Your phone’s language controls the menus and buttons. It is separate from the keyboard languages you type in, so check both.

Android

1. Open Settings, then look for System and Languages & input, or search for “language”.
2. Tap Languages and then Add a language.
3. Choose the language and drag it to the top of the list to make it the main one.

iPhone

1. Open Settings, then General, then Language & Region.
2. Tap Add Language, choose one, and confirm which language should be the main one.

If the menus are in a language you cannot read

• Look for the gear icon: it is the same in every language.
• Look for the icon with a large letter and a smaller character, or a globe: it usually opens language settings.
• On Android, use the search bar at the top of Settings and type “language”. The results often show icons.
• Open Settings in your browser’s help on a second device, then follow the same icons.

Typing in another language

To type in Urdu or another language, add that keyboard under the keyboard settings. See how to turn off auto-correct and predictive text if the suggestions get in the way.

Common mistakes

• Changing only the keyboard language and expecting the menus to change. They are two separate settings.
• Picking a similar-looking language, such as a regional version, and ending up with different spellings. Choose the exact one you want.
• Not restarting after a big change. Some apps pick up the new language only after you close and reopen them.

Other things that change

Dates, the first day of the week and the number format may change with the language and region. Check the font size afterwards, because some scripts look smaller or larger. An update can also add language options, see how to update your phone’s software safely.