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How to Change Language on Apple TV

How to change audio language, subtitle language, and onscreen menu language

By Sam Costello Sam Costello Writer Ithaca College Sam Costello has been writing about tech since 2000. His writing has appeared in publications such as CNN.com, PC World, InfoWord, and many others. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on July 12, 2022 Reviewed by Jessica Kormos Reviewed by Jessica Kormos Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College Jessica Kormos is a writer and editor with 15 years' experience writing articles, copy, and UX content for Tecca.com, Rosenfeld Media, and many others. lifewire's editorial guidelines Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email

In This Article

Expand Jump to a Section Kinds of Language You Can Change Change Subtitle Languages Change Audio Languages Change Onscreen Languages Change Languages on Apple TV App Frequently Asked Questions

What To Know

To change audio language, play video > swipe up on remote > speaker icon > desired language.To change subtitle language, play video > swipe up on remote > language icon > desired language.To change onscreen menu language, go to Settings > General > Apple TV Language > desired language. This article explains all the ways to change language on the Apple TV, including audio language, subtitle language, and onscreen menu language. The instructions in this article apply to tvOS 15 and higher. The basic principles work for earlier versions, too, but the exact steps differ based on what version of the OS you have.

How to Change Languages on Apple TV

When it comes to changing languages on Apple TV, there are three primary kinds of language you can change: Audio language: The language that you hear TV, movie, and other audio in. Subtitle language: If you turn on subtitles, the language that's shown onscreen during dialogue. Onscreen menu language: All menus, alerts, and other onscreen text use this language. The most important thing to understand about changing languages on Apple TV is that not every app or TV show/movie supports the same languages. The Apple TV supports a huge number of languages for onscreen menus because Apple built them into tvOS. For audio and subtitle language, though, the app you use to watch TV and movies has to provide options in a given language. And not all shows or movies available in the same streaming app support all of the same languages. For example, you can switch the Apple TV onscreen menu language to Afrikaans, but that doesn't mean that Netflix offers audio or subtitles in Afrikaans. You have to check in each app.

How to Change Subtitle Languages

Subtitles are maybe the most common language to change when using the Apple TV. To see what's being said using a different language, follow these steps: Begin playing the TV show or movie whose subtitles you want to change. What you do depends on what version of the Siri Remote you have: 2nd Generation: Click the up button1st Generation: Swipe up. Click the icon that looks like a small, square balloon with lines in it. In most apps, that's above the playback timeline. In some apps, it's at the bottom left. In some older apps, swipe down on the remote. Swipe up and down to see what languages are available. Click the language you want to use for subtitles and they'll appear. Prefer to use Siri? Hold down the Siri button and say something like "turn on the subtitles".

How to Change Audio Languages

To change the audio played for a TV show or movie, follow these steps: Begin playing the TV show or movie whose audio you want to change. What you do depends on what version of the Siri Remote you have: 2nd Generation: Click the up button1st Generation: Swipe up. Click the icon that looks like a small speaker. Swipe up and down to see what audio options are available. Click your preferred language and the spoken dialogue will change to that language.

How to Change Onscreen Languages

If you want to change the language used onscreen for menus and alerts, follow these steps:
Click the Settings app. Click General. Click Apple TV Language. Click the language you prefer.

How to Change Languages on Apple TV App for iPhone and iPad

Want to change the language on your Apple TV app rather than the streaming device? (Not even sure what the difference is? We've got you covered.) You can do that, too: Start by playing the TV show or movie whose language you want to change. Tap the More (three horizontal dots) menu. Tap Languages to change the spoken audio or Subtitles to change the subtitle language. Scroll through the available languages and tap your choice to switch to that language. You can change the onscreen menus of your iPhone or iPad just like the Apple TV, but that changes them for everything on your device, not just the Apple TV app. If you want to do that, go to Settings > General > Language & Region > iPhone Language. How to Turn Down the Volume on Apple TV FAQ How do I turn off an Apple TV? As long as your Apple TV is connected to power, it never really turns off. However, you can put it to sleep by holding the Home button on the remote until options appear, and then selecting Sleep. How do I turn off subtitles on an Apple TV? First, pause what you're watching, or swipe up to pull up the status bar and options. Next, select the speech bubble icon, and then select Off in the menu that opens. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire How to Change Language on HBO Max How to Change Language in Microsoft Word and Office How to Turn On and Turn Off Disney Plus Subtitles How to Turn Off Subtitles on Netflix How to Set up the Apple TV With Your iPhone How to Authorize a Computer for Apple TV How to Change Language on Amazon Prime Video How to Get Disney Plus on Apple TV How to Turn Down the Volume on Apple TV Is an Apple TV Worth It? How to Cast Apple TV to Chromecast How to Turn off Subtitles on Apple TV How to Use Hulu Subtitles How to Connect an Apple TV to Wi-Fi Without a Remote How to Turn on Apple TV Subtitles and Captions How to Change the Language on Netflix Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies