Google gives us the option to change the default language of their search engine interface at any time, including the Search Box, menus and settings, among other elements of the browser, allowing us to browse through the internet in a more familiar and comfortable manner.
Although this guide will help you change the default language to English, it’s worth noting that the process is the same for any other language of your preference. Here are a few simple ways to change Google Search to English, or your preferred language:
Table of Contents
Changing the language on a computer
If you are using a laptop or a desktop computer, changing the Google Search language can be done in two different ways:
Method 1: Google Chrome settings
- Open Google Chrome on your computer.
- Click the three dots in the upper-right corner of the browser, and then choose Settings. This will automatically open a new page in a new tab.
- Next, scroll to the bottom of the page, and then press Advanced.
- The first heading you see will be the Languages Click the down caret to open this section.
- If English isn’t already listed, then press Add Languages (highlighted in blue, below preferred languages).
- A pop-up will now open, where you can find and select English. When searching for English, keep in mind that it will show different dialects, such as UK, US and Australia. It’s important to select a dialect, instead of the plain version of English, as you might not be able to set it as your default language otherwise. Once you’ve found and ticked your preferred English dialect, click the Add button, which will now be highlighted in blue.
- Then, click on the three dots next to the English language, and choose Move to the top to give English the highest priority.
- When the language is moved to the top, click those three dots once more, and then press Display Google Chrome in this language.
- Restart Google Chrome, for the changes to appear.
Method 2: Google account settings
- Open Google Chrome on your computer, and then navigate to the Search
- Search for anything you want; the point is just to arrive at a search page.
- Just below the search bar, you will see the Settings options (currently in your preferred language). Click it, and then choose Languages (second option down).
- You will now see a page that asks which language Google products should use. If this isn’t already set to English, you could also change this option. The second section of the page represents the language of your search results, and is automatically updated to English if you chose it for the first part. In case you want the two languages to be different, click Edit (highlighted in blue next to your current preferred language).
- Once your languages are chosen, click Save (blue button at the bottom of the screen). These changes will be applied the next time you sign into your Google account.
Changing the language on a smartphone
If you are using a smartphone or a tablet, the easiest way to change the Google App language is to simply change your device’s language setting, and therefore change the language of all its apps.
If you’re not willing to do that, however, you can still change the Google Search language in the Google App:
- Open the Google App on your device.
- Press More (three vertical dots) in the upper-right or lower-right corner of the screen, and then choose Settings.
- A new screen will now appear, where you can click on Language and region.
- Tap Search language.
- Now, scroll until you find English and your preferred dialect.
- Simply tap to select, and your preferred language will be updated automatically.
Regardless of the device and the method you chose, these simple steps will enable you to finally search for and read Google results in English. However, it’s worth mentioning that most of these methods will only change the Google Search settings and not the other aspects of your Google Account.