How to change Firefox language settings
IONOS editorial team4 mins
Mozilla Firefox is among the best-known browsers in the United States though Chrome and Safari are much more popular. What sets Firefox apart, is that its source code is open, with a large community continuously working on its development. In terms of usability, the web client also has many advantages: a clear design, regular updates, and a huge amount of available extensions define the browser. The language selection is also generous: Firefox has over 90 options to choose from. But what do you do, if you want to change your selected Firefox language? The following instructions will show you how to change the language in Mozilla Firefox.
Change Firefox language: step-by-step instructions
When you download Firefox, you’re prompted to choose a language. This is the language in which all menus, notifications, and messages will be written. But this choice doesn’t have to last forever, because you can choose to change your Firefox language settings at any time. But how is this done?
Mozilla Firefox offers many configuration options. One of these is the automatic saving of your browser history. This practical function also has a disadvantage, though, because it can mean that strangers can look into your recent search and can lead to outdated page versions to be shown. In our article on how to clear your Firefox browser history, we’ll show you how to delete saved browser activity regularly. It’s also equally important to regularly clear your browser cache.
Step 1: Open settings
Open your Firefox browser and open the menu by clicking on the hamburger icon with the three horizontal lines. In the menu, select “Preferences.”
Step 2: Select “Language”
Your settings will now open in the browser. Scroll down until you reach the headline “Language,” which is where Firefox shows you the language that’s currently selected. To change your Firefox browser language, click on the downward-pointing arrows:
Step 3: Available languages
In the drop-down menu, you’ll now see which languages have already been selected as browser languages. If the language you’re looking for is listed, you can continue with step 5. If it’s not on the list, click on “Search for more languages…” and continue with step 4.
Step 4: Search and add languages
The browser will now open a new window for advanced language settings. Click on “Select a language to add…”
Next, Firefox will present a list of available languages. Navigate up and down with the arrows to see the languages, which are listed alphabetically. When you’ve found your preferred language, select it with a left-click of the mouse.
After clicking on your language of choice, it will be shown in the lower, greyed-out area. Next, click on “Add.”
Step 5: Select new language
The new language will now appear in the list above to be selected as the standard language. Select the language again (with a left mouse click) and confirm your selection by clicking on “OK.”
Step 6: Restart Firefox
In the general Firefox preferences, you should now see your newly-selected language. To confirm all changes, click on “Apply and Restart,” which will prompt the browser to automatically close and restart. After this, all menus and notifications will be shown in your new language.
Make sure to save anything that’s open, since the Firefox restart may mean losing unsaved data.
Change Firefox language: compact overview
To change your Firefox language settings, follow the steps as outlined in our quick overview:
- In your browser menu, open “Preferences.”
- Scroll down until you reach “Language.”
- Open the drop-down menu by clicking on your currently selected language.
- If your preferred language is already being displayed, select it and jump to step 5.
- If not, continue with step 4.
- Click on “Search for more languages…”
- If the language you’re looking for is missing, click on “Select a language to add…”
- Use the arrows to find a language before selecting it. Confirm by clicking on “Add.”
- To make the language your browser language, click on “OK.”
- For your language preferences to take effect, click on “Apply and Restart.” Once your browser has restarted, all menus and notifications will be shown in the new language.
