How to Change iPhone Language to Chinese

What You’ll Need

Your iPhone with the passcode or Face ID/Touch ID enabled (you’ll need it after the restart).
Enough battery (at least 20% or plug in during the change).
Wi-Fi or cellular connection (not strictly required, but helpful if you need to re-download anything).

Step-by-Step

Open Settings. Tap the gray gear icon on your home screen. It’s usually on the first page or in your App Library.
Go to General. Scroll down a bit and tap “General” (it’s near the top, under your Apple ID name).
Tap Language & Region. In the General menu, look for “Language & Region” (you may need to scroll down slightly).
Select iPhone Language. At the top of the screen, tap “iPhone Language.” A list of languages will appear. Scroll down or use the search bar to find “中文” (Chinese). You’ll see two options: “中文” (Simplified) and “繁體中文” (Traditional). Choose the one you want—most people pick “中文” for Simplified Chinese.
Confirm the change. Tap “Done” (or “完成” if your phone is already partially in Chinese) in the top-right corner. A pop-up will ask “Do you want to change the language to Chinese?” Tap “Change to Chinese” (or “更改為中文”). Your iPhone will restart automatically. After it turns back on, everything will be in Chinese.

Common Mistakes

Choosing the wrong Chinese variant. Simplified (中文) is used in mainland China and Singapore; Traditional (繁體中文) is used in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau. Picking the wrong one won’t break anything, but you’ll see characters you may not expect.
Not confirming the pop-up. If you tap outside the confirmation dialog or press Home, the change won’t happen. You must explicitly tap “Change to Chinese.”
Thinking the keyboard changes too. Changing the system language does not automatically add a Chinese keyboard. You’ll still have your old keyboard unless you add one in Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards > Add New Keyboard.
Panicking during the restart. The restart can take a minute or two. Don’t force-restart your phone during this time—it’s normal.

Tips

Take a screenshot of the menu first. If you’re nervous about navigating in Chinese later, screenshot the Settings > General > Language & Region screen before changing. You can refer to it if you need to switch back.
Use the search bar in Settings. If you can’t find “Language & Region,” pull down on the Settings screen to reveal a search field and type “language.”
Add a Chinese keyboard now. While you’re in Settings, go to General > Keyboard > Keyboards > Add New Keyboard and select “简体中文” (Simplified) or “繁體中文” (Traditional). This way you can type Chinese immediately after the restart.
Learn the basic menu names in Chinese. “设置” is Settings, “通用” is General, “语言与地区” is Language & Region. This helps if you need to switch back later.

Troubleshooting

My phone is stuck on the Apple logo after restart. This is rare but can happen. Wait 5–10 minutes. If it doesn’t recover, force-restart: press and release Volume Up, then Volume Down, then hold the Side button until the Apple logo appears again.
I changed the language but some apps are still in English. That’s normal. Apps that don’t provide a Chinese translation will stay in their default language. You can check if the app has its own language setting inside its app preferences.
I can’t find “Language & Region.” In older iOS versions, it might be called “International” or “Language & Region” is under “General” > “Language & Region.” If you’re on iOS 16 or later, it’s definitely under General. Use the search field in Settings to locate it.
I changed to Chinese by mistake and can’t read anything. Don’t worry. Go to “设置” (Settings) > “通用” (General) > “语言与地区” (Language & Region) > “iPhone语言” (iPhone Language) and select “English.” Confirm the change, and your phone will switch back.
The confirmation pop-up disappeared before I could tap it. Just start again from Step 1. The change isn’t applied until you confirm.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will changing the language delete my data?

No. Changing the system language only affects the display language. Your photos, messages, apps, and settings stay exactly as they are.

Can I have the iPhone in Chinese but keep some apps in English?

Yes. Many apps follow the system language, but some have their own language setting. For example, in Facebook, you can change the language inside the app’s settings. For apps that don’t offer that, they’ll show in Chinese if they support it, otherwise they’ll stay in English.

How do I switch back to English?

Go to Settings > General > Language & Region > iPhone Language, select “English,” then confirm. The steps are the same, just in Chinese: 设置 > 通用 > 语言与地区 > iPhone语言 > 英语.

Will Siri speak Chinese after this change?

Yes, Siri will use the system language. If you’ve set Siri to a specific language in Siri & Search settings, it might stay that way. You can change Siri’s language separately in Settings > Siri & Search > Language.

Do I need to restart my iPhone manually?

No. After you confirm the change, your iPhone will restart automatically. It takes about a minute.

What’s the difference between Simplified and Traditional Chinese?

Simplified Chinese (简体中文) uses fewer strokes and is used in mainland China and Singapore. Traditional Chinese (繁體中文) uses more complex characters and is used in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau. Pick the one that matches your region or preference.

Sources: Apple Support. Menus and buttons can differ slightly by version. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.