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How to Change and Translate Display Language on YouTube Platform

YouTube is the world’s largest video sharing platform, with over 2 billion monthly active users from around the globe. Given its international userbase, YouTube supports multiple languages to cater to different users and regions.

The platform allows you to easily change the display language to suit your preference. Whether you want to switch the interface language or enable video captions and comments translation, YouTube makes it simple across devices.

Why Change YouTube’s Language Settings

Here are some common reasons you may want to update the language settings on YouTube:

  • Understand the interface – Changing the platform language transforms all text, titles, buttons, and menus into your preferred tongue. This allows you to seamlessly navigate YouTube.
  • View subtitled or translated video content – Enabling caption translation lets you watch subtitled foreign videos in your language. Similarly, comment translation converts remarks into your selected language.
  • Personalization – Modifying your settings to a familiar language creates a more personalized experience on YouTube. This can make it easier and more enjoyable to browse videos.
  • Accessibility – For visually impaired users that depend on screen readers, switching language improves accessibility and the YouTube experience.

How to Change YouTube Language on Desktop

Changing your display language on the YouTube website is simple:

  1. Visit YouTube.com and sign into your Google account
  2. Click on your profile picture in the top right corner
  3. Select Language from the drop-down menu
  4. Choose your desired language from the list
  5. Click the language to set it as your default

That’s it! The YouTube interface will now display in your chosen tongue across the website.

Enabling Video Translation on Desktop

Along with the interface text, you can also translate video titles, descriptions, captions, and comments into your preferred language:

  1. From your YouTube account settings, go to Subtitles/CC
  2. Check the box for Translate Subtitles/CC to enable translation
  3. Pick your desired translation language from the dropdown menu
  4. Click Save to apply settings

Now, subtitles and comments will automatically translate into your selected language.

Changing Language on the YouTube Mobile App

The process is slightly different but still straightforward to change your language on the YouTube mobile app:

  1. Launch the YouTube app on your iPhone, Android, or tablet
  2. Tap on your profile picture in the top right
  3. Navigate to Settings from the menu
  4. Choose General and select Language
  5. Pick your desired language from the list
  6. Confirm change by tapping the checkmark icon

This will update your mobile app’s interface and text into your chosen language.

Turning on Mobile Translation

You can also enable video caption, title, and comment translation on mobile:

  1. From the YouTube app, go to Settings
  2. Select Subtitles & Captioning
  3. Turn on Translate Subtitles/CC
  4. Choose your preferred language
  5. Tap Confirm to apply settings

Now when you watch subtitled videos or read comments in other languages, everything will convert into your selected tongue.

Tips for Changing Language on YouTube

Here are some handy tips when updating your language settings on YouTube:

  • Refresh the page after changing languages to immediately view translated text
  • You may need to wait 24 hours for caption and comment translations to fully take effect
  • Check back if your selections revert back to default, as YouTube sometimes doesn’t save new languages
  • Don’t forget to set your location for region-specific video recommendations and trends
  • If your language is unavailable, try selecting a similar tongue or the “English” option

Changing the platform language can take a bit to get used to initially, but makes for a much better YouTube experience over time.

Expert Tips on YouTube Localization

With over 15 years of experience localizing videos, here are my top tips for translating YouTube content:

Add captions – Enable captions and subtitles on your videos. This allows text translations for global viewers.

Use simple language – Use universally understood vocabulary suitable for all languages. This improves caption translation accuracy.

Avoid slang and jargon – Slang, idioms, and complex jargon often don’t directly translate. Stick to simple words and phrases.

Check translations – Review your video captions and comments after translating into other languages. Fix any meaningless or inaccurate translations.

Culturally customize thumbnails – Tailor your video thumbnails and titles for target regions. This better engages international viewers.

Localizing videos boosts multilingual discoverability. Combined with translating the YouTube interface, this makes content universally accessible and optimized for worldwide audiences.

Summary

Changing your YouTube language settings allows you to transform the interface, captions, titles, and comments into your preferred tongue.

This creates a more personalized, enjoyable and accessible platform experience for users across the globe. Additionally, enabling video translations grants you access to foreign language material.

So whether you want to switch the entire site language or localize specific videos, YouTube’s translation capabilities have you covered. Follow the guide above to easily modify your language preferences.

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