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Do you make sure all software uses English as default on language settings?

Last updated by Brady Stroud [SSW] 8 months ago.See history

When dealing with western people, you want to avoid having screen captures showing foreign characters.

Let us look at some examples:

Google Chrome

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Figure: Bad example - Chrome using Chinese as its language setting

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Figure: Good example - Chrome using English as its language setting

How to fix on a PC?

You want all screenshots you take to be showing English. Most of the time it is as simple as going Tools | Options | Language | Default Language = English (US).

In Chrome, you can follow these steps directly:

  1. Three dots bar at the top right of the Chrome window:

chroooome
Figure: Blank Chrome page showing the 'Settings' button, 3 small dots

  1. Click on Settings:

ssw12
Figure: Showing the 'Settings' page

  1. Click on Advanced:

ssw13
Figure: Advanced tab in Settings

  1. Click on 'Add Languages':

ssw14
Figure: Add Languages to your current Chrome

  1. Move English to the top

ChromeEnOnTop
Figure: Move English to top

How to fix on a Mac?

  1. Change the language in System Preferences. Go to Apple menu | System Preferences | Language & Region

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Figure: In macOS it’s simple to change to English

  1. In Preferred languages, add English and select it as primary language
  2. Reboot the system and verify that English is now the primary language for all desktop applications

How to fix your Google account?

You should also change your Google language to English as well. If it is not already, take a look at these steps:

  1. Go to <www.google.com>
  2. Click on Sign-In or My Account if you are already signed in

ssw1
Figure: Google page without an account

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Figure: Google page with an account

  1. Search for 'Language':

GoogleAccountSearch
Figure: Search for 'language'

  1. Now click Language and search for English

GoogleAccountAdd
Figure: Language picker

  1. Move English up to default language by clicking on the arrow

GoogleAccountMoveUp
Figure: Move up English

  1. Done! You changed your language to English

How to fix your Gmail account?

  1. Click on the cog then Settings

Gmail1
Figure: Access to Settings on Gmail

  1. Set language to English(US)

Gmail2
Figure: Change language setting

  1. Scroll down and click on 'Save Changes'. Done!

How to fix Mozilla Firefox?

  1. Go to Options

Firefox1
Figure: Access to Firefox options

  1. Set Display language to English (United States), you may have to restart Firefox to apply the change

Firefox2
Figure: Language settings

  1. Choose your preferred language for displaying pages. Add English (United States) and move it to the top

Firefox3a
Figure: Click Choose to change your preferred language

Firefox3
Figure: Add English (United States) to your preferred language for displaying pages

  1. Done!

How to fix on MS Azure?

Azure
Figure: In Azure https://portal.azure.com it is as simple as clicking on the Cog icon

How to fix on MS Office 365 (rich client)

Some cheap versions of Microsoft Office 365 only allow Chinese, so you need to uninstall and install the English version. It requires you to download a language pack which is a bit more of a hassle...

office365
Figure: The Office 365 cog does not show the language.

install language pack
Figure: If you do not have the English version. In Microsoft Office open the rich client application such as Outlook or Word, then install and configure as per the image above

How to fix on Office 365 (https://outlook.office365.com)

  1. Go to https://outlook.office.com

screenshot
Figure: If you have the Inbox, Sent Items etc in Chinese then you will need to follow these steps

  1. Click on "My profile" in the top right corner

screenshot step1
Figure: Choose 'My profile'

  1. Click on "setting" button

screenshot step2
Figure: Choose 'Mail'

  1. Click on Region and time zone

screenshot step3
Figure: Choose Region and Time. Then when you change the ‘Language’ with the checkbox enabled, the problem will be fixed.

  1. In Windows 10, Go to Settings | Language | Windows display language, click Windows display language and search for English.

LanguageSettingForWin10
Figure: Set windows display language to English

  1. Go to Settings | Language | Region, click Regional format and select “English (United States)”.

RegionalFormatSettingForWin10
Figure: Set regional format to English

  1. In Outlook, go to File | Options | Advanced | International options, check "Use English for message headers..."

outlook options headers
Figure: Force message headers to English

  1. Done. You have changed your language to English. Congratulations!

screenshot finished
Figure: After completing the fix

Microsoft Teams

  1. Navigate to Microsoft Teams | Manage account

TeamsManageAccount
Figure: Navigate to Microsoft Teams | Manage account

  1. Navigate to General | App language and then select English from the dropdown

TeamsChangeLanguage
Figure: Navigate to General | App language and then select English from the dropdown

  1. Done!

How to fix on iOS SharePoint App

  1. Change the language in System Preferences. Navigate to Settings | General | Language & Region

iossetting
Figure: Navigate to Settings|General|Language & Region

  1. Drag English field to the top of the PREFERRED LANGUAGES list

iossettinglanguage
Figure: Drag English field to the top of the list

  1. Done!
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