When you first set up an Apple Watch, it automatically adopts the exact same language and region settings as the iPhone it is paired with. If your iPhone is set to English (US), your Apple Watch will display English menus and use American date formatting. For the vast majority of users, this seamless mirroring is exactly what they want.
However, if you are bilingual, studying a new language, or sharing the watch with a family member who speaks a different primary language, you may want the watch to display a different language than your phone. Apple allows you to break this synchronized link and configure the Apple Watch language completely independently.
How to Change the Apple Watch Language via the iPhone (Recommended)
Because navigating menus in a language you don’t fully understand on a tiny 40mm screen can be frustrating, the easiest and most foolproof way to change the language is to use the dedicated Apple Watch app on your paired iPhone.
- Open the Watch app on your iPhone.
- Ensure you are on the My Watch tab at the bottom left.
- Scroll down and tap on General.
- Scroll down and tap on Language & Region.
- At the top of the screen, you will see “Watch Language.” By default, it will say “Mirror my iPhone.” Tap on Custom to break the link.
- A new option will appear below it labeled Watch Language. Tap it.
- A massive list of supported languages will appear. Scroll through or use the search bar to find your desired language (e.g., Español, Français, Japanese).
- Tap the language. A confirmation prompt will pop up asking if you want to change the watch language. Tap Change to [Language].
The screen on your physical Apple Watch will briefly go black and display a loading circle as it reboots the user interface to apply the massive text translation. This process usually takes about 30 seconds.
How to Change the Language Directly on the Apple Watch
If you do not have your iPhone nearby, you can still change the language directly from your wrist. (Note: If the watch is currently stuck in a language you cannot read, look for the gear icon to find the Settings app).
- Press the Digital Crown on the side of the watch to view your app grid or list.
- Tap the Settings app (the grey gear icon).
- Scroll down using your finger or the Digital Crown and tap General (the grey icon with a white gear).
- Scroll down and tap Language & Region.
- Tap on Custom if it currently says “Mirror my iPhone.”
- Tap Watch Language.
- Scroll through the list and tap the language you want to use.
- A confirmation screen will appear in the new language. Tap the checkmark or the confirmation button to apply. The watch will briefly reboot the interface.
Understanding Dictation and Siri Languages
Changing the primary display language of the watch changes the menus, buttons, and app names. However, it does not necessarily restrict you from speaking a different language to Siri or dictating text messages.
If your watch is set to English, but you receive a text message from a friend in Spanish and want to dictate a reply in Spanish:
- Tap the microphone icon to reply to the message.
- While dictating, look for the small globe icon or language indicator on the screen.
- Tap it to switch the dictation engine to Spanish.
The watch will now listen for Spanish words and transcribe them perfectly, even though the rest of the watch interface remains in English.