How to Change System and Keyboard Language in macOS

Do you want to change the interface language on macOS? Here we show you the different levels to which you can adjust it according to your needs.

One of the versatility offered by macOS as an operating system, it is language use. You can customize it at system, app or keyboard level. Best of all, it’s simpler than it looks, so you can do it to share your Mac with friends or family who are from other countries and want to use the native language or just if you learn another language and to help you get used to it. to that. Besides language, we recommend 15 best tips if you’ve already updated to macOS Sonoma.

Change system language on Mac

This setting is to change the entire language of the Mac. Menus, settings, app names and anything else that can be read on the device will change. To do this, follow the following steps:

1. Open System Settings and go to General section -> Language & Region
2. In the first part, the current language of the Mac will be displayed. If there are several, the first is the default language.
3. Press the + button to add the new language
4. Find and confirm the selection in Add
5. macOS will ask you if you want to use the new language as your primary language. Confirm usage (language name)
6. To apply the changes, you must restart your Mac, otherwise they will be applied the next time you restart the computer.

Choose the primary system language

Then, the settings are minimal, if you want to delete languages, simply select it and validate with the – button.

Customize language per application in macOS

This setting is best if you are looking for one, two, or more specific apps with a language without affecting the entire macOS system. There are two ways to do this, from the system configuration itself or from the application in question. The first option is perhaps the most recommended:

1. Go to System Settings -> General -> Language & Region
2. At the bottom of the Apps section, you can click the + button to start customizing languages ​​by apps.

Change the language of an app on macOS

1. Choose the application in question and the desired language. Confirm on Add.

Choose a new language for an application on macOS

1. If the app is open, you will be asked to close it to apply the changes.

In the app settings in the language section you can choose the preferred language in case you already know this app.

New languages ​​on the macOS keyboard

If you do not want to change language at system or application level and only you want to write in a new language, the configuration changes to some extent. This often happens with users who are bilingual between Spanish and English. They write in this second language but it is more practical to change the input language to avoid spelling problems.

1. Open System Settings and choose Keyboard
2. In input sources click Edit
3. Locate the + button and click on it

Change the system language in macOS

1. Choose the new language and keyboard layout design. Confirm when adding
2. As with system languages, you can select and delete the language you no longer need. You can also add more languages ​​and make necessary adjustments. Confirm Done when finished.
3. Keep the Show input menu option in the menu bar, as it will allow you to switch between input languages ​​more easily.

Choose the keyboard language from the menu bar

The input menu is the way to switch between input languages

This menu It is added when you have more than one language and will allow you to choose between the new ones added. You will also be able to see the keyboard layout, this is useful to see precisely which keys correspond to the new letters and symbols in case it differs in an extreme way.

Typing on the physical keyboard will also be marked by a colored border on the on-screen keyboard. This will also display suggested words and clicking on one will insert it into the text field you are writing in.

English keyboard display

Here are the different ways to change the language on our Mac. Consider adjusting the language to suit your needs. We find it interesting that it is possible to change the language per application since sometimes we do not require the whole system to change for a single purpose. If you have an iPhone or iPad and want to change the language, here we show you how to do it.

The keyboard language is also important for writing in other languages. If we write in English with the Spanish keyboard, many spelling errors will appear and we will not have word suggestions. Apple Support also recommends what settings you should make, as we did in this article.