday words in context. They keep their computer in English, so work tasks stay quick. If a French menu confuses them, the globe icon leads back to the language list.

Example: a language link from a channel. A channel posts a link to a regional dialect pack. A subscriber taps it, sees the completion level, and applies it. Some menus appear in English because the pack is partial. They keep it for fun on their phone and stay on an official language on the computer they use for work.

Common mistakes

• Changing the phone's language to fix Telegram. It works only if Telegram follows the system language, and it affects every other app too. Use Telegram's own setting.
• Expecting the change to sync. Each device keeps its own language.
• Confusing the interface language with translation. Switching the interface to Spanish does not translate anyone's messages.
• Applying a pack from an unknown source for daily use. Fine for curiosity, but stick to an official language for important actions.
• Panicking after a wrong tap. The Settings icon and the globe icon do not move. Your old language appears in its own script in the list.

FAQ

Does changing the language affect my contacts or chats?

No. It changes only how Telegram's interface looks on that device. Your chats, contacts and settings stay as they are, and nobody else sees a change.

Why isn't my language in the list?

It may not be an official language yet. Check whether a community language pack exists for it on Telegram's translation platform, which you can apply with a link.

Why are some menus still in English after I switched?

The language pack is probably incomplete for your platform. Untranslated text falls back to English until volunteers finish it.

Can I set different languages on different devices?

Yes. The setting is stored per device, so each phone, computer and browser can use its own language.

Will bots and channels switch language too?

Only if they are built to. Bots can read your interface language and some reply accordingly, but most channels post in one language regardless of who reads them.

Summary

Open Settings, tap Language and pick one: it applies instantly and only on that device. If you pick a language by mistake, the globe icon in Settings leads back, and your old language is listed in its own name. Community packs extend the list but may be incomplete, and translating messages is a separate feature found on the same screen.