- Changing the app language on TikTok
- Finding the TikTok language menu when you can't read the screen
- Translating TikTok messages into your language
- Setting the caption language on your own TikTok videos
- Changing the language on TikTok for a business account
- If the TikTok language won't change
- Frequently asked questions
To change the language on TikTok, tap Profile, then the Menu button, choose Settings and privacy, tap Language, then App language, pick a language and tap Done. The detail people miss: message translation and video caption language are separate settings with their own controls.
Maybe a borrowed phone left TikTok in another language, maybe you're learning Spanish and want the menus to help, or maybe you just tapped something by accident and now nothing makes sense. Whatever got you here, switching it back takes under a minute.
TikTok has a few separate language settings, and that's where people get confused: one for the app's menus, one for translating messages, and one for the captions on your own videos. I'll walk through each, following TikTok's own help centre, and add some notes for creators who post for audiences in more than one language.
Changing the app language on TikTok
This is the setting that controls every button and menu in the app. TikTok's help says you can change it at any time:
- Open TikTok and tap Profile at the bottom.
- Tap the Menu button at the top, the three lines, then select Settings and privacy.
- Tap Language.
- Tap App language, then pick a language from the list.
- Tap Done.
If the menus haven't switched over when you go back, close TikTok fully and open it again.
Finding the TikTok language menu when you can't read the screen
This is the tricky one: changing the language back when the app is in a language you don't read. TikTok's help describes the route by position as much as by name, which makes it easier to follow even when the words look unfamiliar. Profile is at the bottom of the screen, the Menu button with three lines is at the top of your profile, and Settings and privacy is the option you open from that menu. Language then sits inside Settings and privacy, with App language as the option you need.
Take it slowly and tap one step at a time. If you open the wrong screen, use the back arrow and try the next option. Menus vary by app version, so I won't promise exact positions further down the list, but the order of steps above stays the same in TikTok's help. If you're still stuck, it can help to ask someone who reads the language to look over your shoulder for a minute.
Translating TikTok messages into your language
If the app is in your language but a friend or customer writes to you in another one, TikTok can translate the message. Its help article on direct messages says to press and hold a message in the chat, then tap Translate. The translation appears below the original, and only text is translated, not images, videos or shared posts.
To choose which language those translations come out in:
- Tap Profile, then the Menu button, then Settings and privacy.
- Tap Language.
- Tap Translate into and choose your preferred language.
There's also an Always translate direct messages setting on the same screen. TikTok says it'll translate all messages for you unless they're sent in your preferred language, though auto translate isn't available to everyone yet.
Setting the caption language on your own TikTok videos
For creators, this is the one that matters most. TikTok's auto-generated captions use speech recognition to turn what you say into on-screen text, which helps people who are deaf or hard of hearing, and anyone watching with the sound off. To make sure the captions match the language you're speaking, TikTok's help gives these steps when you post:
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- Upload or create your video as usual.
- On the post screen, tap More options.
- Tap Select video language, then choose the language you speak in the video.
- Tap Post.
Eligible videos will then show auto-generated captions in that language. If you post in two languages, set this for each video rather than assuming it carries over.
| Setting | What it changes | Where TikTok puts it |
|---|---|---|
| App language | Menus and buttons | Settings and privacy, then Language, then App language |
| Translate into | The language messages are translated into | Settings and privacy, then Language |
| Always translate direct messages | Automatic message translation | Settings and privacy, then Language |
| Select video language | Auto-generated captions on your post | More options on the post screen |
Changing the language on TikTok for a business account
If you sell to customers in more than one country, it's tempting to switch your app language to theirs. I wouldn't. The app language only affects what you see, not what your followers see. What reaches your audience is the language you speak and write in, plus the captions. So keep the app in the language you're quickest in, and put your effort into clear captions, the right video language setting and on-screen text your customers can read.
If you're building an audience on TikTok from scratch, it helps to know how the app grew so fast in so many countries, and my piece on when TikTok came out sets out the timeline. And if friends keep sending you videos in other languages, my explainer on what Shared With You means on TikTok shows where those shares land.
If the TikTok language won't change
- Close and reopen the app after tapping Done.
- Update TikTok from your app store, since menu names can shift between versions.
- Check you changed App language rather than Translate into. They sit on the same screen and are easy to mix up.
- If you're on a computer, the steps above are for the app. TikTok's language article describes the app only, so use your phone if you can't find it.
If none of that sorts it, report the problem from TikTok's in-app help so its team can take a look.
Frequently asked questions
How do I change the language on TikTok?
Tap Profile, the Menu button, Settings and privacy, then Language. Tap App language, choose a language and tap Done.
Does changing my TikTok app language change what my followers see?
No. The app language only changes the menus and buttons you see. Your followers see your videos and captions as you post them.
Can TikTok translate messages for me?
Yes. Press and hold a message and tap Translate. You can choose the language under Settings and privacy, Language, then Translate into.
How do I set the caption language for my TikTok video?
On the post screen, tap More options, tap Select video language, choose the language you speak, then tap Post.
Why is my TikTok in a different language?
Someone may have changed the setting or it may have been tapped by mistake. TikTok says you can change the app language at any time using the App language steps.
