How to Configure Per-App Language Preferences on Android for Multilingual Users

Millions of smartphone users around the world are bilingual or multilingual, speaking one language at home, another at work, and a third when communicating with friends abroad. Historically, mobile operating systems operated under an all-or-nothing paradigm: changing your language altered the entire operating system, changing system menus, calendar headers, and every installed application simultaneously. This was particularly frustrating when banking applications required local domestic dialects, while social media and programming utilities were preferred in English. To solve this, Google introduced native Per-App Language Preferences to Android.

What Is Per-App Language Selection?

Per-app language preferences allow users to assign distinct language locales to individual applications independently of the global system language:

• Independent Locales: Keep your Android system UI, notifications, and settings in British English, whilst setting Google Maps to Spanish, WhatsApp to Hindi, and banking apps to German.
• Dynamic Formatting: Applications adapt their number formats, date conventions, and spelling dictionaries to match the assigned locale.
• No App Duplication: Does not require installing multiple APK variants; the feature utilizes Android’s native resource configuration framework.
• Broad Developer Support: Compatible with all modern Android apps that declare localized resource strings.

Method 1: Configuring App Languages via System Settings (Centralised)

The most convenient way to review and customise language settings across all installed applications is through the central system menu:

1. Open the Settings app on your Android handset.
2. Scroll down and tap on System.
3. Tap on Languages (or Languages & input).
4. Select App languages.
5. Android displays a list of all installed applications that support multi-language switching.
6. Tap on the specific application you wish to customise (e.g. YouTube, Google Chrome, or Duolingo).
7. Choose your preferred dialect from the list of suggested or system-supported languages.

The change takes effect immediately. When you open the application, its menus, dialogues, and interface labels render in the selected language.

Method 2: Configuring Language via App Info (Direct)

You can also adjust an individual app’s language directly from your Home Screen or App Drawer:

1. Locate the target app icon on your Home Screen or in your app tray.
2. Touch and hold (long-press) the app icon until the context menu pops up.
3. Tap the App info (i) button.
4. Scroll down the App info page and tap on Language.
5. Select your desired language for that specific app.

Configuring Language Settings on Samsung Galaxy Devices (One UI)

On Samsung Galaxy handsets running One UI 5, 6, or 7, the menu path is slightly adapted:

1. Navigate to Settings > General management.
2. Tap on App languages.
3. Select the target application and choose your preferred language dialect.

Troubleshooting Apps That Do Not Appear in the App Languages List

If a specific third-party application is missing from the App languages menu, consider the following technical reasons:

• App Lacks In-App Translations: The developer may have only compiled the app with a single default language bundle.
• Developer Opt-In: On earlier Android versions, developers had to declare android:localeConfig in their application manifest to expose language selection to the system.
• In-App Settings Override: Some applications (like Telegram, WhatsApp, and Facebook) maintain their own internal language selector located inside the app’s internal Settings menu.